# "Beast of Burden" & "Into the Fire"



## Silver Moon (Sep 9, 2003)

*Posts 1-56  "Beast of Burden"* 
Played as Module #120, 9 Games, Sept. 7th to Dec. 21st 2003.   Module Source: Dungeon 100 "Beast of Burden"

*Posts 57-61  "Beast of Burden Sequel: The One that got Away"*
Played as Module #125, 2 Games, April 11th & May 31st 2004.  Module Source: Dungeon 108: Map of Mystery "Stone Giant Caverns".

*Post 62  "The Birth"*
Played as Module #128, 1 Game, Sept. 26th, 2004

*Posts 63-up  "Into the Fire" & "Preemptive Strike"*
Played as Module #130 beginning Oct. 31st, 2004.  Module Sources: Dungeon 1 "Into the Fire", Dungeon 74 "Preemptive Strike" & Dungeon 117 "Istivin: City of Shadows".


*Source Material* 

“Beast of Burden” is from Dungeon Magazine #100 (August 2003), written by Michael Kortes, with minor modifications by the DM to fit into the campaign world.   Due to the higher PC levels the full scaling options have been employed, as well as increasing the size and leadership of the enemy ground forces.    

The NPC adventuring team “The Dragonstalkers” are from Polyhedron Magazine #35 (October 1987), created by Michael Lach, and have been an established group on this campaign world for the past five character years.   To better ground this module in the campaign world, this team has been substituted for the Knights of Heironeous NPC group in the introductory pages of the module.   


*Background*

This campaign is set on the continent of Phlooredah, which is an oval-shaped island approximately 600 miles east to west by 400 miles north to south.   The continent is divided into nine autonomous Lordholdings.  The nine Lordholders elect a ruler to serve a 15-year term of office, with the ruler’s authority limited to the defense of the continent, the issuing of a common currency, and the arbitration of disputes between the Lordholders.   

The current ruler is Queen Jennifer, the wife of the previous King, and she is serving her first year of office.  Unlike her predecessors, she does not maintain a large military for the defense of the continent.   She relies instead upon three adventuring teams to serve that role, and has named a member of each of these teams to act as her a liaison, with the title General of the Queen’s Army.   

The setting where “Beast of Burden” has been placed is the Kralt Lordholding.   This is the northeastern most land on the continent and the third largest Lordholding in regards to territory.  Kralt is primarily remote wilderness and is lightly populated.  Its long northern coastline is lined with rocks and high cliffs, experiences very rough seas, and has only a few barely accessible  harbors.  

The Kralt Lordholder is a charismatic monk, who rules from a large monastery situated a day’s travel from the land’s only coastal city, Kralton.    Community and location names from the “Beast of Burden” module have been retained, although the east-west orientation of the module’s map has been reversed to increase the potential threat of the invading monster (with it moving in the direction of the more populated sections of the continent rather than away from them).   


*Cast of Characters*

*Narg, male 8th level half-elf fighter.*
*(Played by Biz1489)*  Chaotic Good. Founding member of the Silver Moon Adventurers, 14 years earlier. Is the unofficial leader of the Silver Moon Adventurers. He is charismatic, optimistic, and likes to make the most out of life.  He has exceptional strength, but a below-average wisdom, which along with his alignment sometimes leads short-term planning without consideration the long-term consequences.  Despite this flaw, he serves on the Jawlt Council as the Minister of Military Strategy.  He recently married the elvan archer-ranger Vallessa, who is currently pregnant with their child.   He wields a sword of sharpness that also protects him from fire, which he has named “The Nargblade".   He often goes on trips with his Pooka friend Monty, who usually brings him to watch baseball games on a planet called Earth. 

*Mojo, male 8th level elf fighter.*
*(Played by ttenchantr)* Chaotic Good.  Sidekick and former roommate of Narg.  Mr. Mojo Rising has a sly wit and sharp tongue, making a joke or comment about anything.  Has exceptional strength.  He was recently appointed a General in the Queen's Army, and is also her secret lover.  He likes to think of himself as still being reckless and irresponsible, although that has been slowly changing in recent years.  He has been with the Silver Moon Adventurers for 13 years.   His favorite magic items are a Hammer of Throwing and a Ring of Invisibility.

*Mark, male 8th level half-elf ranger.*
Neutral Good. Quiet and thoughtful, he is the party's senior ranger and a very skilled tracker.  Likes to be left alone, and lives by himself in the Island’s deepest forest, miles from his nearest neighbor.  He has been with the Silver Moon Adventurers for 14 years, having joined them early into their first mission.  He never takes any type of leadership role unless giants or other humanoid monsters are around, when he then won’t hesitate to lead the party into battle.  His key magic items are a +4 Longsword.   His body has been altered to assume an aquatic form when triggered by a Dispel Magic spell, his form being an aquatic elf. 

*Cassie-Andra, female 10th /8th level* half-elf wizard/cleric.* 
*(Played by kriskrafts)* Lawful Good. She is a fanatic about reading, learning and spell casting. She has wonderful surgery skills, dissecting most monsters that the party kills to harvest components for spells and magic items. She has been with the Silver Moon Adventurers for 11 years.  She is their most powerful spell caster, being both a formidable wizard and a cleric of the God of Knowledge and Time.  She is the girlfriend of the elvan archer Aradyn.  Cassie has an owl familiar named Deanna, and a pet wyvern named Maynard.   *Her key magic item is the Crown of Might, the powers of which include increasing each of her ability levels (her actual levels each being one lower than stated above) and the crown will also throw massive fireballs twice daily. 

*Alton, male 9th level human druid.*
*(Played by Celticwolf) *  True Neutral.  Alton F. Wadsworth was a hippie and student at U.C.L.A. Berkley on the planet Earth in the year 1967.  While attending a Renaissance festival he was inadvertently captured by a dimensional traveler looking for Medieval-era adventurers, and was then dropped into this D&D campaign world.  He has now been here and with the Silver Moon Adventurers for 12 years.  Alton had always grown his own plants (most of which he smoked) so decided to become a druid.   He has a laid back personality (bordering on ‘burned-out’) with occasional short-term memory lapses, but as less of an attitude than the party’s other druid so the group keeps him around.   He lives in the city on Silver Moon Island where he often travels around on 20th century vehicles that the group had acquired on some of their more unusual missions.  

*Purge, 5th level human monk (NPC)*
Lawful Neutral.   This quiet and rather secretive man came from a monastery in the remote Kralt Lordholding.  He first joined the Silver Moon Adventurers eight years ago, serving as an active and productive party member for many years.   He has spent the past two years away on solo travels, and has just now returned for an annual visit.  Since the current mission is in his homeland he has decided to join them on this quest.  The Kralt Lordholder is the leader of Purge’s monastic order.


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## Silver Moon (Sep 11, 2003)

*Game #1 - 9/07/03*

*Chapter 1, “Call for General Mojo,” September 12th, 1019, 10:30 A.M. *

The half-elvan fighter Narg and his elvan sidekick Mojo have just sat down for a late breakfast at Jerry’s Tavern, the largest eating establishment in the harborside town on Silver Moon Island.  The town is home to half of the island’s 300 residents, including the crews of the four ships that call this port their home.  The two fighters had been drinking at the tavern the previous evening and spent the night at the adjacent inn, being too drunk to make their way up the mountain to their homes.   

Jerry, the middle-aged gnome proprietor of the tavern and inn, brings them some plates filled with eggs, meat and potatoes along with a full pitcher of beer for each of them.    Midway through the meal a loud buzzing sound emanates from Mojo.  Narg’s hangover is pretty bad and he finds the noise is rather aggravating.  He snaps “What the hell is that?”   “It’s the Queen phone,” is Mojo’s reply. 

The elvan fighter then retches into the pocket of his tunic and takes out a wooden and metal bottle opener.   He moves the corkscrew and pulls the metal bottle prier up a few inches, then brings the device up to his face.   “Hello!” he says enthusiastically.   Mojo’s facial expression then changes to one of frustration, and he says, “Yes, I’ll hold.”     Jerry asks Narg “Is there any particular reason he’s talking to a bottle opener?”   Narg replies, “It’s Mojo.  Does he need a reason?”  

Mojo then begins talking again, saying “Uh huh……..Yeah…….Of course they did…...Well I could have told you that………….How big? WHAT!…… What does it look like………Where did you say…….Where is that……Damn…..Okay, that makes sense…….Okay, fine I’ll get a team there right away.  Talk to you tomorrow.”   He then closes up the bottle opener and puts it away.    

“Dare I ask?” Narg inquires.   Mojo replies, “That was the Queen.”   Jerry says “The Queen is now a bottle opener?”   Mojo answers “No.  She spoke to me through a magical communication device.”  “In a bottle opener?” Narg exclaims.   Mojo answers, “She could have had the enchantment placed upon any item.   She figured that if she put it on something I might actually use then I wouldn’t misplace it or throw it away.”

“So what’s going on?” Narg asks.    Mojo replies, “She needs me to get a team up to the Kralt Lordholding to stop a giant monster.  It apparently looks like a cross between an ox and a crocodile.”   “Oh no!” Narg exclaims with a shocked look on his face.   Jerry comments “What?  Afraid of fighting a crocodile-like monster?”  Narg replies, “Hell no, I just don’t want to go to Kralt.”    Mojo comments, “Well, this is apparently a big one.  She says it’s 100 feet tall and half-mile long.”   

Jerry comments, “Wait a minute Mojo.  That’s not one of the Lordholdings you and the Silver Moon Adventurers have been appointed to look after?”  Mojo replies, “No, the Donkey Feet Team has that one.”   “Do you mean the Dragon Stalkers?” Jerry comments.    Mojo answers “Yeah, them.  I was close.  Anyway, she already sent them and the creature took them out.”   Narg quips, “Of course it took them out.  They’re incompetent!  A 100-inch tall monster would be too much for those chumps.  She should have called the “A” Team to begin with.”    Mojo replies, “She told me to go and get the best and the brightest.”   Jerry quips, “Do you want me to go and try to find some of them?  That sure doesn’t describe you two guys.”     

Neither of the fighters are motivated to move, so they decide that the best way for them to recruit a team for this mission is to just stay in the tavern and drink, and take whoever happens to walk in next.     The first person to arrive is Mark, the party’s most senior ranger.   Narg says, “Hey, It’s Mark.  Should we get him?”   Mojo says, “Yeah, we should get him…to go find somebody else instead.”   Narg then says of his half-elvan colleague, “Okay, I’ll admit that he’s not the most exhilarating person we have in the group.”  Mojo answers, “The barnacles on the bottom of the ship are more exhilarating.” 

A large cloud of dust and dirt then appears outside the tavern, and Mark quickly closes the door to keep the dust outside.   Looking out the tavern window Mojo and Narg see that a large golden colored wyvern with rainbow hued winds has just landed.   The female half-elf wizard/cleric Cassie-Andra dismounts from her flying pet, and heads into the tavern.  “Well that’s more like it,” Mojo comments.  Narg and Mojo call both her and Mark over to their table.   “What’s up?” she asks. 

Narg says, “Trouble in Kralt.  The Queen just contacted Mojo, and she wants a team of us to get there as soon as possible to stop a giant monster.”   Cassie turns to Mojo and then interrogates him for a word-for-word summary of his conversation with Queen Jennifer.   Mojo explains that the monster first appeared in Kralt a few days earlier and has thus far destroyed three small settlements, the latest being the town of Szaphdra’s Rest.   That was where the Dragon Stalkers fought the creature and lost.   That team’s liaison, General Teakas, contacted Queen Jennifer to request more help.   The Queen said she would take care of that and ordered the Dragon Stalkers to begin an evacuation of the large crossroads town of Gheldaylin, the next community in the monster’s path.”    

“Any idea where that town might be?” Mark inquires.   Cassie replies, “Yes, I’ve heard of it.  It is about halfway between the Monastery of the Kralt Lordholder and the East Lordholding land of Northumberland.  We’ve adventured at both of those places nine years ago, and could teleport to either.”  Mojo comments, “Yeah, I went on both of those missions.”  Mojo then points to the door, and comments, “He went on both of those missions too.”   They turn and see that the druid Alton has just entered the tavern.   The scruffy, disheveled and rather filthy robed human staggers over towards the others.   They smell him well before he reaches the tables as he reeks  of the various plants that he recreationally smokes, and comments “Hey Man.  Saw your flying lizard outside Cassie.  What’s happening?”  

She replies, “We’re going to be heading up to the Kralt Lordholding.  Care to join us?”   “Him?” Narg comments, with a distasteful look on his face.   Cassie replies, “We could use a second spell caster.  And a druid might come in handy for this mission.”   Alton asks, “This isn’t another vacation is it?” _(Remembering a prior ‘vacation’ to another world that turned out to be an unpleasant trek through several hundred miles of desert._  Mojo replies, “No you’ve been asked to go help fight a giant monster.”  “Great. Sounds real groovy,” is the druid’s reply.  

“Shouldn’t we also bring along somebody who has thieving skills?” Mark comments.   “Good point,” Narg answers, “Hey Jerry…..”   They all notice that the gnome rogue tavern owner is nowhere to be seen.”    “Guess he saw that one coming,” Mojo comments.    Cassie suggests, “How about Purge?”  “That weirdo?” Mojo states.   Cassie answers “Yes.  He’s currently back on the island for a visit, and he originally came from Kralt.  In fact, the Kralt Lordholder is the head of Purge’s Monastic Order and he knows that Monastery well.”   “Fine, at least he’s quiet,” Narg states. 

“How do we get there?” Mark asks.   Cassie says, “We’ll have to borrow either the Ring of Teleportation from Serita or Helm of Teleportation from Kharole.”   “Will either loan one of them to us?” Alton says.   Mojo quips, “You could probably get the one from Kharole, but you might have to sleep with her first.”   Narg says, “Right!  Be back soon.”   Cassie yells, “Hold on Mister!  Need I remind you that you’re recently married.”   He says, “Oh yeah, and to a very pregnant archer.  She’d kill me without hesitation in her current disposition.  Better send Mark instead.”   

Cassie says, “Okay, Mark.  Go find Purge and then get the Helmet and your equipment together.  We’ll leave from outside of my library just as soon as you can get there.”    Mark gets on his horse and rides off.  The others climb upon the back of the wyvern Maynard, for a quick flight back up to the mountaintop city where the four of them reside.


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## Silver Moon (Sep 15, 2003)

*Chapter 2, “Off to Kralt, September 12th, 1019, 11:30 A.M.* 

The Wyvern ascends above the forested mountainside, soon reaching the summit and the cliffs of the crater surrounding the city below.   Two hundred feet below the half-mile round crater walls is a plateau filled with approximately one hundred buildings that were the ruins of the ancient city of Parthalis.   During the past decade that the Silver Moon Adventurers have renovated the stone buildings, with about one-fifth of them now being occupied by the party and their associates.   _(Note: This city is from the classic TSR Module #I1: “Dwellers of the Forbidden City”._

The wyvern Maynard lands outside of Alton’s house and all three men dismount.  Cassie then flies Maynard down the street to her home.    Mojo and Narg head inside with Alton, and each grab a cold beer from his refrigerator _ (powered by energy from deep beneath the dormant volcano – don’t ask)_   Alton haphazardly tosses a bunch of items into his backpack.  They head back outside and Mojo then goes into his house next door while Alton tosses the pack into the backpack of his Jeep.   “We’re only going to the library down the street,” Narg comments.   Alton replies, “So?  We’ll probably be doing a lot of walking later.  Why wear ourselves out before we have to.”    

Mojo soon returns with his pack and is dressed in his General of the Queen’s Army uniform.  Alton drives them the short distance down the street to Narg and Vallessa’s house.   “Care to come inside?” Narg asks his companions.   Mojo answers, “Yeah right!  You’re just afraid to face her alone since you didn’t come home last night”   “We’ll stay here,” Alton interjects.   Narg cautiously makes his way into the house and looks around.   His wife does not appear to be home and he then notices that her pegasus Magnificence is not in the stable behind the house.    Narg breathes a sigh of relief and quickly gathers his things together.    Alton then drives them to the library. 

Cassie still hasn’t finished gathering together the assorted group-owned magic items as well as whatever books she thinks she might need to consult, so the others decide to impatiently wait by the vehicle.    Mark and Purge eventually ride through the cave opening into the city and down the street to the library.    They dismount and Purge then speak to the horses, commanding them to return to their homes.   

Cassie eventually emerges from the library, carrying two Bags of Holding, one full of magic and equipment, the other for the party to ride in.    Alton complains about not being able to bring the Jeep, but it is pointed out that the Kralt wilderness is a bit too rugged for it to travel through and that Cassie also wants to save her Reduce spells for the monster.  

Everyone climbs into the bag except for Purge and Cassie’s owl familiar Deanna.    Purge places the Helm of Teleportation on his head, and pictures in his mind a familiar memory of a meditation area not far from the Monastery where he was originally trained.    The 500-mile teleport is instantaneous, with him arriving without incident.    The park-like area is currently unoccupied, and he spends a few minutes in silent meditation before letting his associates out of the Bag of Holding.    Mark, Mojo and Narg are all a little dazed after spending time in a confined space with Alton, and taking in his unique 'aroma'.

Narg immediately complains, “What took so long and where the hell are we?  I thought we were going to a Monastery?”   Purge says, “We are near it.  Coming here first was safer, as Monks don’t always react well to people teleporting into their home.”    They travel through the park and soon see the large stone building before them.   The building is surrounded by massive trees, which block most of the sun from reaching the structure.  “Geez, no wonder you’re always pasty white,” Narg comments to Purge.  “I thought it had something to do with him being an albino,” Cassie comments.  

As the approach the building Mojo comments, “Hey Purge, these monks are pretty tough, right?”  “Indeed,” he replies.   “Well it’s their Lordholding.  Why don’t we just tell them to go and slap the monster, and save us the trouble”.  Purge responds with “I believe that the Queen assigned you the task.  Now please be respectful to the Lordholder.”    Narg replies, “Sure, we’re always respectful.”  Cassie rolls her eyes and threatens Narg with “If you screw this up I’ll get your wife to make you wear socks.”  

They approach the monastery gates, which is guarded by a pair of robed human monks.   One appears to recognize Purge, but makes no attempt to move aside to allow him to enter.   Purge and the monks just stare at each other until Mojo loses his patience, and pushes his way through saying, “We’re here to see the Lordholder.”   

“Wait one moment sir,” the older monk that is apparently in charge states, and he then and the other monk move back into the entranceway.    The two then have a whispered conversation, which the keen elvan hearing of most of the party members are able to pick up.     The younger monk says, “Who are they?”  The older one says, “I’m not sure.  One is Brother Purge, but I have never seen his companions before.”  The younger one replies, “Should we let them in.  That uniform looks official.”   The other answers, “Yes, part of the royal army I believe.  But I’m not sure about letting him in.  He’s an elf, so he’s probably going to prance or something.”  “PRANCE!” Mojo angrily yells out.


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## Silver Moon (Sep 18, 2003)

*Chapter 3, “Audience with the Lordholder,” September 12th, 1019, 1:15 P.M. *

Mojo charges up towards the monks, balling up his fists.   Narg very quickly charges forward, inserting himself between them.  Narg tells the monks, “We don’t do a whole lot of  ‘prancing’ anymore.   Look, it is really important that we see your Lordholder right away.  The Queen sent us here to stop a giant monster.”   

They are brought in to a lobby room, and told to wait a very short while.  One monk leaves, and returns shortly thereafter stating, “Please follow me.”   They are led down a number of small stone corridors lit by candles, until they finally reach a large hall.    There are around two-dozen monks in the room, and it appears that some sort of meditation ceremony has just ended.   Most of the monks depart, and Purge leads his party forward.   Cassie, Mojo and Narg recognize the monk leader, having seen him most recently at the Queen’s Coronation in January.   Alton barely remembers any details of his prior visit to this monastery nine years earlier, and does not remember this man at all.   

The monk welcomes the party, addressing each of them by name including Mark who he has never met before, and thanks them for coming to the assistance of the Kralt Lordholding.   “You know why we’re here?” Mojo asks.    The monk replies, “Yes.  We have heard about this giant creature that has devastated three communities in our land.”    Cassie asks the man to tell them everything he knows about it.   

The monk tells them “It is said to be some type of large gray scaled reptile, a hundred feet high and perhaps five-hundred feet long.   It apparently has some type of occupied castle strapped onto its back.”   “Occupied, by who or what?” Cassie interjects.    “An army of hairy monsters,” is the monk’s reply.   “But what type?  That description could fit a lot of creatures?” she answers.  “Or even some of us,” Narg comments, staring at Alton.  

The monk apologizes saying, “I am sorry but I do not have those details.    All that we know about this we received yesterday through messages sent by distant signal mirrors.   I wish I could have found out more, but I only had one mage at my disposal who could teleport, and I sent him to contact the Queen.”   “Which is why we are here,” Mojo interjects, adding “But I wish we had a better description.  It sounds like we’re after a group of Muppets riding on a giant armadillo.”  

The monk says, “You are the second team who she has sent.  The Dragon Stalkers were here yesterday, and headed south to fight the creature.”  “And those losers got their butts kicked,” Narg states.    Cassie asks, “Could you give us a better idea of where this creature might be?”   

The monk leads them into another chamber of the monastery, where a large tapestry depicting the Kralt Lordholding is affixed to the wall.    The tapestry’s vibrant colors are a sharp contrast to the plain earth tone colors of the monks’ attire and the remainder of the building.  Alton stares at the tapestry and comments “Wow!  That’s impressive.”   The monk fidgets and appears to be somewhat embarrassed by Alton’s comment.   He replies, “This woven wool map was found in the castle of the previous Lordholder.  It really is far too opulent for this location, but I have yet to find a better map of the land that I have been led to rule, so I keep it here for reference.”      

He points to an area this is not even depicted on the tapestry, but is marked by a pointed needle has been carefully inserted into it.  He states, “The Monastery is located here.”    His finger then travels forty miles southwesterly on the map to a town depicted along an east-west roadway.   “This is the town of Gheldaylin.  It is a fortified trading town at a crossroad between the main road depicted here, and a north-south road not on the tapestry that goes north of Gheldaylin to here, and south from that town to the East Lordholding land of Northumberland.   

He next points to a large mountain range east of the town.  The mountains are depicted as running approximately ten miles east-to-west, and through the entire length of the Lordholding north-to-south.  The Lordholder tells the party “The settlements that the monster destroyed were to the east of the mountains, and we believe that the monster still is on that side of the mountain range.    We have no evidence that it plans to cross the mountains to head towards Gheldaylin, but since that is the largest community in the immediate vicinity of the creature we have decided to assume the worst case scenario.”

The party debates if the best course of action would be to now travel southwest to Gheldaylin, south to the mountains, or southeast to where the monster was last seen.    The tapestry depicts an east-to-west road through the mountains located around thirty miles south of the monastery.   Alton suggests that they start there, and check the mountain pass for the monster tracks.   He adds, “From the higher vantage point of the mountains we should also be able to spot the monster.”  The group decides that it is a good idea, and Narg comments “Incredible.  Alton actually came up with a plan and it doesn’t involve smoking anything.”  Mojo adds, “Well, we all must have been smoking something if we’ve agreed to it.”

Cassie comments, “I believe that there is no immediate need to go to Gheldaylin until we know the monster is actually heading there.”  Mark says, “Right, plus the Dragon Stalkers are already handling there, so they can warn the people.”   The Lordholder adds, “Well, they certainly have the incentive to.   That team’s leader, Gellyath, was originally from the town of Gheldaylin, and his family still resides there.”    Mojo comments, “That explains it!  I was wondering why those losers would have risked their necks on this mission.  That type of bravery is uncharacteristic of them.”  

The party thanks the Lordholder for the information, and head outside.    The Helm of Teleportation cannot be used again until the following day, so they discuss ways to get there.    Cassie suggests that one of them use her Belt of Shape Change to polymorph into a flying creature, or that Alton could do so using his druidic transformation ability.    Mojo says, “I say that Alton should.  That way we won’t have to share the Bag of Holding with him again.”    Narg interjects, “You’re going to trust him to get us to the right place?”   “Good point.  Somebody should go with him,” Mojo adds. 

Cassie suggests, “I am experienced with riding a wyvern.  If Alton uses his reptilian transformation to become one then I could ride on his back.   “Cool, That form also can talk,” Alton adds.    “What if you fall off?” Narg asks.  She replies, “Then I use the Belt to become a flying creature.”   “Sounds like a plan,” Narg says.   The three fighters and Purge climb into the Bag of Holding.   Cassie takes the bag as Alton begins his transformation.  He models himself from memory of Cassie’s pet wyvern, so that his size will be comparable to what she is used to riding.   She climbs onboard, and is thankful that as part of the transformation he included ridges simulating a saddle, footholds and handholds.   They take to the sky and head south, soon seeing the mountain range.


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## Silver Moon (Sep 22, 2003)

*Game #2 - 9/14/03*

*Chapter 4, “Into the Mountains,” September 12th, 1019, 3:30 P.M.*

Alton had been flying for a couple of hours now.   One advantage of his flying above mountains on a warm sunny day is that he had the benefit of hot thermals rising up from below, allowing him to glide with a minimum of effort.   Cassie eventually notices an east-to-west chasm in the mountains below, and signals for him to descend.   The fly parallel the cliffs and ledges of this mountain notch, seeing that the bottom follows a path of what had once been a river, that is now dried out.    They fly lower, seeing that wagon ruts and horse tracks cover the riverbed.  “Makes for a convenient road,” Cassie comments.   “Except for during spring thaw, when it’s probably a raging river,” Alton adds. 

Seeing no evidence of giant beast tracks, they conclude that the monster hasn’t reached this section yet.    They assume this is the same mountain road that they saw on the map, but also consider that it may be a different road, as not all roadways were depicted on the tapestry.  They decide to head east, exiting the notch and then looking towards the forested lands to the east.    They do not see the monster they are looking for, and continue to fly for several more miles in that direction.   The flying is now much harder on Alton, with the benefit of thermals, and he starts to complain about becoming tired.    Seeing no evidence of either the monster or destroyed settlements, Cassie recommends that they turn back towards the mountains.   She suggests that they go back through the pass and then head west towards Gheldaylin, where they can find the Dragon Stalkers and question them about the beast. 

Inside the Bag of Holding, Mark is taking a long nap and Purge is meditating.     This particular Bag is large enough to comfortably hold six party members, and temporarily hold up to eight in an emergency.   With only four inside, there is enough oxygen to last for a few hours, perhaps even longer as the ranger and monk are exerting a minimum of energy.    

Mojo and Narg however, are becoming quite bored, playing cards to pass the time away.    “Aw crap!” Narg exclaims.   “What?” asks Mojo.   Narg replies, “I forgot to leave behind a note for Vallessa telling her I was going.  She’s going to kill me when we get back.”   Mojo tells his companion, “Calm down.  I’m sure Jerry will get the word out about where we’ve gone.  She’ll certainly understand your being summoned away by the Queen of Phlooredah, since she was once one herself.”  

“Shouldn’t we have gotten to where going by now?   How long have we been in here?” Narg asks.   Mojo glances at his wristwatch, a souvenir from a 20th Century world he once spent some time on, and says “We’re going on three hours now.”  Narg exclaims, “Geez, how long does it take those guys to find a hundred foot tall lizard?”   

As if on cue, the top of the Bag of Holding opens up, letting them glimpse out through the dimensional opening.   They see Cassie on the other side, with mountains and clear blue sky in the background.   “Well, it’s about time!  Let me out of here!”  Narg exclaims.   Cassie says through he opening, “Stay put.  We’re only stopping for a few minutes so that Alton to rest his wings.   I just opened this up to let in some fresh air.”   

“What’s taking so long?” Narg calls out.   Cassie replies, “Either this is the wrong road or the monster hasn’t reached here yet.   We’re going to head to that town to check with the Dragon Stalkers.”   Mojo comments, “I don’t know.   Wandering around aimlessly might be better than trying to talk to them.”   Cassie replies “Typical man.  You’d rather waste time than stop to ask for directions.”   The wyvern’s head then passes over the opening, and Alton says inside “I just flew in from northern Kralt, and boy are my arms tied.”   Hearing that, both Mojo and Narg say in unison “Shut the bag.”  The Bag is closed up again and Narg tells Mojo “We’ve got to find ourselves some other mode of transportation!”  

Alton and Cassie soon reach the western edge of the mountain pass.   The road then turns to the south and slightly west, running parallel the mountains.   Alton flies along the outer edge of the mountains to take advantage of the warmer gusts of air, doing his best to also keep the woodland road within view.   They fly for another hour, covering an estimated fifteen more miles.   A large lake is seen in the distance, situated between the mountains and road.    “I’m beat, let’s stop there,” Alton comments.   Cassie agrees, telling him “You’ve flown a lot farther than Maynard ever has in a single day.”  “He must be smart enough to tell you no,” the druid replies. 

They land alongside the large L-shaped lake and Cassie dismounts.   She lets the others out of the Bag of Holding as Alton’s wyvern form drinks over twenty gallons of water and then collapses backwards into the lake to cool off.     The four men exit the Bag, and begin to stretch their muscles.   “About bloody time,” Narg comments.   “What are you complaining about?  I’m the one who has been doing all the work,” the wyvern exclaims.    “At least you picked a scenic place to stop,” Mark comments.  

Cassie heads over towards some nearby trees and bushes, cutting off branches of types that she knows to be good for a wyvern’s digestive system.    She piles it up near the water, instructing Alton, “Eat up.”  “Eat that?” he replies.  “Just think of it as a wyvern salad,” she answers.   He does as instructed, but thinks that the assorted food that the others are now eating looks much better.  “Hey, how about some of your food?” he yells.   Cassie laughs and says, “Guess again.  In that form you’d eat everything we brought with us and still be hungry.” 

Narg asks, “Why doesn’t he just change back?”  “Because we’d then have to smell him again,” Mojo comments.    Cassie says, “We may need him to fly some more today.”   “No way, I’m done,” Alton replies.   “I don’t think so,” comments Mark, now standing on the nearby roadway and examining several sets of tracks.    

“What did you find?” Purge asks.    Mark replies, “A group of approximately ten horse drawn wagons accompanied by another ten or so mounted riders.  They appear to have traveled past here heading south around an hour ago.”   “Probably refugees from the settlements the monster destroyed.” Cassie comments.  “Could be.  Based on the wagon wheel indentations I’d say they were heavily laden,” the ranger replies.   “Let’s Go!” Narg exclaims.  Cassie glances at the exhausted Alton, and says “Let him eat and rest a while longer.   Alton can fly a lot faster than that caravan, so should be able to catch them quickly enough.”  

Narg exclaims. “Forget it.  I spend too much time being stuffed in bags.  Let’s just walk.  I’m sick of sitting around in the bag!”  Cassie says, “Narg.  They have horses.  We’ll never catch up with them by walking.”   Narg turns to Purge and exclaims “Support me on this one.  I know you monks are into walking.”   Purge replies, “I believe that speed is of the essence in this situation, so would have to concur with the others.”   Narg mutters, “What’s the world coming to when even Pajama Boy objects to getting some exercise!”


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## Silver Moon (Sep 24, 2003)

Chapter 5, “The Dragon Stalkers”, September 12th, 1019, 5:30 P.M. 

An exhausted Alton is finally convinced to take flight again, and the men reluctantly climb back into the Bag of Holding.  Alton comments, “Narg does have a point.  We have a whole stable full of horses back on our Island, which we ride around there, but never think to bring any of them with us on adventure.”   “Well it’s too late for that now.  Get moving,” Cassie remarks.   

Alton flies up well above the lake and again towards the currents of air rising up from the mountains that the lowering sun is now shining upon.   He rises to a higher elevation than before, to begin a long gradual glide.   He and Cassie now notice a second road around four miles to the west running parallel the road they are following.    They fly southward, past the end of the lake, and on for another few miles.   They notice through the breaks in the trees that the two roads turn and curve towards each other and link, it actually being the same road.    They then notice some dust rising up from between the trees below, and descend more rapidly in that direction. 

When they are about 300 feet away from the dusty area they see a series of wagons loaded with furniture, farm implements and other equipment.   The dust is now dissipating and the wagons appear to currently be stopped.   They then see a row of horse tied up off to the side of the road.  They get closer and then see a group of around a dozen archers standing together with their bows drawn.   A volley of arrows is released, flying up towards them.  Most arrows miss, but two strike Alton’s wyvern form, one bouncing harmlessly off of his armor, the other penetrating for five points of damage.  “Ouch!” the druid exclaims.  

“Pull up, fast,” Cassie exclaims.   Not needing to be told twice, the druid does as instructed.  Two more volleys of arrows fly up towards them before they are completely out of range, but no arrows connect hard enough to inflict any damage.   Alton yells out, “Hey, knock it off!  Make love not arrows,” but his voice does not carry far enough.    Cassie pulls out a piece of paper and quill, and writes out a note reading _“Looking for information on the 100 foot high monster.  Was sent by your Lordholder.”_  She then folds it into the shape of a paper airplane and lets it fly down to the archers below.  

A female dwarf moves out from behind the archers and retrieves the note.   She then rises up from the ground, flying in Cassie and Alton’s direction.    She is wearing a uniform identical to that of Mojo’s and Cassie recognizes her to be Teakas, a fighter/rogue of the Dragon’s Stalker party who also serves as that team’s liaison and General in the Queen’s Army.    Cassie has seen her during a battle two months earlier _(Module #117, where Alton’s player had played her as an NPC)_ and remembers that she has a pair of winged boots that allow for limited flight.    Teakas approaches cautiously, aiming her magical crossbow at the mounted wyvern. 

Cassie yells over, identifying herself, and Teakas lowers her crossbow and flies alongside.   Alton says “Hey, it’s just us with the Silver Moon.  Why did you shoot at us?”   The dwarf replies, “We thought you were working with the invading monster.”   Alton says, “Yeah, well who else flies on a wyvern?”  Teakas answers, “They do!  They had at least two mounted wyverns as part of their attack group!”   “Really?  We didn’t know that,” Alton comments.    _(The DM comments, “No, but I did, which is why I loved it when you picked that particular form to head out in.”)_   Cassie suggests that Teakas head down and have the others hold their fire.   Alton then lands on the road below.   Cassie then helps her four allies out of the Bag of Holding. 

The Silver Moon Adventurers look over at the people gathered around.   Most appear to be refugees, with overloaded wagons also filled with women, children and livestock.   The dozen men are a rag-tag assortment of fighters, with a hodgepodge of weapons and armor.   Only three of the six members of the Dragons Stalkers team present, and all three appear to be wounded and rather disheveled in appearance.    Teakas’s wounds appear to be minor.  That team’s female human ranger Kela is wearing damaged leather armor and has her arm in a sling.  That team’s leader, Gellyath, has a long bloody scar on his face, some rips and holes in his tunic and his long blond hair is in a state of disarray.   This is contrast from the immaculate “pretty boy” image he normally projects, and Narg whispers to Cassie “Maybe you should offer him some hair gel.”    

Mojo is the first to speak asking, “So, you guys tried to fight the creature?”   Gellyath says, “Yes General, and we paid the price for it.”   “Exactly what happened?” Cassie inquires.    The fighter replies, “We began our assault by having our two most powerful spellcasters, the mage Asgorad and the cleric Mandize, fly at the head of the creature to distract it with spells.    Teakas then flew up along the side and fastened grappling hooks onto the creature’s scales for the rest of us to climb.   The plan then fell apart.   Of the spellcasters, one was killed and the other became petrified.”  “As in afraid?” Cassie asked.  “No, as in turned to stone,” Teakas interjects. 

Gellyath continues, “Actually, both were turned to stone and fell to earth.”   Mojo comments, “Ah, I get it.  One landed well, the other, not so much.”     Gellyath says, “Yes.  Asgorad’s form shattered as it struck the ground, and it was then stomped to dust by the creature’s foot.   Mandize’s god Ukko must have been looking out for him, as he landed in a small pond and sank.   One of the refugees later swam down and reported that his statue form appears to be intact, but is lodged deep into the mud at the bottom of the pond.   We will head back later and retrieve him.”

“And your climbing assault?” Narg asks.    Gellyath replies, “We were barraged by arrows, boiling pitch and rocks.   The attackers then managed to cut the ropes attached to the grappling hooks.  Teakas was able to help slow my fall, and Kela was fortunate that she only broke her arm when she crashed to the ground.   Our gnome rogue Grelmak managed to grab onto the monster, and climbed up the side.  That was the last we saw of him.   While I carried Kela to safety Teakas flew back up to look for Grelmak.  That is when they launched a pair of mounted wyverns from a deck above the creature’s flank, which flew at her.   She got off a few shots from her crossbow, but they were far more maneuverable than she was.  She reluctantly retreated and they did not pursue her.   Teakas then got word to the Queen, and we’ve been traveling with the refugees ever since.   

Our orders and top priority is to get a warning to Gheldaylin   We have another twenty miles to go, and anticipate reaching there at some point during the night.   We hope to reach there in time, as the town is actually only about ten miles from the mountain pass.”  Alton comments, “Yeah, whose brilliant idea was to put in forty miles of road to reach there?”  Gellyath replies, “The road goes south to reach the lake, and also forks with another road south at the turn, before heading back north.  A more direct road couldn’t be made between the town and the mountain pass because of some natural barriers.   Those barriers, however, will be but a minor inconvenience to the monster.” 

Narg then asks, “Exactly what type of hairy humanoid creatures were that manning the castle on the monster’s back?”   Gellyath replies, “Gnolls.”   Narg exclaims, “GNOLLS!  Gnolls aren’t smart enough to even take a bath once a month.  There’s no way they could have built something this elaborate.  Someone else is behind this!”    Teakas comments, “Perhaps, but that is all that we saw.   It looked to be a small army of gnolls manning the buildings.  And the structures are not only attached to the saddle on the creatures back, but on its neck yoke and head as well.”   “Why could it need a yoke?” Cassie asks.  “Probably to attach chains to and pull something,” Purge comments.  “More like pull anything it wants, given the size of the creature,” Mark adds. 

Gellyath says that he is anxious to get moving again to Gheldaylin.   Before they depart Cassie says that she wants to question each of the three adventurers individually for a specific description of the creature.   Narg volunteers to go talk to the very attractive Kela.   Cassie again reminds him that he is now married.  Narg replies, “Hey, I’m new at this.”   “At what, fidelity?” Cassie retorts.  Narg says, “Yeah, fidelity, responsibility, and all those other long words that I can’t spell.”   Alton comments, “Yeah, but watch who you flirt with.  Your wife is a skilled archer, and she only needs one arrow to permanently stop you from straying.”   _The DM wholeheartedly concurs, Narg’s wife Vallessa being one of his Playing Characters _.


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## Joshua Randall (Sep 30, 2003)

*Bump!*


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## Silver Moon (Oct 1, 2003)

Chapter 6, “Back to the Pass”, September 12th, 1019, 6:00 P.M.

As Cassie talks to Kela and Teakas, Narg asks Gellyath about how it attacked the settlements.  Gellyath says that his team arrived after the initial attack, and goes over to get one of the refugees with the most mental stability to talk to them.    The man describes how during the attack on the village the monster opened its fanged gaping mouth to a full thirty-foot diameter and then swallowed whole an entire corral full of cattle.  Alton comments, “Yeah, I guess that my hoping it was a herbivore was asking too much.”  

Cassie also now questions the man for a full description of the beast, finding that Teakas’s memory of it being a half-mile long was an exaggeration, its full length from head to tail tip being in the 400 to 500 foot range.   The caravan and the Dragon Stalkers then depart.  

The party breaks into a discussion of strategy.  Mark asks, “How are we going to stop something that large?”   Mojo says, “The answer is obvious.  We put out a giant trip wire.”  “Made of what?” Alton comments.  Mojo replies, “Hey, I’m just the idea man.  You guys can work out the details.”     Alton speculates that based upon the description the monster might be an enlarged and slightly mutated version of a Catoblepas. 

Mark asks about the consequences of not stopping the creature.  A continent map is produced, showing that if the monster continues in a westerly direction it will cross into the heavily populated parts of the East, Zalpar, and Thenossia Lordholdings.    Cassie comments, “Hey, if it attacks Zalpar I might finally be able to get into their Mage’s Guild library.”   Mojo states, “You’d allow this creature to cause thousands of deaths and millions of gold pieces of damage just so you could steal a book?”  Cassie thinks for a minute and then replies, “I guess that would depend on the book.”  

Assuming that she is only joking, the party continues discussing how to stop the monster.   Narg again reiterates the stupidity of gnolls, and how somebody else must be behind it.   They speculate that since there is a house atop the monster’s head that is probably where it is being controlled.    An idea is thrown out about allowing the creature to swallow the party whole to attack it from the inside, but nobody is willing to volunteer for such an assignment.   

They discuss making the creature change direction, with Mojo commenting “If we can keep it in western Kralt there isn’t much of value for it to destroy.”   “I think the people of western Kralt might disagree,” Purge comments.   “Forget them, I say we let it just go on a rampage around Kralt,” Mojo states.  “How is that any different from what it is doing now?” Mark asks, adding, “It’s already destroyed three settlements and caused thousands of gold pieces worth of damage.”  Mojo says, “Are you kidding?  Did you look at the condition of the garbage those refugees had on their wagons?  And that was the stuff they thought was worth keeping.  You’d better revise that estimate to tens of gold pieces.”  

Cassie reminds Mojo that several of the Silver Moon Adventures are originally from the western Kralt town of Byr.  Mojo replies, “Yeah, but we left all of them back on our Island, so who cares.”    “We can’t let it destroy Kralt,” Purge unemotionally restates.    Narg interjects, “Yeah we will.  Calm yourself down Pajama Boy.  We just need to figure out a way to do this that won’t get us killed.  It sounds like the Dragon Stalkers idea of a direct assault is right out.”  Alton interjects, “Even we aren’t that stupid.”   Cassie says, “Well, some of us are, which is why you brought the rest of us along.”

Further brainstorming concludes that the mountain pass is probably the best place to attack the creature in.   Cassie and Alton mention to the others that some sections in the pass were fairly narrow, with high hanging ledges along the cliffs, which would allow the party to get close without being seen.   Mojo tells Alton, “Saddle up Captain Bonghead, we’re heading back to the pass.”   Alton complains again about being sick of flying.   Cassie points out to him that it would be easier to go now rather than later, as the now setting sun is still creating hot thermals for him to ride.   The party gets back into the Bag of Holding as Cassie and Alton again take to the air. 

During the flight north Alton continues to complain about how exhausted he is.  Cassie replies, “Earlier you said it was fun being a wyvern.”  He replies, “That got old a few hours ago.”   About an hour later they begin a slow gradual descent towards the area of the mountain pass.  While still a few miles out and thousands of feet up they determine where the path appears to be the narrowest, about four miles in from the eastern side, and fly towards that spot.   

They land on a large flat ledge area overlooking the pass, and the party is let out of the Bag.  Alton remains in wyvern form, lying back and immediately falls into a deep sleep.  Before they completely loose the last glimpses of sunlight Purge and Mark carefully find a way down to the roadway 150 feet below and check for tracks.    The most recent tracks are those from the caravan that went that went through that morning.    They return back up, and report back to the others that the creature still hasn’t reached this location yet.    

Mojo and Cassie contemplate trying to collapse the cliffs on both sides to block the path.   They eventually decide against it, as they have nothing to use to cause such destruction.   Cassie reminds them of their dwarven mining associates from the orient, Clan Ming, who have mastered the use of a special powder that causes great explosions.   Unfortunately, the party has no immediate way to teleport to the city of Chunming to get these demolition experts and their powder.  

They decide to wait until morning to do anything, especially since it is unlikely that they would be able to get Alton to wake up.  Watches are set up, although Mark points out that “We’ll probably hear that monster approaching long before we ever see it.”


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## Silver Moon (Oct 6, 2003)

*Chapter 7, “Holy Crap!” September 13th, 1019, 6:00 A.M.*

Cassie had been assigned the last watch and has spent the hour before sunrise finding and cutting various shrubbery and branches for the wyvern’s breakfast.   She borrows Narg’s Decanter of Endless Water for Alton to wash this down with, and then wakes the sleeping druid.   Narg comments about how it is pleasant morning, prompting Mojo to comment “What do you have to compare it to?  You’ve never been awake before at sunrise.”   Narg says, “Not true, there have been many mornings when I didn’t go to bed until after then.”

Everyone eats breakfast and the table conversation gets back to Narg not leaving behind a note to his wife.   Both Mojo and Alton pass it off as being no big deal, and then leading to a number of remarks made at Narg’s expense.  He finally gets fed up and declares “That’s it!   Neither of you two are going to be Godparents to my kid.”    Mojo is actually happy to hear that.  Mark whispers to Cassie “Would they have even considered making either of them Godparents?”  “Not if Vallessa has any say in this,” she whispers back.

The party decides that it might be best to get a good look at this monster prior to attempting to either board or fight it here at the narrow part of the path.   They decide to travel east to the entranceway to the mountain pass and wait there for it.    It is such a nice day that Narg refuses to get into the Bag of Holding, deciding instead that they should walk the three to four miles.    Alton and Cassie decide to fly, with him flying below the cliffs so as not to be spotted by anyone outside of the mountain range.    They keep flying quarter-mile sprints, then stopping and waiting for the others to catch up.    As it is rather rugged and steep terrain it actually takes nearly two hours for them to get to a cliff atop the first mountain at the beginning of the pass.    

From here they have an excellent vantage point, with visibility of close to thirty miles to the east.   They see something large and gray about two miles out, standing well above the treetops.   It soon becomes obvious that this object is move closer.   The party finds concealment behind some rocks and low trees to keep from being spotted from below.  Alton moves back a ways to use some large boulders to shield his wyvern form from view, peering his head over to see.   Cassie suggests getting some of them down to the valley floor below to view up from that angle, but nobody decides to take her up on that suggestion. 

The large gray mass begins to lumber forward.    At a distance of about half a mile the group gets their first good look at it _(At which point the DM shows the players the full-page illustration from page #72 of Dungeon #100)_ 

The creature indeed stands at least 100 feet high, dwarfing the trees at its feet.  It has gray skin with a mottled look that upon closer examination appear to be scales, each scale being between five and ten feet in diameter.   It has a long spiked tail, with spikes also at the joints of its four limbs.  Each of its four feet appear to be thirty to forty feet in diameter at the base, with each foot crushing the trees to splinters at its feet as it moves.    There are spiked ridges about its two coal black eyes, set deep into the forehead.   A long pointed snout extends from the center of its face.   Alton notices that its maw bears a resemblance to a 20th century construction vehicle, with a large square shaped mouth with pointed fangs used to scoop up whatever is before it.  Two more long sharp points extend out at sharp angles from the corners of the creature’s chin. 

Encircling the creature’s entire torso is a leather harness.  Two straps wind around the waist of the creature just before the hind legs.  Another net-like series of straps runs up from the neck to center chest.  Each strap appears to be between three and five feet wide, and look to be rather thick.   Large metal bolts fasten together the straps where they intersect.  All of the straps look to have additional metal reinforcement on them. 

A large yoke extends out from the creatures neck, made from either metal or a heavy dark colored wood.   The yoke runs nearly 100 feet between the large round holes on either end.  A round multi-story building, some 25 feet in diameter, rests in he center of the yoke.  A slightly smaller building, some 20 feet in diameter, rests atop the creature’s head like a cap.   

The remainder of the structure rests atop and alongside the creatures back.   This consists of half-a-dozen round multi-story structures, ranging between 15 and 30 feet in diameter.  Behind the first four of these buildings is a long flat platform that is at least two stories high.   Several cables and a metal winch can be seen running from this platform.   A fiery reddish-orange light emanates from the windows of the various buildings, and a plume of smoke billows out from top of the first structure along the back.   Around two-dozen larger than man-sized humanoids can be seen moving about on the structure, although the creature is still to far away to discern exactly what race they are.  

Narg’s immediate reaction upon getting a close look at the monster is to proclaim “Holy Crap!”    Mojo mutters “It’s like a Stegosaurus with a mansion on top of it.”    Alton comments, “That’s like no dinosaur I’ve ever heard of before.   And it is definitely not an enlarged Catoblepas.”   Narg exclaims, “It is not of this world.”  “I agree with that assessment,” Cassie states.   She then comments that “If we kill it I could dissect it to make some control potions.”   Mojo replies, “What good would being able to control it be if it’s the only one!  I doubt we’ll ever run across another one like it.”  “If we’re lucky,” Mark adds. 

It continues to move closer, now only a quarter-mile away.  Cassie comments “It looks like the buildings may actually be popping out of its skin.”   Mojo says, “I know how they feel, I’m about ready to pop out of my skin.”    Narg looks at him and says, “What are you complaining about?  This is your fault in the first place!  Why did you have to go and get friendly with the Queen?”   Mojo replies, “Don’t blame me!  She named our whole team as her being her military force.”  Narg exclaims  “Crud!  That means that we probably aren’t even getting paid anything for this!”    


_(Break in Story: This module has been temporarily put on hold.   I had to travel out-of-state for a family medical emergency, and another member of my group was nice enough to fill in with another module using characters from a different campaign.   We'll get back to this module in a couple of weeks once he finishes.)_


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## Joshua Randall (Oct 6, 2003)

Bummer. Hope the medical emergy was not too dire. I'll be waiting impatiently for this story to continue.


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## Silver Moon (Oct 9, 2003)

Joshua Randall said:
			
		

> Bummer. Hope the medical emergency was not too dire. I'll be waiting impatiently for this story to continue.



Thanks for asking.  My father was operated on two weeks ago and I had to fly out to Michigan to be with him, staying for the week afterwards.   He's doing better now, my sister now being with him.  Since I had asked the other DM to fill in for me as a favor I'm going to let him finish what he started before taking the group back.   This delay with "Beast of Burden" is probably a blessing in disguise, as both Narg and Mojo's players are both huge Red Sox fans so we won't be seeing them at games anytime soon, and doing this module without the group's  two top fighters wouldn't work very well. 

Glad you're enjoying the story so far.   In the meanwhile I'd also reccommend  another Story Hour with the same Playing Characters taking place around a year earlier.   It is titled "Chinese Take-out", and ran for 33 games back in 2001.  It is set in the Forgotten Realms Orient, the Zhentarim's Darkhold Castle, and then has a climax battle in the Abyss.  It's long, but a very fun read.   The link is as follows:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?t=28642


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## Joshua Randall (Oct 9, 2003)

[sports] As a long-suffering, then triumphant, now newly-suffering Cleveland Indians fan, I can sympathize with the BoSox fans in your group. I'll certainly be rooting for them over the hated Yankees. [/sports]

I'll check out your other story hour. Your stories have a refreshing lack of over-dramatized pretension. Not that such a thing is always bad, but it does get tiresome: D&D is a *game*, after all.


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## Silver Moon (Oct 20, 2003)

*Game #3 - 10/19/03*

*Chapter 8, “Strategies” September 13th, 1019, 9:30 A.M.*

As the creature gets closer there are no further suggestions of a frontal assault.   A thought strikes Cassie, who comments “If these creatures are actually from another world how do we even know they are evil.”  “The creature may not be, but it is commanded by gnolls!  Gnolls are evil!” Narg exclaims.   Cassie answers, “The gnolls of our world are, but these gnolls may not be.”  “It destroyed three settlements,” Pure interjects.  “Yeah, but in Kralt.  Who cares about that?” Mojo comments.  “I do!” Purge exclaims, raising his voice for the first time the party can remember. 

Mark adds, “And they also killed one of the Dragon Stalkers.”  “Okay, so they have one thing going in their favor,” Narg comments.   “The Dragon Stalkers are among the good guys,” Purge comments.   Cassie says, “Yes, but if one of them had to get killed at least it was that one.   That mage of theirs was an arrogant and useless twit.”   

The party discusses various strategies focused on attacking the gnolls rather than the creature carrying them.   Narg says, “Why don’t we have Alton fly at them in wyvern form and use its breath weapon.”  “Wyvern’s don’t have breath weapons,” Cassie comments.   Narg replies, “No, I meant Alton’s breath.”   Mojo interjects, “No, we’d probably get in trouble for that.  His bad breath would be too lethal, nothing would ever grow on that site again.”

Discussion goes back to fighting the creature.   Mojo suggests that Narg get below it and attack it from the bottom with his sword of sharpness, commenting about how crocodiles have less armored stomachs.    Narg says, “It would probably still be too thick to cut.  And even if that worked, if I killed it from below it would then fall on top of me.”  “I still don’t see a downside to this plan,” Mojo comments.   

By the point the creature has reached a point between the two mountains at the entrance of the pass.   It then stops moving, giving the party a better opportunity to view the various buildings atop the creature.   Each building appears to be made of wood and are all round in shape, varying from fifteen to thirty feet in diameter and thirty to eighty feet in height.   Most have tapered tops, with crows nests atop manned by one or two gnoll archers.   Along the rear of the creature the party gets a better look at the two-story deck.   There are several gnoll running along the deck, which also has a crank-wheel manned by four draft horses, which appears to be how the large metal cage is raised and lowered.    The heads of a pair of wyvern peer out from a space between the top and bottom decks.  

They then seen activity beneath the creature, as a pair of wagons, each drawn by a team of four horses, ride out from beneath the monster’s feet and fan out towards each side of cavern pass.  Each wagon has a gnoll driver and six gnoll archers in the back.   Each wagon is accompanied by a quartet of gnoll cavalry.   Another gnoll rider moves out in front of the monster, which now begins to move again.     The party sees the gnoll cavalry riding around boulders and rocks along both sides of the pass, acting as advanced scouts to flush out anyone who might be waiting in ambush, with each group supported by a wagonload of archers on each side of the riverbed.  Mark comments, “I guess that eliminates a ground assault.”  Mojo answers, “What are you talking about?  I’ve battled bigger groups just getting to the outhouse. 

They then see activity from the deck, as a trio of winged man-sized gray creatures takes to the air.   One takes up a position in the air in front of the creature, above the gnoll cavalry leader.  The other two fan out to the sides, and start to investigate caves and cliff tops.   As one of these starts to get closer they can see that it is a gargoyle, and is also moving towards them.   “Uh oh, time to go,” Mojo comments.   “Leaving. What a good idea,” Narg adds.   

Staying low, they all quickly scamper bank over the mountain summit to the other side, where Alton is waiting.   This time the men climb into the Bag of Holding without complaint, as Cassie jumps onto the wagon.   She has Alton rapidly descend down the far side of the mountain, to keep him out of sight of the gargoyle.   He then flies as rapidly as his wings will carry him the four miles back to the narrow place in the pass where they had spent the night.   Cassie tells Alton, “We will probably try to board it from the cliff.   Why don’t you stay on the far side of the mountain until the gargoyles fly by.  Then follow from behind and wait for a signal from us if we need an emergency air pick-up.”  

The others are let out of the bag, with Narg complaining, “Why did you bring us way back here?  It probably won’t reach this point for another half hour.”  “Exactly, we still need to plan,” Cassie states.    Purge comments, “Because of the width of that yoke it will have to get by this area right in the middle, and this outer cliff will then hang around thirty feet above the highest building.”  “Great, time for me to get out my grappling hook,” Narg comments.   Cassie comments, “Wouldn’t your magical Rope of Climbing work better?”  Narg answers, “Yeah, that’s what I meant.”  Mojo comments, “It’s about time you actually used that rope for something other than strangling people.” 

“Once we get on board, then what?” Mark asks.   “We try to find who is in charge and stop them,” Narg comments.  Cassie suggests, “You know.  If we could actually capture this creature it could be quite useful if we give it to Queen Jennifer.”   Mojo angrily mutters, “Who says we want to give her anything.”  “Huh, what’s with him?” Purge comments.   Narg says, “He’s angry at the Queen for reconciling with King Matthan.”   Mojo blurts out, “Well, Yeah, Damn It!  How can she do this to me?  Doesn’t she know anything about loyalty and commitment!  How could she leave me to go back to her husband!”   Cassie adds, “Ah, so that’s what this is really all about.  You want to impress her to win her back.”  

Narg interjects, “Cut the crap, it’s time.”   The party looks up to see the gargoyles and gnoll ground forces have now reached a turn in the pass around a mile away.  Mojo says, “Cut!  That’s it.  Cassie, do you have a silver dagger?”   “Why?  What for?” the mage replies.   Mojo says, “I want to sacrifice Mark to the Gnoll god.”   Cassie replies, “I don’t want you dirtying my knife on that.”   Mark resents Mojo’s suggestion.   “You should really stop picking on him,” Purge suggests to Mojo.  The fighter replies, “Well, normally I wouldn’t, but we left Alton on the other side of the mountain.  What other choice do I have?”

“They’ll be here soon.  What’s the real plan?” Cassie comments.   Narg says, “You guys get into  the bag and I use my rope to get on board.”   “Won’t the gargoyles see you?” Mark comments.  Cassie states, “It will see all of us in a few minutes if I don’t do something.  Everyone gather around and I’ll toss up an Invisibility Ten-foot Radius spell.

Purge says, “That may keep the gargoyles from seeing us, but there’s another problem.   Gnolls are like giant humanoid dogs.  We may go in invisibly, but they’ll still us.”  Mojo adds, “Yeah, and if they’re dogs they’ll probably then stick their noses in our crotches.”    Cassie suggests that Narg use the Belt of Shape Change to polymorph into a gnoll.   “Won’t he still look a bit conspicuous wearing elvan chain mail and holding an artifact-like sword?” Mojo comments.   “It’ll have to work until I can obtain clothes from one of them,” Narg says.  He puts on his belt and activates the transformation.   Purge hands Narg a cloak, saying “Put this on.  It will hide most of your stuff.”  

Cassie tosses up the invisibility spell as the gargoyles draw closer.  Narg says, “We’ll have to play the rest of this by ear.   Everyone but Cassie, get into the bag.   Here they come.”


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## Silver Moon (Oct 22, 2003)

*Chapter 9, “All Aboard”, September 13th, 1019, 10:30 A.M.*

Purge is the first one into the Bag of Holding, followed by Mark.   Mojo starts to climb in when Narg says, “Wait a minute, take this” and unstraps the round magical shield from his back.  He hands it to Mojo commenting, “Those straps were too constricting in this gnoll body.”  Mojo replies, “Why do you even bother to carry that thing with you?  You never use it!”  Narg answers, “That’s not true.  In the winter I use it as a sled.”   Mojo says, “Well, most people wear them on their arms, you know, like a shield.”   Cassie comments, “Why do you carry it around on your back?”  Narg replies, “I keep it for sentimental reasons.  It was the first magical item I even acquired.”  _[DM’s Note: Way back during our second game in May, 1982._ 

Mojo climbs into the bag just as the gargoyle checking out that side of the pass arrives.   Narg, Cassie and her owl Deanna remain perfectly silent on the edge of the cliff.    They momentarily panic as the monster appears to see something and flies in their direction.   However, he bypasses them flying about thirty yards beyond them.   It stops where Alton’s wyvern form had slept the night before, and had broken and bent the vegetation that was in that spot.    

The gargoyle flying along the center of the pass comes over to join his companion.   This gargoyle is taller, wider and has a leader belt with a magical sword attached.    The larger gargoyle picks up a handful of dirt, he smells it, and the two converse.   They then fly off again, without looking overly concerned about their find.    Once out of earshot both half-elves let out a sigh of relief.   By this point the ground is shaking with each step of the approaching behemoth.   Narg and Cassie move out to the very end of the ledge, and she climbs onto his back.    

Looking down, they are right above the left flank of the monster.   The head now passes by, and they notice smaller buildings hanging from each ear in addition to the one atop the creature’s head.  Next is the yoke, with a large building atop it.  The next building is the first one along the torso, and while it is only around twenty-five feet lower than they are it is about forty feet out, so they opt to let it pass.   The next building roof is forty-five feet directly below them, but has a small flat roof with nothing for the rope to latch onto.  

The middle of the beast comes next, with the largest building on the creature atop it, and only twenty-five feet lower, but around fifteen feet outward.   It has a fifteen-foot diameter crow’s nest on its top with two gnoll archers.   The only other choice for getting on board is a tower further back along the creature’s flank, which will be directly below them momentarily.  It has an eight-foot diameter crow’s nest atop it with one gnoll archer.   Narg decides against that one, feeling that the crow’s nest is too narrow to get onto without being heard or smelled by the sentry.  

He tosses the Rope of Climbing towards the larger turrent, which is now past him, grabbing onto the railing near the end.  Narg does not have to jump from the ledge, as the creature’s momentum pulls them off.   While Narg falls he has the rope contract, hitting the tower with his feet he is about fifteen feet below the railing, near the bottom of where it starts to taper upward.   At this point they notice something that they hadn’t seen before from the distance or from above, namely that a dozen open windows just a few feet below where they are now standing ring this building.    

Cassie has her invisible owl fly down and peer inside, with the familiar seeing four gnoll archers within the room, but at the opposite side of the room as the window they are above.   Cassie whispers this to Narg, who whispers back “Then I’m going down.  Hang on tight.” Narg repels down, bracing him feet on the outer ledge of the window.  He then carefully lowers himself from the window ledge into the room.  Cassie follows.   They notice that each of the twelve windows has a bow and large quiver of arrows beside it.   With the front window at twelve O’Clock, they had come in from the one at seven O’clock.    The four gnoll archers are looking out of the windows at one, two, ten and eleven O’clock.  Also in the room are two piles of rocks and debris.  

Cassie holds the Bag open and sticks her upper body into it.  She then recasts her Invisibility spell over the others, the audible component of the spell only being heard within the Bag.  Narg then carefully pulls out Mark out and onto his feet.   All three prepare to fight the archers if necessary, as Cassie lies down by floor with the bag and gestures for Mojo and Purge to crawl past her and out.   They then carefully all stand up.    

The room has a ladder in the center of it, going up to the crow’s next and down into another chamber.   Narg gives each a silent signal to head down.   Mojo activates his own Ring of Invisibility, allowing him to step outside of Cassie’s spell, and goes to the ladder.   He looks below, seeing a larger chamber beneath.   The larger chamber is thirty-feet in diamater, with the floor thirty feet below.   The front part of the room is filled with chests, boxes, casks and kegs.  The back half of the room is taken up with a large iron cage.   Inside the cage are three individuals, a human female, a human male, and a male gnoll.    

Mojo carefully makes his way down the ladder.  Once he is around ten feet down Narg follows, and is then followed by Cassie to keep the invisibility centered.   Mark comes after her and then finally Purge.   Once beneath the floor of the archer room Purge pivots around to descend faster down the back of the ladder to the cage roof and then to the floor via the cage bars.   Inside the cage the prisoners notice the ladder swaying, and look up to see who might be coming down from above.   

Mark then loosing his footing, and falls off of the ladder.  Cassie and Narg hug the ladder to keep him from knocking them down in his twenty-foot fall to the bottom.  Mojo has thankfully already reached the bottom and moved out of the way when Mark lands ungraciously onto the floor with a very loud thud, causing himself eight points of damage.   He has also fallen out of the range of Cassie’s spell, so is now visible.   Concerned about the sound having been heard by those above, the party all look upward.  They then see one of the gnoll archers peering down through the opening at Mark.


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## Silver Moon (Oct 25, 2003)

*Chapter 10, “A Gnoll’s Perspective”, September 13th, 1019, 11:00 A.M*

It was three days ago that Yeenoghu, the Greater Demon Lord and sacred deity of the gnoll race, transported the Kadtanach (kad-TA-nak) to this world.   Rizah, like all of the other gnoll around him, was honored to have been chosen to serve on Yeenoghu’s personal transport.   This world appeared to be full of life, with forests as far as the eyes can see.   But forests presented their own potential dangers, and so Rizah kept his bow at the ready, alert for any possible trouble.  

The past two days had been productive ones, with three human settlements having been sought out and pillaged.   The Kadtanach, which translates as “too massive to see all at once” in the gnoll language, continued to have its usual affect upon the human populace.  The people of the towns all fled as the giant behemoth approached.   Rizah was allowed to participate in the pillaging of the second community, and was with the group of golden and red-skinned Giths when the humans and their hidden hoard of treasure were discovered.    Rizah took the initiative of preventing the red-skins from immediately killing the humans, stating that they should be saved for a proper sacrifice to Yeenoghu with the full sacred rituals.   The skinny yellow-skinned Gith leader reluctantly agreed, and the humans were then imprisoned.  

The Gith leader was annoyed by Rizah’s “speaking out of turn” and complained to the gnoll Chief about it.   Chief Ujjain was actually pleased to hear about the gnoll’s assertiveness, harboring a distain for his arrogant rival leader.  Ujjain had always been impressed by Rizah’s uniquely high wisdom and intelligence, and decided to reward him with a promotion to the position of Kegyai (Watch Commander).  The promotion meant that Rizah could now be left in charge of the Central Howdad.  This allowed his immediate supervisor, Lieutenant Gogol, to now stay in the Officer’s Howdad rather than the assigned work station.   Rizah found Gogol to be lazy, and looked forward to a time when the Lieutenant might suffer an ‘unfortunate accident’, as could easily occur while riding atop a moving creature that was a hundred feet up in the air.  

As the new Kegyai, Rizah commanded five troops comprised of the three archers beside him in the Central Howdad archers’ deck and the two above in the crow’s nest above.   This was great responsibility, as the Central Howdad was the only structure from which the entire fortress could be surveyed.  Their duties included both the surveillance of the surrounding lands and assistance to other troops anywhere on or below the Kadtanach.   They also had the secondary responsibility was guarding the supplies and prison area located beneath the archers’ deck.    

Rizah made sure that his troops were on full alert as they entered through the mountain pass.  The ground troops and flying stone-skins checked ahead for possible danger, but it was not anticipated that any of this world’s armies would be mobilized and able to mount any type of resistance for at least another week.   Still, to be caught unaware was punishable by death, and he was determined to be successful with his first command.  

They were passing through a narrow area, where the Kadtanack’s yoke came within a stone’s throw of scraping the cliffs on both sides, when the gnoll Dahnn thought that he heard something.   He gave Rizah a silent signal, and they both listened more intently, deciding that it was probably just shifting stones from the piles of projectiles stacked on the floor.    Dahnn continued to feel uneasy, and Rizah considered that his comrade’s instincts might be correct.  A very loud “Thud” thud reverberated through the room, coming from the prison and storage level below.   Rizah turned to his strongest fighter, Udbal, and ordered him to go investigate.  

Udbal charged over to the opening by the ladder in the center of the room, yelling back “An elf is down there!”   Rizah turned to Dahnn and the other fighter Harga, but when he yelled out order no audible sounds could be heard.   He then pulled the padding away from the striker on the alarm bell, but no sound came from that source either.  Rizah signaled for Udbal to descend to the chamber below and then pointed to the other two archers to go support him.   

Udbal climbed below as both Dahnn and Harga charged to the opening and started to fire their arrows downward.  Rizah dropped his bow and then grabbed up some large rocks from the pile, throwing them out the windows at the gnolls in the lower crow’s nests to get them to sound out an alarm.   One rock struck a gnoll sentry, and other sentries saw the falling rocks, but they just assumed that the Kadtanach’s movement had dislodged these rocks from the adjacent cliffs.  A now frustrated Rizah then threw a rock up through the opening in the ceiling to catch the attention of his troops in the crow’s nest, so that they could sound the alarm.   

Back in the center of the archers’ deck, a rope whipped up from below, entwining itself around Udbal’s bow and pulling the bow from the gnoll archer’s hands.   Rizah moved towards his troops just as the cord came back up again and wrap around Harga’s left arm.  Harga was then pulled down into the hole.  Rizah arrived above the opening in time to see the falling Harga’s head strike against the metal bars of the cage top, breaking his neck.   An enraged Udbal, now soaked with some type of liquid, was standing atop the cage roof and firing his final two arrows down at an elf and a cloaked gnoll wearing chainmail.   A hammer then flew upward from the center of the room, striking Udbal in his chest, and sending him sprawling back along the cage roof.   Another elf, who had apparently thrown the hammer, suddenly materialized into the room.   

Rizah yelled out, although none of his troops could hear him, “Inconceivable!  The gnolls of this world ally themselves with elves and even dress like them!   So this is why Yeenoghu has targeted this land for conquest.   The lesser races have subjugated the gnolls of this realm, and we are here to restore them to their proper glory.”  

By this time Dahnn had retrieved another bow from the wall and continued to fire down at the invaders.   Both Degrai and Jakit had now descended from the crow’s nest, and Rizah used hand signals to confirm with them that they had sounded the alarm.   They nodded that they had not.   Angered by their incompetence, Rizah signed for them to assist Dahnn as he began to climb up the ladder himself.  

As he climbed upward a hammer flew up from below to the archers’ deck, knocking Jakit to the ground.   Just as Rizah reached the opening to the crow’s nest he saw that the oddly dressed enemy gnoll had now climbed up to the archers’ deck.  This gnoll then stabbed Degrai to death with a magical sword.   Rizah climbed onto the crow’s nest and took one last glance below to see the elf with the hammer suddenly appear behind Dahnn and strike him, as the enemy gnoll moved towards the wounded Jakit.  Rizah shut and locked the trapdoor behind him.  

As Rizah stood up he was finally able to be able to hear sounds again.   He unmuffled the striker on the alarm bell and sounded out a full alarm.   The alarm had the desired affect, with other alarms now being sounded from the other structures.   Lieutenants Gogol and Kajann charged out from the Officer’s Howdad towards the Central Howdad, and four other gnoll archers moved in that direction from the large aft deck.    

It took a few minutes for the reinforcements to arrive at the Central Howdad crow’s nest, using a platform moved via cables and pulleys.  This gave Rizah time to figure out exactly what he would tell his Lieutenant.  He had clearly failed in his first command, but there might still be a way to shift this blame to somebody else.  The objective of this attack must have been to free the gnoll prisoner Nahmi.   Nahmi was the apprentice of the gnoll nature shaman Gnu-Dalcom and had been imprisoned as a means of coercing the elder priest into cooperating, his job being to cast Pass Without Trace spells behind the route that the Kadtanach took.  Rizah never trusted either of them, feeling that Yeenoghu shouldn’t have allowed these two heretics to participate in this sacred mission.  This suspicion was clearly warranted, with these shamen now working against them.    

When the gnoll reinforcements arrived Rizah’s first words to the two lieutenants were “Gnu-Dalcom has committed treason.  He and his apprentice have conspired with our enemies and helped them to invade our great fortress.  Elves and elf-loving gnolls of this world are now below.”    Lieutenant Kajann immediately ordered and led a charge below, just in time to see the enemy gnoll still on the archers’ deck vanish before their eyes.    Kajann and his four men then searched both the archers’ deck and the prison level below, not finding any prisoners or foes.   Kajann was left in charge while Gogol and Rizah both headed directly to the Barracks Howdad to inform Chief Ujjain of what had transpired.


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## Joshua Randall (Oct 27, 2003)

So much for the element of surprise.  *shakes head sadly at the PCs*  When will they ever learn?


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## Silver Moon (Oct 28, 2003)

Joshua Randall said:
			
		

> So much for the element of surprise.  *shakes head sadly at the PCs*  When will they ever learn?



_Yeah, isn't it great how much one bad dice roll can screw up a good plan!  Here's the next chapter, with the PCs version of the above chapter and what then followed at a week ago's game.   I should have the chapters for last night's game up shortly._


*Chapter 11, “To Hell in a Handbasket”, September 13th, 1019, 11:00 A.M.*

Mark’s thunderous crash onto the prison level floor had put the party on the defensive, with a muscular gnoll fighter now climbing down towards them.  Cassie’s immediate reaction was to toss a Silence spell up into the chamber above, and then to recast the Mass Invisibility spell onto herself and her companions.   Casting this on the fighters proved to be a waste of time, as they immediately engage in combat against the gnolls, but it continues to provide protection to both herself and Purge.

The gnoll fighter only climbs a few feet down the ladder and then moves onto the cage’s roof, nearly twenty feet above the floor, to use that as a base to fire from.   Two more gnoll archers arrive above to fire arrows down at them.   Narg uses the Rope of Climbing to disarm one of them.   Cassie notices a secret door in the floor, telling the others, but they are all too preoccupied to deal with it.  

Purge began working on the lock to the cage while Cassie sent her owl Deanna to try to empty the quiver of the gnoll atop the cage.   She has the owl stop when she saw notices the human male prisoner pick up a bucket full of waste and fling the contents up towards the gnoll.   The gnoll gets drenched, and the owl then manages to fly in and grab most of his remaining arrows.  

Narg uses his Rope again, this time snatching onto the other gnoll, who he pulls down into the chamber.  Purge jumps aside to avoid being hit by the falling monster, which bangs against the cage and then lands dead on the floor.    Since Purge had still been invisible and standing where the gnoll fell, the party is concerned that the monster might have fallen on him.  He states, “I’m alright, I moved.”  He then returns to picking the lock.    Meanwhile, Mojo tosses his hammer up into the gnoll on the cage, knocking the monster back.   Purge announces that he is unable to get the cage unlocked.  Cassie asks the prisoners “Do you know who has the key?”    The female human prisoner replies, “The leader, and he’s not one of these two”, gesturing to the two fallen gnoll bodies.    “Fine, I’ll do it myself,” Mojo comments, and tossed his Hammer of Throwing into the lock.      

Three more gnoll archers now arrive above, and the room below soon begins to resemble a ‘turkey shoot’, with nearly every arrow finding its target against Mark, Mojo or Narg.   Fortunately, all three fighters have rather powerful magical armor which deflects most of these arrows, but a few still impact for some damage.   Mojo’s hammer’s throw is unsuccessful at breaking the lock to the cage.   Narg declares, “This has turned into hell in a handbasket.”   Narg scoops up his shield and starts climbing the ladder, holding the shield above his head to deflect the oncoming arrows.   

The gnoll lying on the cage top begins to move, and Mark finishes him off with an arrow.   Mojo moves over to the lock, and uses his full strength to hit it with the hammer, this time breaking the mechanism.   Mojo then begins to climb up the ladder to assist Narg.    Purge pushes the door to the cell open.   The still invisible Cassie tells the prisoners, “I’m holding an invisible Bag of Holding.   Get inside if you want to escape.”   The two humans quickly hurry inside, although the gnoll is reluctant to do so.”  

Narg is now getting close to the opening in the ceiling, and suggests to Mojo “Clear the opening.”  Mojo leans back on the ladder, tossing the magical hammer up it.  This knocks back one archer and also causes his two companions to momentarily move back as well, giving Narg enough time to push his way through.   Narg swings his sword into the closest gnoll.   Mojo reactivates his Ring of Invisibility and follows Narg into the room.  Mojo moves behind the non-wounded gnoll and bludgeons him.   Narg now moves in towards the one who Mojo previously hit with the hammer.   

The fighters are still within the area of the Silence spell, so are unable to hear the sound of bells now chiming from all directions.    Below, Cassie and Purge hear these through the walls and ask the gnoll prisoner what the sounds are.   He tells them that a general alert has been sounded and that all troops will be going to their battle stations  “What exactly does that mean?” Cassie asks.  He replies, “It means that more gnoll troops will be coming here.”   Cassie commands him, “Get into the bag.  This is your only chance to escape, so I would suggest that you take it.”   As he is climbing in Cassie tells Mark, “You’d better get in too.  I don’t trust him.”   

With both Narg and Mojo fighting up above, Cassie and Purge decide to not use the door in this room to exit, and instead hurry up the ladder.   They arrive to see Narg and Mojo standing by a number of gnoll bodies.    She cancels the Silence spell, with the sound of the alarm bells now reverberating through the room.  Cassie tells the fighters “Reinforcements are on their way here.  Get into the bag.”   Mojo begins to climb in as they hear the sounds of several sets of feet now up in the crow’s nest.    Narg is about halfway into the bag when the ceiling trapdoor opens and a large gnoll in heavy armor starts climbing downward.   

This gnoll soon reaches the room, with four more gnolls climbing down the ladder right after him.  Two of these gnolls stop at this level and the other two continue downward to the lower level.   The still invisible Cassie and Purge move back to the wall and the window at two O’clock.   The larger gnoll yells out in the gnoll language “They are magically hidden, find them.”  The gnolls begin swinging their swords around as Cassie climb and Purge quietly climb up onto the windowsill.  

Purge loops an invisible rope around the window ledge, and Cassie climbs onto his back.  The two of them start to slide down the rope.   The rope is dangling beside another of the cylindrical-shaped buildings, this one being twenty-feet in diameter and fifty-feet in height.   The building has no visible doors or window on it, and Purge examines where to grab onto it.   The giant monster that they are all riding on then shifts sharply to one side, and Purge surprisingly looses his grip on the rope.   

Under normal circumstances Purge would have been able to use his monk skills to stop his descent, but with Cassie clinging onto his back he cannot, only being able to slow a bit of their momentum.  They fall to the base of the building and start to roll down the side of the creature.  Purge twists to one side, rolling them towards and into one of the giant leather harness straps used to secure the nearest building to the creature.  At the speed they were falling at they become lodged between the strap and the monster.   

They are both a bit shaken up but with a minimum of damage from this fall.  They decide to crawl up higher along the strap, to keep from being crushed between the strap and the beast when it moves.  They then lie back along one of the creature’s scales, using the strap as a brace.  Purge suggests that they climb a bit higher, using the strap for support, until they are alongside the nearest building.  They do this, finding a flatter area where they then wedge themselves along the strap at a buttress where the building sits along the creature. 

Meanwhile, inside the rather crowded Bag of Holding, Narg had started talking to the rescued gnoll prisoner, saying “Okay Fido, spill it.  What exactly is this place?”   The gnoll gestures to the interior of the Bag of Holding and replies, “I don’t know what this place is.”  Narg says,  “No, I mean what is this creature with the gnoll city atop it?”

Given that Narg is in gnoll form, and speaking to him in the gnoll language, the prisoner is cooperative with him.   The gnoll explains that this is the personal transport of Yeenoghu, the Greater Demon Lord and sacred deity of the gnoll race.   “Who exactly is in charge here?”  The gnoll replies, “Yeenoghu is.”   Assuming that the gnoll is speaking figuratively about his deity, rather than literally, Narg says, “No, I mean who else is running this show other than the gnolls?”
The gnoll replies, “Yeenoghu is assisted by a human woman called Sylkess.   They do not treat my master very well.”  “His Master?” Mojo comments.  

“Who and what is your Master?” Narg asks.   The gnoll tells Narg, “My Master is of our race.  He and I have respect for Yeenoghu, as the founder of our race, but we do not worship him.  We are followers of the gods of nature.”  Narg exclaims, “Druids!  Why can’t I ever get away from Druids!”   Mojo interjects, “What does your Master do here?”  The gnoll replies, “He casts spells behind the creature, to conceal the path the creature took and prevent any pursuit.”  Mojo comments “Must be pretty high in level to hide a path that wide.”  Narg comments, “Yeah.  Why can’t our druids ever do anything that useful?”  Mojo asks, “So, why were you in the jail cell?”   Before he can answer Narg states, “Either to force his Master to obey or as punishment for some misdeed.”  “Both”, the gnoll replies.


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## Silver Moon (Oct 29, 2003)

*Game #4 - 10/26/03*

*Chapter 12, “Chatting with Nahmi”, September 13th, 1019, 11:30 A.M.*

Cassie and Purge continue to now sit invisibly in a corner by two buildings atop the creature.  They see that a catapult has been loaded on a forward buttress, extending out from the first torso building and above the building on the yoke.   Several gnolls are seen climbing down from a rope ladder at the end of this platform to the yoke building.    The mounted wyverns and gargoyles fly all around the structures, looking intently for intruders.   After a while the continuous alarms finally cease, being replaced by another series of bell rings every two minutes.   The creature begins to move again, albeit slower than before. Cassie whispers to Purge, “I think they’ve gone from red alert to yellow alert.”  

Back inside the Bag of Holding, Mojo complains to Narg about being “Stuck inside this bag on top of a giant dog encrusted with giant cocktail shakers.”   Narg tells him to calm down, turning back to the gnoll and asking, “What exactly is this creature and what is it that you guys are doing here?”   The druid states that the creature is called a Kadtanach, and that it is used to instill terror in the local populace.   Narg replies, “So, basically you use it to rampage, pillage and loot the countryside.”  “Yeah, something like that,” the gnoll answers. 

Narg next asks, “How many gnolls are here?”   Rather than answering, the gnoll asks, “Who are you?”   Narg is surprised by the question and after a moment’s hesitation says, “I’m Jerry.”  Mark and Mojo exchange glances at this, but suppress their laughter.   Narg then starts to ask his question again, when the gnoll druid says, “Hold on.  You’ve been asking all of the questions.  I have a few for you.”  “Okay, what?” Narg replies.   The gnoll says, “Why are you here?”   Mojo looks towards Mark and says, “How existential!  Why are any of us here?”   The druid rephrases the question, now asking “Why are you in this place?   Narg says, “I was just trying to find out what is gong on.”  The druid says, “You could have done that from a distance.  Why did you mount an attack?” 

Narg replies, “Well, there is this monastery near here.”  “You’re a Monk!” the gnoll interrupts.   Narg answers, “No, but a friend of mine is, and he asked me to find out what was going on.”  The druid then gestures to Mark and Mojo and says, “Why do you work with these flea-bitten elves?”   Mark has to restrain Mojo to keep him from responding to that insult, as Narg answers, “They do pretty good work, and THEY DON’T TALK MUCH!”   Mojo finally calms down at that obvious suggestion. 

Narg then says, “Look, we don’t see creatures like this one every day.  Somebody had to come find out what is going on, so I was given the job.”  The druid replies, “Ah, you are an advanced scout for the military of this world.”  “Well, not exactly, but close enough,” Narg answers.  The druid replies, “So when you saw the humans in the prison you felt obligated to try to rescue them?”  Narg answers, “No, I don’t even know who they are.  We broke into the cell to get you out, as I thought you might be able to give us some useful information about this thing.”  

Before the gnoll can ask something else Narg states “Okay, my turn for some questions.  How did you get this thing to our world?”   The druid answers, “Yeenoghu brought it here.  This is his personal transport.”    Narg does a double take and says “Hold it right there!  Are you saying that Yeenoghu is actually HERE and on this thing?”   The druid replies, “Yes.  He regards the Kadtanach as his chariot and the gnolls are here serve him.”   Mark’s face pales at hearing this, and Mojo whispers to Mark, “Leaving?  What a good idea!”   Narg recovers quickly, and then asks, “You’ve actually seen this deity?”   The druid replies, “Oh yes.  In fact once when he was around I was slow in showing him the reverence and respect that he had come to expect from all gnoll followers.  That was why I was thrown into the prison, to stay there a year or two until I learned the proper respect.”   

Narg almost blows his cover when he asks, “Tell me about this Yeenoghu?”  The gnoll looks shocked and says, “You don’t know about the creator of our race?”   Narg answers, “Sorry, but I should have paid more attention in Sunday School.   I’ve always been too busy to care much about religion, and never really got into the whole Yeenoghu thing.”  The druid still looks skeptical, so Narg decides to change the subject by asking, “What exactly does your Master do around here?”   

The druid explains that his master is powerful druid, an Initiate of the Fifth Circle (8th Level) and his primarily purpose is to cast Pass Without Trace spells behind the Kadtanach creature.  Narg asks, “So, what is your name?  And how powerful a druid are you?”   The gnoll states that his name is Nahmi, and that his is currently an Ovate (2nd Level).  “That’s all?  What a chump?” Mojo mutters in Elvish.   “Will you be quiet?” Narg tells Mojo.  Mojo replies, “Actually no, I won’t.  I think we need to talk about this.”  

Narg thinks for a minute, and then asks Nahmi a question in the Halfling tongue.   When it is appears that the gnoll does not understand him, Narg turns to Mojo and says in Halfling, “He doesn’t seem to know this language.”  Mojo replies in Halfling, “But do we have it?  Talking in Halfling is so annoying, with every third word being a type of pie.  And do you really need seventeen different words for cake?”  Narg starts to get annoyed and replies, “Look, I’m not planning to ask him what type of cake he prefers!  What is it that we need to talk about?”  

Mojo pauses for a minute and states, “Something doesn’t smell right about this.”  “Of course he  smells bad, he’s a gnoll!”   Mojo replies, “No, I mean this sounds odd.  If this gnoll deity is actually here then he’s omnipotent and does not need material possessions.   Why would he go to all this effort just to rob a bunch of poor farmers?   And why would he also need to keep a medium-level druid around to cast a spell for him?   _(The player then makes an analogy to the fifth Star Trek movie, and Kirk’s line of “Why does God need a starship?”)_ 

Realizing that Mojo has a point, Narg asks Nahmi “Are you sure that the leader here is the real Yeenoghu and not some imposter?”  Nahmi replies, “Oh yes.  He is clearly a deity.  He has a certain aura around him and you are drawn to listen to him.  It is kind of hard to explain.   Have you ever been in the physical presence of a deity before?”   Narg replies, “Actually, I have, on a number of occasions.  I once stood up to Loviatar, the Mistress of Pain.”  “And got the crap beaten out of you,” Mojo now mutters in Gnollish.    They both turn to Mojo who says, “Hey, I’m with Rover here on this one.  I understand being enthralled.  Why there was this girl that I met last year in the Orient….”


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## Silver Moon (Nov 1, 2003)

*Chapter 13, “Moving across the Kadtanach”, September 13th, 1019, 12:00 P.M.*

Once the creature had stopped and the gargoyles returned to it Alton was able better observe the situation.   He assumed that the Silver Moon Adventurers were responsible for the alarms that now sounded.   Alton waited patiently, fully expecting to see one of Cassie’s massive fireballs erupting from the structure, but no explosions occur.   The alarm bells then change to a different pattern, and the creature started moving again.   Two of the gargoyles flew back to watch the cliffs, the third one staying atop one of the buildings.   

Alton decides to flies along behind the mountain peeks.   He continues to hear the same bell alarms sound every few minutes, which helps him gauge exactly where the beast it from the opposite side of the cliffs.    When they are within two miles of the end of the mountain pass Alton decides to fly on ahead from the other side of the mountain and get into position ahead of it.  

Meanwhile, Cassie and Purge have continued to cautiously watch from their perch.   The gargoyles and wyverns are no longer flying around the creature, making Cassie feel a bit safer.   They see a trio of gnolls head out to the end of the ramp housing the catapult, and lower themselves on a rope ladder down to the building on top of the creature’s yoke, helped onto it by a half-dozen gnoll archers guarding that building. 

She opens up the top of the Bag of Holding to get some fresh air circulating inside.   Narg briefly informs her in the Halfling language of what the gnoll druid has told him.  Upon hearing that the gnoll deity is nearby she panics and says, “I think we may be in over our heads with this one.”   Mojo comments, “I think that is a load of hooey.  I doubt it’s really a god in charge here.”  Narg interjects, “The gnoll believes that it is.”  Mojo replies, “Nothing against Old Yeller here, but I think he’s wrong.  Going around robbing farm towns is far too run-of-the-mill for a deity to bother with.  And he needs a druid to cast spells for him!  What kind of god is that?”  

The alarm bells sound again and Narg snaps, “What’s that?”   Cassie replies, “They’ve been sounding that bell sequence every few minutes.  We think it is a Yellow Alert signal.”  Mojo says, “Don’t worry about it.  These are dog-creatures.  You know how dogs are, once they hear something that spooks them they’ll bark continuously for the next half hour.  That’s all this is.”   Narg talks to the druid and confirms Cassie’s assessment of what the bells signify, being told it is the signal for a medium alert.  

Cassie, Narg and Mojo continue to strategize.  Narg suggests, “If you cut off the head the creature will die.”   “I think it looks a bit thick to cut through,” Cassie replies.   Narg answers, “No, not the animal’s head.   I’m talking about whoever is controlling it.  Get rid of them and it’s a whole new ballgame.”    They debate trying to point the creature in a direction they may want it to go, but cannot agree on where that might be.

Purge then interrupts Cassie, saying, “What are those?”   Cassie looks up, seeing three creatures emerge from the building atop the yoke.  One is a yellow skinned humanoid with red eyes, wearing gold and jeweled belts and headband.  It has a serrated sword hanging from its belt.  _(The DM shows the players the cover of the 1st Edition  Fiend Folio  book for the visual aide for this creature.)_   The other two creatures are larger, red-skinned, red-eyed, spiked dark hair, and armor that appears to be made of bones.    The creatures then vanish, appearing thirty feet above on the ramp by the catapult, before heading towards the first building along the torso.   

Narg asks the druid Nahmi what these creatures are, and is told “Giths.  They work for Yeenoghu.  The gith leader is equal to our Chief.”   “Why do these giths look so different from each other?” Narg asks.   The druid replies, “The red ones are only half-gith.  We don’t know what the other half is, but presumably something much larger and stronger.”  Cassie comments, “This gets worse every minute.  Not only are we up against a deity, but now we also have to oppose teleporting creatures of races we’ve never seen before.” 

Cassie has Narg ask the druid how long the creature plants to stay.   Nahmi replies, “Usually it spends only a few weeks on each world.   The gnoll army takes what it can until the armies of the world get organized enough to oppose it.    If a large enemy force is seen Yeenoghu moves the Kadtanach to another world rather than staying to fight.”  “Typical strategy for a bully,” Narg comments.   Mojo says, “There’s the answer.  We get the army here to stop it, and they’ll just go away.”   Cassie comments, “Except you are forgetting one thing.  The Queen doesn’t have an army – we’re it!”  The only Lordholdings with military forces are Cantage and Jawlt, and they’re hundreds of miles from here.”   “So what, it will be there soon enough at the rate it’s moving,” Mojo comments.   

Narg suggests that Mojo call up the Queen again.  Cassie says, “That magic item only works once a day, so why don’t you hold off on that.”  “I don’t want to talk to her anyway!” Mojo pouts.   Cassie lectures him with, “Will you please get over your jealousy!  So she picked her husband instead of you.  Accept it!”   Narg interjects, “Okay, hold off on contacting the Queen, but we should get a hold of her sometime soon.”  “I wish I could, but there’s a guy in the way” Mojo mumbles.  

They discuss strategy some more, with Cassie again expressing reservations about taking on a god.   “Nothing we haven’t done before,” Narg comments.   Cassie replies, “Yeah, but we only won on those occasions because of powerful assistance.  I don’t see any divine beings offering to help us this time.”   Mojo suggests, “Look, this thing is like a giant dogs with more dogs on top of it.  Why don’t we just construct a giant fire hydrant!”   Narg and Cassie decide to just ignore him.

Purge interrupts again, stating that the three giths have returned with a gnoll.  Cassie looks up and comments that the red-skinned giths are grasping the arms of an unarmored gnoll, forcing him to accompany them.  The yellow-skinned gith is also brandishing his sword towards this gnoll in a threatening manner.  They get to the end of the catapult platform and then teleport away.  Nahmi asks for a more detailed description of what this gnoll looked like, which Cassie then provides.   Nahmi confirms that was his master that the giths had seized.  

Narg tells Cassie, “Look, this fake god is probably just somebody polymorphed by that wizardess to fool the gnolls.   She’s the one running the show.  Try to figure out where she might be and get there.   Then let us out of the bag, we kill her, end of story.”   Cassie answers, “Easier said that done, but that building along the Yoke seems to be main activity point.  Purge and I will do what we can to get there.”  She closes up the Bag of Holding, and then fills Purge in on the conversation.  

The two try to figure out the best way to get to the building on the yoke.   They tie themselves together and begin to climb down the creature, gripping onto the sides of the scales.  It is a steep downward climb towards the creature’s neck.   At this point the creature has exited the mountain pass.   A new series of bell rings follow, after which the behemoth starts moving at a much swifter pace, crushing and uprooting the trees in the forest before them.     The creature’s harness between the neck and torso is a patchwork of horizontal and vertical straps, creating twenty-to-forty foot diameter squares and rectangles.  Purge uses one of the vertical straps as a handhold as they further descend. 

Meanwhile, Alton had reached the end of the mountain pass and transformed back to his human form.  Using the forest for cover, he watches as the creature exits the mountains.   The creature continues to travel due west, and Alton moves into position in front of it.  He then removes several magic items, transforms into a white chimpanzee, then puts on and activates the Ring of Invisibility.   A player comments about the choice of animal, saying “A chimp?  They eat bugs off of themselves.”  Another player quips “And you think Alton doesn’t already do that?”  

The invisible chimp moves a safe enough distance that he won’t be stomped on by the beast, and waits until it is parallel to him.   He then scampers forward and carefully times a dive onto one of the rear legs of the beast, then climbs up. 

The Kadtanach bumps a front leg on a large boulder, causing it to slightly stumble.   This sudden lurch to the side causes Purge to lose his footing, on the ledge created by the strap, and he falls.   Once the end of the rope linking him to Cassie is taut she falls as well.  He manages to grab onto the next horizontal strap but Cassie misses it and the speed of her fall pulls him off as well.   Thirty-five feet later they both grab for the next horizontal strap, with Cassie grabbing it this time.  However Purge misses, and his weight and velocity then pull her off. 

Only one horizontal strap remains prior to them hitting the solid wall of the yoke and building along it.  The temporary stops have slowed their momentum, but the impact on the bottom will still probably prove fatal to both of them.   Cassie considers using the Helm of Teleportation to get them out of this predicament, but thinks that she still may be a few minutes shy of the item’s twenty-four hour recharge time from when it was last used.  Cassie reaches for the final strap and this time manages to gets a very firm grip on it.  Purges grabs it too, but the creature’s continued movement causes him to again loose his grip.  Fortunately he has held onto it for long enough for Cassie to better secure the rope on the strap and then help him climb up to her. 

Cassie and Purge may have experienced problems moving along the scales of the creature, but it is proving to be second nature to Alton’s chimp form.   He reaches the top of the beast and moves forward, avoiding the buildings.   He reaches a point near one of the forward buildings and makes his way around it.   After a few minutes he hears some other sounds.  He continues moving, stopping several times to listen, and concludes that somebody invisible is following him.    He stops at a corner by the two front buildings.  Alton is able to vocalize enough sounds in chimp form to cast Dispel Magic, centering the spell on the area that the sounds are coming from.    This causes both the white chimpanzee and a male gnome to become visible.


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## Silver Moon (Nov 3, 2003)

*Chapter 14, “Another Chapter as the Gnoll sees it." September 13th, 1019, 11:45 A.M.*

Chief Ujjain stared both Rizah and Gogol in the face, then grabbed each of their uniforms by the lapel and pulled their faces close to him.   The gnoll leader then yelled, “So you are saying that you retreated your post!  Abandoning the Central Howdad in cowardice and letting the enemy take what they wish from it?”   

A clearly intimidated Lieutenant Gogol stutters out a response of “Rizah did.  I wasn’t there when it happened.”   Ujjain throws the Lieutenant to the floor and then kicks him while stating, “How dare you try to shirk the blame for this!  You are responsible for the actions of all of your subordinates.  I should kill you for your negligence!”  Ujjain releases Rizah and then kicks Gogol again with full force, cracking one of the Lieutenant’s ribs.  Ujjain yells, “But I won’t kill you. You should be ashamed of what you have done so you need to feel shame.  You are stripped of your rank, and deemed no longer worthy to ride upon the Kadtanach.   Take the basket to the ground below.  Inform Lieutenant Renjarr that you are his new wagon driver.”  As Gogol stands up Ujjain strips the gnoll of his insignia, and bellows “Get out of my sight, you sicken me.”   Gogol hurriedly exits the howdad. 

Ujjain then turns his eyes towards Rizah.   Rizah stands straight at attention and states, “My Chief, administer whatever punishment you feel I deserve, but please allow me the opportunity to first explain my actions.”   The Chief moves so his face is within an inch of Rizah’s and says, “Very well Kegyai, what excuses do you have?”  Rizah remains unfazed at his Chief’s proximity and replies is a strong and authoritative voice, “No excuses sir, just an explanation.  I would have preferred to remain on the Archers’ deck, fighting alongside my men.  However, my discovery that the gnoll heretics were the ones who were responsible for this incursion changed that.  I was the only one close enough to the ladder to go sound an alarm and thought that my first duty at that moment was to and report this act of treason to my superiors.   If that judgement was incorrect then I will freely accept any punishment you see fit, up to and including my death.”   

The Chief moves back and ponders what Rizah has said, as well the courage the gnoll has just shown in standing his ground.   Ujjain replies, “Rizah, I find that your judgement in this instance was correct.  But if you ever abandon troops assigned to you again, for any reason, I will personally kill you for cowardice.   Do I make myself clear…Lieutenant?”   “Yes. You do sir,” Rizah replies.  Ujjain hands Rizah the insignia formerly worn by Gogol, which the new Lieutenant pins to his armor.  

Lieutenant Kajjan then enters the Howdad and says to the Chief, “Father, there is no sign of the intruders and all of the prisoners are gone.   The stone-skins and lizard-fliers report that no enemies are in sight anywhere on the Kadtanach.  They also report that the traitor Gnu-Dalcom appears to still be within his own howdad, so perhaps the enemies have gone there.”   

Ujjain turns and orders Rizah “You will go to the Yoke Howdad and inform the Great Demon Lord of what has transpired.   He will decide how to best deal with Gnu-Dalcom.”   The Chief then turns to Kajjan and states, “Son, we are at great risk while we are stopped.  We must get the Kadtanach out of these mountains, but I do not want to hurry into what may be an ambush by our enemies.  Signal for the beast to resume traveling at half its regular pace.  Put the troops go to medium alert except for those near Gnu-Dalcom’s Howdad.  Have those archers stay at full alert and fire on anyone exiting that habitat.”  Both Lieutenants depart with their new orders.  

Rizah sees a pair of gnoll archers and orders them to accompany him.  They make their way back to the Central Howdad, then along the bridge connecting it to the Shoulder Blade Howdad.   By this point the bells have changed to Medium Alert and the Kadtanach has started moving again.    They head down the forward ramp and around its catapult.   At the edge of the ramp the rope ladder is lowered and the three gnolls climb down towards the Yoke Howdad below them. 

They are assisted onto the Yoke Howdad crow’s nest by Drog-Jeru, the gnoll Sub-Chief and tribe’s shaman.  He is flanked by the five most powerful gnoll fighters on the Kadtanach, with the six of them serving as the Elite Guard to the gnoll deity.    Rizah respectfully tells his Sub-Chief what has transpired.  The Sub-Chief opens the trap down to the building below, ordering Rizah to accompany him.   Rizah has never been inside of this structure before, and is unsure of what to expect. 

The demonic dog belonging to the giths is in the room below and barks at them, not recognizing Rizah as someone authorized to be inside of this howdad.  In fact, the beast would have most likely attacked and killed the new lieutenant if one of the three red-skinned Duthka’Gith warriors had not held it back.   Both of the yellow-skinned Ghustil (priests) of the Githyanki race then question the two gnolls as to what is taking place.  Both Ghustil then accompany the two gnolls down the ladder to the bottom level, where Yeenoghu awaits.   

Rizah immediately feels a sense of awe in the presence of the gnoll deity standing before him.  He takes his cues from both Drog-Jeru and the two gith shamen as to the kneeling, reverent gestures and other ceremonial groveling that is expected in the god’s presence.  After begging for the god’s blessings and giving declarations of each one’s unworthiness, Yeenoghu commands them to stand.  Drog-Jeru reverently requests permission to address Yeenoghu directly.   Once granted, the Sub-Chief relays the information told to him by Rizah.   Yeenoghu gazes at Rizah, and asks for confirmation that the gnoll druid Gnu-Dalcom has committed treason.    Rizah feels his heart racing faster and sweat appears on his paws.  He bows his head before the great Yeenoghu and confirms that the heretics have betrayed them.  

Yeenoghu orders one of the giths to bring Gnu-Dalcom to him.  The yellow-skinned being climbs upward, continuing up to the crow’s nest along with two of the red-skinned giths.   The A period of time passes, during which both of the shamen converse with Yeenoghu in the Gith Language, which Rizah does not yet know.   Twenty minutes after they left the giths finally return, forcefully holding the gnoll druid.   When questioned, the druid claims ignorance of the invaders but has no explanation as to how or why his apprentice was involved.   Yeenoghu commands the duthka-giths to “force some different answers from him.  Ten minutes of physical violence and torture follow, with the druid’s responses remaining the same as before.  

While the druid is being tortured, the Kadtanach reaches the end of the mountain pass.  The deity commands that the beast’s speed increase to full.   The alarm bells soon change to a different series of rings, and the pace of the monster picks up.   

Yeenoghu states in the Gnoll language that Gnu-Dalcom is lying and that an example must be made of him.   Drog-Jeru and Rizah are commanded to spread the word for all of their gnoll tribemates to watch the punishment.   He then speaks to the Giths in their own language.   The two gnolls climb back up to the crow’s nest.   Drog-Jeru and his troops start to climb the rope ladder back up to the platform above.  Drog-Jeru says that he and his elite troops will spread the word of the coming example to the main fortress.   Rizah and his two archers are told to get word to the howdad and baskets atop the creature’s head.  

This assignment proves to be both challenging and very dangerous, in that the only way to reach the head is by a cable running between the crow’s nests of the Yoke Howdad and Head Howdad.   This maneuver is usually conducted when the Kadtanach is stopped, and it is now moving at near its top speed.    The cable used for this is also currently strapped down to the creature’s scales, to prevent it from snagging along branches and cliffs as the beast moves.   It takes the combined strength of all three gnolls to pull the cable loose from its fastenings.   

A hooked swing is then attached to the cable.   One of the archers attaches a thin rope to an arrow and fires it into the Head Howdad’s upper wall just beneath the crow’s nest.   The gnoll sentries in the Head Howdad pick up the rope, and Rizah orders one of the archers to go first.   The gnolls at the Head Howdad use the rope to quickly pull him across.   The swing is then drawn back.  Rizah decides to go next, and is then pulled over.   The swing is returned once more and they begin to pull across the final archer.    

The Kadtanach continues to march onward through the forests, splitting or knocking aside any trees in his path.  One such tree happens to house a large flock of Elgart Birds, a species, which resembles a giant quail.  As the birds’ home becomes uprooted the flock flies upward.  The Kadtanach sees the two-dozen large birds fly up in front of its face.  It opens maw and cranes its neck upward at them as they attempt to fly higher and away from it.  The beast’s mouth envelops the entire flock, and its great jaws close over them.  

This sudden and violent neck movement causes the cable between the two howdads to suddenly pull taut and then snap.  The gnoll had been midway across when the cable breaks, and he falls for thirty feet, landing hard and on the behemoth’s neck.   The neck then begins to rumble and sway as the Kadtanach swallows its meal, causing the gnoll to slip.  He attempts to grab onto the beast’s scales, but is unable to get a firm grip as the weight of his own body now works against him.   The gnoll slides off from the creature and falls a hundred feet to his death.


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## Silver Moon (Nov 7, 2003)

*Game #5 - 11/02/03*

*Chapter 15, “Gnoll Punishment,” September 13th, 1019, 1:30 P.M. *

The chimpanzee points to himself and says “Al-ton, Sil-Ver-Moon”.  The gnome points to himself and replies, “Dragon Stalker.”   Alton motions him over to the corner.    They both realize that any of the six gnoll archers atop the yoke building could turn around and spot them, so both reapply invisibility on themselves.    Meanwhile, some ninety feet lower on the beast, Cassie and Purge spot the gnome and chimp up above before they become invisible again.   Cassie carves out a note on the stick, and instructs her familiar to “Bring to Alton”, casting her last Invisibility spell onto the owl, and motions to where Alton is at.   

Cassie opens the bag to inform the others that Alton is nearby, and that owl has gone to get him.  “Is the owl smart enough to find him?” Narg asks.   Cassie replies “Deanna is smarter than most of the party, including Alton.”  Mojo suggests, “Then why don’t we elect her party leader.”

Back up beside the buildings, Alton and Grelmak converse.  Alton asks the gnome if he has seen any other Silver Moon members.   “They’re not with you?” the gnome comments.   Alton says, “No, they went off and left me behind.  I’m trying to find them.”  Grelmak replies, “Welcome to the club.  My group abandoned me here almost a day ago.”   

“What have you discovered since then?” Alton asks.  The gnome replies, “Nothing, I’ve been staying in hiding.   It wasn’t until I heard you going right by me that I left my hiding spot.  I was curious who else was using invisibility but making a ton of noise.”  Alton replies, “Sorry, I’m not a thief.”  “No you’re a talking money.” Grelmak states.   Alton replies, “I’m actually a druid in monkey form.”   The gnome comments, “A druid?  With the Silver Moon.  Ah, you’re Serita?”  “NO, NO, NO!” Alton exclaims, adding “I’m actually a tall human named Alton.”   “I don’t think I’ve met you before,” the gnome comments.  

The owl returns to Cassie and communicates to her that there are two small creatures but neither smells like Alton.   Cassie explains to here that Alton is in chimpanzee form, and sends the owl back with the message.    Alton explains to Grelmak that they ran into the other members of the Dragon Stalkers, and that the mage is permanently dead.   The gnome exlaims, “Damn!  He owes me money!”  “Isn’t that always the case,” Alton comments.   The owl then lands on the chimps shoulder and hands him the stick.  “Hold on, mail call,” Alton states, and feels the carvings.    “Huh?” the gnome asks.   Alton replies, “What’s the matter. Can’t you see the invisible owl sitting on my shoulder?” 

Just then the party is distracted by the sight of a gnoll falling to the ground from somewhere near the Head Howdad.   Cassie gets upset that there was nothing she could have done to prevent it, not having seen the gnoll until he was already halfway to the ground.   They then notice activity in all of the other buildings, as each crow’s nest is now filling up with gnolls. 

The gnolls in the other buildings begin to chant out the gnoll word for “Punish”.   Narg asks, “What’s going on out there?”  “I think they’re going to kill the druid,” Cassie comments to Narg in the Halfling language.  Mojo adds, “We’d better not tell Fido, he might get upset.”     Cassie and Purge can now tell that something is happening in the building that they are near, but they are at such a sharp angle down from it that they are unable to make out exactly what.   They see the back of the heads of one red-skinned gith standing near the edge fifty feet above them.  .   

Higher up on the beast, Alton and Grelmak have an excellent view of he festivities, as they see the Yoke Howdad now has atop it all five giths, two holding a gnoll, and a non-gnoll dog-faced being wearing robes.   The robed dog-man gestures to the gnolls on the other buildings who begin to chant "Yeenoghu, Yeenoghu!"    "What's a Yeenoghu?" Grelmak asks.  Alton answers, "I think it's either the name of the gnoll god or type of Oriental food served over rice."    The gnome says, "I don't see any rice.  Must be the god."

Two of the large red-skinned giths pull on each of the gnoll's arms.   The yellow-skinned gith with the sword picks up a bucket of liquid and splashes it over the gnoll.   The Yeenoghu creature then yells out in Gnollish, "This is the fate that awaits those who betray me."    He gestures to the other red-skinned gith, standing on the opposite side of the crow's nest.   The gith breathes out a cone of flames, causing the gnoll druid to ignite in flames, the liquid having been flammable.   The two red-skinned giths holding him then throw the flaming gnoll off and away from the beast, with him falling to the forest below. 

At the sight of the flaming druid falling Serita yells into the bag, "Narg, Give me the Belt""   He takes off the Belt of Shape Change and hands it out of the bag to her, but by the time she places it on it is too late, the druid having already fallen below the tree line to his presumed death.    Cassie looses her temper at not having had a chance to rescue him, and lets out a round of curses.   "What happened?" Mojo asks.   Purge replies, "The druid just did his impersonation of a shooting star."  The gnoll druid apprentice Nahmi does not hear that, being totally pre-occupied and shocked at Narg's transformation from a gnoll into a half-elf.   "You tricked me!" He exclaims.   Narg replies, "Sorry, didn't mean to.  Seemed safer to travel around here as a gnoll.  This is the real me."  

Outside of the Bag, Alton and Grelmak arrive where Cassie and Purge are, having been led there by the owl.   The four briefly bring each other up to speed as to what has been going on, stating that the giths and Yeenoghu went back inside the Yoke Howdad, which now has six gnolls guarding the crow's nest again.  Most of the gnolls in the other buildings have also gone back inside, and there are no more alarms.   The party members inside the bag are informed of what is going on.   Narg tells them, "It sounds like the leaders are all in that building.   Get me inside and I'll take it from there."


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## Silver Moon (Nov 9, 2003)

*Chapter 16, “Fighting the Giths!” September 13th, 1019, 2:00 P.M. *

The four on the strap manage to lower themselves down to the base of the building attached to the yoke.   The building if fifty feet tall, being twenty-five feet in diameter for the first thirty feet, and then starts to concave in for the last ten, ending in the 15 foot diameter crow's nest.    Cassie's silver amulet, given to her by the demigod Finder Wyvernspur, begins to glow.  She comments "Uh oh, it only does that when it's near a Chaotic Evil deity or its servants."

Cassie and Purge decide to let the two little ones scale the building, and climb into the Bag of Holding which is now extremely crowded.    They leave the end of the invisible rope hanging out of the bag, and each grab hold of the rope in the order that they wish to exit the bag.   Mojo offers to go first, but Narg says "No, be quiet, I'll do it."  Mojo protests, "I volunteer to go first and this is the thanks I get?"   Mojo then gestures to his Ring of Invisibility and says, "I can do it better than you.  What do you think this is?  A ring to keep fat chicks away?"   Narg answers, "Well, knowing you it could be."  Mojo answers, "No, that ring is on the other hand." 

Narg tells the gnoll, "Plan to join us with this Fido, you're one of us now."    Cassie asks the two former human prisoners what they can do.  The man says that he was the mayor of the village that was attacked and the woman is his wife.   Narg comments, "Forget it Cassie.  If we get a politician involved in this mess there's no telling what might happen."  

Alton takes the bag and scales the building, with Grelmak alongside him.  Just before the building narrows is another ring of windows.  Only two are open, one along the back and another along the front.   Alton peers inside and is looking directly into the face of one of the red-skinned giths, who does not see him.   The other giths are also in the room.  Alton carefully climbs inside, being careful not to bump into the creature.  Geelmak moves up into the window, as Alton tugs on the rope.   Narg takes this as his cure to climb out of the back, being hoisted up by Mojo.

Narg tumbles out the bag and into the room, catching all of the giths by surprise.  He jumps to his feet and charges the closest red-skinned gith.   Alton assists Mojo as the next one out of the Bag and is invisible due to his ring.   He moves towards the yellow-skinned gith figher-priest, but the spectral hound in the room detects him despite the cover of invisibility.   This demonic cannine charges at Mojo, who tosses up his longsword to keep it away.   The dog leaps at him, curving to the side in mid-air.    The dog's side is impaled on the sword, but its forward momentum was such that it's head still reaches Mojo's head, and takes a large bite out of the elf's neck.

Narg has managed to get two strikes into the red-skinned gith, the second strike cutting off its leg.   The mortally wounded creature plane shifts away.    Mojo's sword is still sticking into the dog, so he uses his sword as a handle to throw the dog the floor.   He then bludgeons the creature to death with his hammer.  Alton assists Cassie out of the Bag.  

The yellow-skinned gith priest on the opposite side of the room attempts to cast a spell, but is stopped by a Dispel Magic thrown by Cassie.     Alton helps Mark climb out of the bag and charges the nearest red-skinned gith.   Narg pivots, and he and Mark combine their assaults on this creature, killing it.    Mojo tosses his Hammer of Throwing across the room and into the gith fighter-priest, knocking the creature back.   Cassie lets loose a Magic Missile spell, sending five more missiles into the gith priest and preventing more spells.    This also allows Narg the time to reach the priest, and stab him as Mojo pulls his sword out of the dead dog and charges the fighter-priest. 

The gith priest is now lying on the floor, and yells something in a language none of the heroes understand to the remaining red-skinned gith.   The creature breathes out a cone of flame at the heroes as the gith priest then plane shifts away.   Cassie's immediate reaction is to cast a Wall of Force around the red-skinned creature, encasing it in a circle of flame.   This also means that only the start of his flame actually hit her, Narg, Mark and Grelmak, the rest being cut off by the wall.   The flame inside the force sphere die out, and the creature is also gone.   Meanwhile, Mojo has managed to slay the incapacitate the gith fighter-priest, and Narg assists him for the killing blow. 

Cassie pulls out her surgery tools and starts to dissect the yellow-skinned gith for possible magic item components.   Alton tells Purge to remain within the bag with the three former prisoners.  Mojo notices that the dog's body is become translucent.   Cassie charges over to check it out, her hands floating through it.  She states "I think it is going back to whatever plane it originated from."    Mark, Narg and Mojo now notice that all three of their harp-shaped amulets are also glowing as Cassie's was.   "Something nasty is still around," Mojo comments. 

Neither trapdoor above or below has opened, and the party concludes that the movement and sound created by the Kadtanath's destruction of the trees as it trudges through the forest have masked the sounds of the battle.   "What exactly were these creatures?" Alton asks.  Cassie replies, "I don't know, but some wizard friends of mine might, and can probably use the brain and blood to make control potions."   Narg says "No time for that Doctor Cassie, we've got bigger fish to fry." 

He moves over to the trapdoor down, tossing it open.    Looking down into the room below he sees the dog-faced robed being standing atop some azure blue blankets.   A long gnoll is also in the room, seated in a high-backed chair and staring vacuously at the wooden wall.   He wears an over-sized bone helmet on his head.   The robed creature throws his hand up in Narg's direction, and flame shoots forth from the creature's fingertips.   Narg holds his magical fire-protection sword out before him.  

The stream of flames coming from the creature's hand hits the sword, and arcs to both sides behind Narg.    Cassie charges up to the opening and she lets loose with a massive fireball into the room.   The flames set the blankets on fire and also burn the robes off the creature, but appear to have no effect on it, other than distracting it and causing it to stop shooting up flames.   Narg sees that the creature is a finely muscled humanoid, and was wearing leather armor with barbed spikes beneath its robes.   Narg dives through the opening, dropping the twenty feet into the room, and managing to land on his feet for minimal impact damage.   The creature reaches over to the gnoll in the chair, and pulls the bone helmet off of the gnoll's head. 

Mojo reaches the opening and assesses the situation below and lets loose his Hammer of Throwing into the bone helmet.  Narg swings his sword into the monster, but the creature has already teleported away before the sword can connect.   Narg kicks open a closed window before the catatonic gnoll in the chair, as Mojo and Cassie climb down into the room.   Cassie gestures to the gnoll and says, "He was probably controlling the creature."  "Maybe he still is," Mojo comments.  "Not any more," Narg comments, as he hurls the chair and gnoll out the window, bouncing off the Kadtanach's neck, and then dropping to the forest below.   

Bell alarms begin to sound from throughout the creature.  "Now what?"  Cassie asks.  Mojo replies, "We figure out where McGruff went to and go get him."


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## Silver Moon (Nov 12, 2003)

*Chapter 17, “Heading towards the Head” September 13th, 1019, 2:30 P.M. *

Narg says, "First things first.   There are gnolls in the crow's nest.  They might know something."    Mojo grabs onto Narg’s back and he uses his Rope of Climbing to snag to the top rung of the ladder and quickly pull the two of them up.   As he reaches the top he pushes the trapdoor open and jumps onto the crow’s nest floor.   The gnoll archers are taken by surprise, as they were busy looking elsewhere for targets.   Narg and Mojo make quick work of them, striking them with swords with full strength to knock them off.   They then head back below, and Narg reiterates “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

By this time they have noticed that the beast is acting very differently.  It has stopped, and is lifting up its head and is looking around, as if seeing this world for the first time.   The party concludes that with the helmet gone it is no longer under the control of the gnolls.   They decide that now would be the best time to communicate with the creature, and decide that they need to be at the head to do this.  Cassie comments, “You know, it’s been awhile since we brought home any pets….”   Mojo comments, “Yeah, but this one is full of gnolls.  That’s worse than having fleas and mites.”  

They decide to head across the creature’s neck to the Head Howdad.   Everyone except for Alton, Narg and Mojo get into the Bag of Holding, making for a very snug fit with a minimum of air available.   Alton invisibly scampers across the neck to the head howdad.    Mojo ties himself onto Narg and turns invisible.   Narg however, is very visible as he makes his way across, becoming the target to archers atop the Head Howdad and reinforcements to the Yoke Howdad from the catapult ramp above it.    Mojo finds that his invisibility doesn’t help much, as several arrows that miss Narg hit him.    They also lose their footing some on the neck, being saved only by the maneuverability of Narg’s magical rope.  

Alton is the beneficiary to the archers at the Head Howdad being distracted.   The door to that howdad is locked, and he has Grelmak get let out to unlock it.   Once inside, Cassie, Mark and Purge are also let out of the bag, and the top is left open for air to re-circulate back inside for the three former prisoners.   This Howdad is comprised of two rooms, a base room housing the metal battering ram attachments to go on the Kadtanach’s horn, and an upper room with closed windows on all sides and bows and arrows hanging on the walls.    Alton tells the four of them to wait in this room, and he heads back below to check out the two large wooden baskets hanging from each ear of the creature. 

By this time Narg and Mojo have finally made their way across, each one taking a few arrows in the process.   They enter the building, with Alton telling them, “Everyone else is up on the second floor.”    The two fighters reach that level, and yell at Mark because he hasn’t done anything about the gnoll archers in the crow’s nest above.  Narg leads the way up there, followed by Mojo.   Narg takes a hit from a gnoll getting up.  The two fighters use their swords to slay the first two gnolls and then knock a third one over the side, with it bouncing off the Kadtanach and falling to the ground below.    A fourth one manages to escape, quickly sliding down a rope attached to the side.   By the time Narg gets a chance to look down that gnoll is gone, and Narg assumes it might have fallen off.

With the gnolls gone they become targets for the archers back on the Yoke Howdad crow’s nest, so head back below, shutting and locking the trapdoor behind them.   “Gnolls all gone,” Narg comments.   Purge states, “Cassie still wants to take this thing home with us.”  Mark asks, “What would we feed it?”   Mojo replies, “How about useless high-level rangers.” 

Meanwhile, Alton has made his way over to one of the side ear baskets.   He peers in from the edge of the window, getting a good look inside.   The basket contains a large strapped in six-legged lizard, propped up by the window.   Alton lucks on in not having stared directly into the eyes of this beast.   Alongside the creature is a pair of gnolls.   He heads back and decides to go out onto the creature’s snout to try to communicate with it. 

Narg exits through the door of the Head Howdad, and begins to make his way over to one of the ear baskets.   Alton sees this, and quickly hurries back to stop him, warning him that “Don’t do that.  A basilisk is inside of at least one ear basket and probably both.”   “Thanks for the warning,” Narg comments, and heads back to the Howdad and to the second floor.   Alton goes back out onto the creature’s snout.   The Kadtanach starts to shake and Alton fails to grab onto it in time, being propelled out from the creature.


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## Silver Moon (Nov 14, 2003)

*Game #6 - 11/09/03*

*Chapter 18, “One Basilisk, Going Down,” September 13th, 1019, 3:00 P.M.*

Just as Alton had nearing the bridge of the nose the creature had beguns to shake vigorously.  Alton loses his grip and is flung into the air and away from the creature.   Inside of the building, the party all begin to fall back and forth from one side to the other as the building tips to 45-degree angles one direction and then the other.   A comment is made about it looking like an classic Star Trek episode, when the bridge shook from side to side as the ship was hit.   They are careful to avoid falling out of open windows.    Looking out the rear window they see that the Kadtanach is trying to shake the buildings off of its back, with the body moving similar to how a dog shakes when it comes in out of the rain.    They see at least six gnolls fall off of the creature during this activity.   Both wyverns have taken to the air, each with three riders on its back.  A player comments that “This is a scene that Irwin Allen would be proud of.” 

The creature eventually stops shaking, and the party discovers that aside from a few bruises they are relatively okay.   The wyverns also stop circling the creature.  Cassie sends her own Deanna out to check on Alton.   Mojo comments, “This perfect, maybe we’ll lose the owl as well as the dirtbag.”  The owl is unable to locate him.    Cassie tells the party that Alton is missing.  Mojo comments “We don’t have time for that now, we can celebrate later.”    She replies, “He was our best chance to communicate with the creature.”  Purge adds, “Yeah, and it’s only a matter of time before that fake god gains control of this thing again.”    

Narg suggests that they all check out the other buildings to find the fake god.  Mojo says, “Hold on, are you suggesting that we undertake a house-to-house search while this creature is vibrating  like the beds at a cathouse?”  “Yes,” Narg replies.  Mojo replies, “Then I say we should put that idea to a vote by the full membership.”    

Cassie suggests, “Maybe we should first try and figure out where this guy went to?”   “How?” Mark asks.  She answers “Let’s ask the druid.”   Narg reaches into the bag and yanks the gnoll Nahmi out of it.”  “Where are we?” he asks.   Narg answers “On the creatures head.  Does that gnoll deity have his own building on this structure.”   The druid replies , “Yes”, and then points out the window to the building above the Kadtanach’s left front leg.  The top of the building is the highest point above the whole structure, with the gargoyle leader standing atop its roof. 

Just then the Kadtanach begins moving again, changing its direction from west to southeast, and now going at a more leisurely pace.   Nahmi is shoved back into the Bag of Holding. Looking out the front window, they see that the large lake alongside the mountains is around dead ahead.    Cassie comments “It’s heading towards the water.”  “Must be thirsty,” Mark comments.   “Or it wants to take a bath,” Purge suggests.  “Wouldn’t you if you had gnolls crawling all over you?” Mojo quips.    Cassie comments, “Well of course it wants a bath.  This think is similar to a giant crocodile, which is at home in the water.”  Narg says, “They we’d better do something before it reaches there and turns this whole thing into a submersible.”    

Cassie states “I think Alton had the right idea.”  Mojo comments, “Yeah, leaving.”  She answers, “No, I meant talking to this creature.  Cassie tries to figure out the best way to communicate with the creature.   She approaches the Dragonstalker Grelmak, and says “Do you have any useful magic or spells that could help.”   He is reluctant to answer, and says “I’ll have to think about it.”  She assertively states, “Look, I’m not kidding here.  if you want to get out of this alive we need to work together.  Tell me EVERY magic item you are carrying and all of your memorized spells NOW!”    

He rattles of a list of magic, including a Ring of ESP and a Ring of Spell Storing containing both Speak with Animals and Speak with Monster spells.   Cassie determines that the items could be used in conjunction to communicate, but that will first involve getting the Kadtanach’s attention by getting in it’s face.  She states that I’d rather not try that while basilisks are looking on.”   “I’m on it,” Narg states, and heads down the ladder.   He attaches his rope of climbing to the Howdad door, and repels down to the side of the ear basket where Alton saw the basilisk, staying well clear of the window.  Grelmak casts an illusion over where Narg is to keep the gnolls on the rest of the structure from spotting him.  

Narg discovers that the large wooden basket is secured to the ear via a large leather strap, approximately three-inches thick and nine-inches wide.   He begins to use his Sword of Sharpenss like a saw to cut through it with his exceptional strength.    After a half hour Purge comes out to check on his progress, finding that Narg has only managed to cut through three inches.    Narg decides to change his tactics, and starts using angled sword swipes down onto the strap where he had cut it, chopping out pieces of leather with each blow.  Purge returns to the upper room.  While this is going on the party notices over a dozen gnolls climb down from the catapult platform to the Yoke Howdad.   

Almost an hour later the party notice that they are around five miles closer to the lake.   At several points during the creature’s trek through the forests it has disturbed the homes of  Elgart birds, with the creature then swallowing up the flocks of game birds.   Cassie says “Damn it.  I know we had been told it had eaten cows, but I was really hoping that was just a rumor and its wasn’t really a herbavore rather than a carnivore.”  Mojo says, “Given its size I say we should let it be whatever kind of vore it wants to be.”    Mojo’s player also attempts to annoy the DM, by placing bottlecaps on top of the DM’s sleeping cat as a visual depiction of the various Howdads atop the Kadtanach.  

The Kadtanach then comes to a complete halt.   The creature turns its head around, as if looking at the countryside again for the first time.  The creature changes direction again, now heading northwest.   It’s head slumps down lower again and picks up its pace.   Cassie comments, “Damn, we waited too long.  That being has control of it again.”   Narg still has not returned.  Mojo says, “I’ll go see what is keeping him.”   

Mojo climbs down to where Narg is, finding that Narg is down to the final inche-and-a-half on the strap.   “What’s taking you so long?” Mojo asks.  “Would you care to try this yourself?” Narg replies.  Mojo answers, “Not really, I’m feeling a little tired myself.”    Annoyed with his friend and with the renewed vigor of being almost done, Narg energetically takes the final swings that cause the strap to break.  The few remaining mountings holding the basket on are insufficient to support its weight, and the basket goes crashing to the forest floor below.    This is followed by the sound of bell alarms and it is assumed that the gnolls also saw the basket fall.


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## Silver Moon (Nov 17, 2003)

*Chapter 19, “Can’t you just put a band-aid on it?” September 13th, 1019, 4:30 P.M. *

Ninety minutes have now passed since Alton had been thrown free of the creature and every attempt to reboard the creature since then has failed.    Alton had initially found himself falling away from the Kadtanach at a height of 150 feet from the ground.   He was heading towards the forest and his initial throught was to transform into a bird, but he instead chose to remain in monkey form.   He maneuvered in the air in order to grab for the first tree limbs that he could, grabbing at the first one to pivot and slow him down, and then using the next limb to stop his descent.   He is successful, taking a minimum of damage for the endeavor. 

Swinging from tree to tree, he makes his way over towards the Kadtanch, which then beings to move again.   Alton chooses to follow, waiting for an opportunity to run up to one of the legs and climb back on board.   Unfortunately for him, the creature is exercising more care as to exactly where it steps, meaning that its path is now less direct and harder to determine.    He makes half a dozen attempts, four of which are foiled when the creatures suddenly moved further away.  The other two attempts were even worse when the leg suddenly lunged towards him, and he narrowly escaped being stomped.  

Alton eventually gives up, deciding to just keep with the creature until it stops on its own, swinging from tree to tree as it walks.    After several miles of this is arms begin to tire, and he mutters “What a time for me to be without my motorccycle.”     

The creature eventually stops, providing Alton with his first real opportunity to board.   He charges up to a front leg, just as the creature raises up that leg, putting it down far to the side.  Alton notices that the creature appears to be turning around, and has to move frantically to avoid being stepped on.    He then runs to the closest leg, which is now one of the rear legs, and manages to climb on board. 

He notices that the creature has now changed direction, heading back to the northeast, and is no longer being careful where it walks.   Alton concludes that the enemies have regained control of the beast.   He quickly scampers up the leg to get out of the way of flying debris from the trees that the monster is splintering as it moves.  

Alton climbs up to where it levels off near the buildings and then moves forward.   He notices a lot of gnoll activity, with quite a few gnolls moving in the direction of the front of the creature.   He eventually gets back to a location near the first buildings and starts to climb down towards the yoke.   He is busy approaching the backside of the yoke when Narg severs the ear basket, so is blocked from seeing the basket fall to the ground below.  He does, however, hear the bell alarms sound from the various crow’s nests behind him, and also now sees several gnolls lowering from the catapult deck to the Yoke Howdad crow’s nest.   He decides to stay clear of that area, moving further down the yoke before attempting to climb up it.  

Back along the creature’s ear, where the basket housing the basilisk has just been cut off, Narg comments to Mojo “I’m beat, but why don’t you try cutting the basket off from other ear.”   Mojo answers, “I’m not really up to it.  I was serious about feeling weak.  Here, let me make myself visible and you take a look at me.”  Mojo materializes and Narg sees a very nasty wound on Mojo’s neck, where the gith’s dog had bitten him.  “We’d better get you back to Cassie to look at that,” Narg comments.  “Can’t you just put a bandaid on it?” Mojo asks. 

They come back in and Grelmak ceases his illusion.  Cassie says, “It’s about time.”  Narg answers, “It was like cutting through stone.   They must have put some type of magical protection over those straps.  It’s a good thing we didn’t even bother with those harness straps.  that were three times as thick and wide.  They would have taken us a week to cut through.” 

Cassie takes a look at Mojo’s neck wound, seeing that the skin and muscle are missing for around an inch in diameter and half-an-inch deep around where the dog bite was.   She examines it closer, noticing no blood, with the wound being more of a window into his body.  She concludes that his body is beginning to shift to the plane that the dog was from.   She cast’s a Cure Light Wound spell on it, which has no effect.   Other spells are suggested, such as Dispel Magic, Remove Curse or Cure Disease.   

Cassie says, “Wait a minute.  Have you activated your Protection from Disease amulet that Finder Wyvernspur gave you?”   Mojo hasn’t, and hits the silver harp-shaped medallion.   The party is surprised to see the Chaos Armor that Finder had provided them in the Abyss grow out from the medallion and cover over his regular armor.   This armor is full plate-mail, and glows of light.   Narg says “It shouldn’t have done that without the command word to activate it.”     Cassie comments, “His bite must have been worse than we thought.  How do you feel Mojo.”   He replies, “I feel great.  My full strength is back.”  She comments, “Then I’d suggest that you keep the armor on.”    

They all feel the Kadtanach now come to a stop.  Grelmak is still looking out the window and says, “Guys, we have a more immediate problem to deal with.”    They look out the window to see a large group of gnolls exiting the base of the Yoke Howdad.


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## Blasphemonkey (Nov 18, 2003)

*Great reading!*

I'm enjoying reading this story, especially having run the module myself. It's always interesting to get an "alternate reality view" on a story (or module) that you enjoyed reading or watching (or running).

A few quick questions and comments from a curious fellow DM:   

1) I thought I saw it mentioned somewhere that you have been running this campaign since the `80's? Am I correct in guessing that most of the original players are still about, only switching from one character to another? 

2)How do you handle having an "actual character level" 16th level PC with a group of 8th level PCs? Again, just curious. 

3) They all seem like very interesting characters, with the exception of Mark, who seems to get even less play (at least in this story) than Purge. Have your players actually said everything in the story that their PCs say in your story hour? If so, how do you remember everything they say? I think this is the biggest problem I have in my construction of story hours. I can usually remember everything they do, and some major arguments they have, but I can't even come close to quoting word-for-word.

4) Have you run any other adventures from Dungeon? I am using Dungeon primarily for my adventures now...so much to choose from, and full-color art for me to scan and print for my players.    So far I have run: Sunless Citadel, Gorgoldand's Gauntlet (on a CD from some Dungeon issue, maybe # 86? It was also in Dragon Annual # 5 I believe), Melina's Dream (free adventure on Wizards website), Keep on the Borderlands (updated to 3rd edition), Dungeon of the Fire Opal (Dungeon 84), Provincial Prior Cause (Side Trek - Dungeon 96), Prey for Tyrinth (Side Trek - Dungeon 90), The Excavation (Side Trek - Dungeon 94), Lust (Side Trek - Dungeon 95), The Last Hunt (Side Trek - Dungeon 94), Sloth (Side Trek - Dungeon 91), Vanity (Dungeon 93), Gluttony (Side Trek - Dungeon 98), Beast of Burden (you know this one, heh), and The Sinkhole (Dungeon 103). The side treks are behind us for now, with Beast of Burden being the first longer module in awhile. They are just now starting Cradle of Madness from Dungeon 87.

5) I realize it's a little late to say this now...but it's spelled howdah, not "howdad."    

With the adventure nearly concluded, I'm very interested in seeing how it will end. It sounds like your players are having fun with it, although sometimes this may not seem evident.    `Til next time...

- Blasphemonkey


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## Silver Moon (Nov 19, 2003)

Blasphemonkey said:
			
		

> I'm enjoying reading this story...It sounds like your players are having fun with it, although sometimes this may not seem evident.



Thank you for some kind words.   Other readers should feel free to comment as well.  And yes, most of the group appears to be enjoying the module.   Now in answer to your questions:

1) Yes, our group has now been together for a long, long time, and each of us has from five to nine different characters who we alternate playing.   An “Early Years” story hour with the group’s first two-dozen modules (including “Keep on the Borderlands”) is posted on the Dragonsfoot message board at the following link:
http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1481

2) That hasn’t been a problem yet, as the highest-level character in the group is 13th, and she works fine alongside the 8th to 10th levels.  

3) Mark’s player is usually rather quiet, but during this module he has been close to comatose.   The player is away on a trip for the next two weeks so the character will probably be more actively played by the group as an NPC.  

The Story Hour is a pretty accurate reflection of the games, as I make it a point to jot down all of the best lines and I also try to log each game when it is still fresh on my mind.  I’ll often paraphrase some of the dialogue rather than stating it verbatim.  

4) We have a second campaign (low to mid level) that we play a few times a year, where most of the modules have come from Dungeon Magazine.   Last year I ran “Gnome on the Range” from Dungeon #85.  I’ll also steal bits and pieces from various Dungeon Magazines to toss into other modules, as I did this time with the group of Githyanki. 

5)  Oops, I must have initially read it wrong.  I’ll correct it. 


_Now for the next next chapter:_

*Chapter 20, “Holding the High Ground” September 13th, 1019, 5:15 P.M.* 

The gnoll fighters approach along the Kadtanach’s neck in pairs tied together by a short rope, with a long rope extending back connecting each of the pairs.   Grelmak moves out of the way for Narg and Cassie to take up a position by the center window, as Mark and Mojo un-shutter and open the windows on either side.    Purge heads down below to move the battering ram over to block the door and then climbs back up. 

Narg lights one of two glass bottles of oil (Molotov Cocktails) and tosses it down.  It breaks against the Kadtanach’s neck, with the flaming splatter hitting several gnolls, but none actually catch fire.  Mojo suggests that they wait a few minutes until all pairs of gnoll fighters are out of the building and onto the neck, saying, “We knock off the ones in the middle and they’ll pull the rest down after them.”   This delaying tactic proves to be a mistake, as the first pair soon reaches the Head Howdah and is able to secure that end of the rope, allowing the other gnolls to then move across faster.  

The attack is launched, with Mojo striking one in the center with his hammer, knocking the gnoll unconscious and off of the neck.  It pulls the one it is tied to down with it.   The pairs in front and behind fall down and grip onto the Kadtanach’s scales to keep from falling.   Mark fires a few arrows into these gnolls, for a minimum of damage.   Cassie notices that the rope is now anchored at both ends, and decides to change that, sending a Magic Missile spell down with three missiles hitting the rope before the pair hanging over and her final two missiles striking the next two holding them down.   The rope snaps, causing the two dangling ones to fall and separating the first eight gnolls from final eight behind them.  

The first pair of gnolls along the Head Howdah start to pull the six they are tied to towards them.  They manage to get the four over, but the last two are then struck by Mojo’s Hammer and Mark’s arrows, and fall off.   One is dangling either unconscious or dead and his companion is wounded.  The first six decide to just leave them, and head around to the front door.   Narg moves away from the window and watches through the opening into the room below in anticipation of the arrival of these gnolls.

Mojo, Mark and Cassie continue to strike at the remaining group of gnolls.  A few more slip, but some fall off the opposite direction, creating a counterweight of dangling gnolls.     The gnoll forces already on the head manage to bust through the door, and Narg enthusiastically yells out “They’re here!” as he jumps through the opening.   He successfully lands on his feet below, taking a minimum damage to his ankles from the fall, and charging the lead gnoll.    Both Mark and Mojo break away from the windows to go help Narg. 

Narg slashes his sword left and right, striking the gnolls as they rush through the doorway.   He notices that there are now a total of nine gnoll attackers, but does not stop to consider where the other three have come from.    Mark is climbing down the ladder, when Mojo impatiently swings around to the back of the ladder and slides down the side rails to get to the bottom first.

Narg has dropped two foes and taken one hit by the time Mojo is able to join him.  They each manage to drop another by the time that Mark finally joins them.    Mark gets struck once, but then slays his foe and pivots onto the sixth and final one through the door.   The three outside see the carnage and the relatively unscathed elvan fighters, and decide to run away.   Narg charges after them as Mark and Mojo drop the last one inside the building.    

Cassie has managed to use another Magic Missile spell to break the rope and drop the two gnolls acting as a counterweight.  The sudden shift in weight on the rope causes the remaining gnolls to be pulled over the side, with a group of six now dangling together ten to twenty feet below the front of the Yoke Howdah.   Grelmak comments to her “Aren’t you going to finish them off?”  She replies, “Why waste the spell.  Those six aren’t going anywhere.”  She then sends her owl Deanna out to use its claws to sever the rope.   Meanwhile, Alton has reached the top of the yoke and starts to climb down the other side, also deciding to go cut the rope with the dangling gnolls. 

Mojo and Mark charge out the door after Narg.    The three gnolls have run to the window at the top of the remaining ear basket, and the first one dives through the opening.   Narg catches up to the next one as it is attempting to climb in, and grabs the gnoll.  Mojo tosses his hammer into the third, sending the gnoll flying off of the Kadtanach’s head.  Mark and Narg toss the other one over the side.   Narg sticks his head inside the basket window as Mojo now notices that the one remaining gnoll that hand been dangling from the severed rope on the Head Howdah has now climbed up.   Mojo’s hammer has now returned to his hand, and he tosses the hammer into the gnoll for a fatal blow.  

Narg sees a giant spider inside the howdah moving towards him.  He lights his second bottle of oil and drops it down onto the beast and the layers of webs.   The webs and spider catch and the ear basket erupt in flames.  Mojo comes back to join Narg as the two of them now see a rope unfurl from the bottom of the flaming basket and the remaining gnoll starts to slide down it.   Mojo tosses his hammer, which wounds the gnoll, but he continues to slide down until he reaches the ground.   Narg recognizes this gnoll as the same one who had escaped from the crow’s nest earlier and comments “A survivor.  I guess he earned it.”    

They then watch as the other dangling six gnolls fall to the ground, Cassie’s owl having finally sheared the rope.   Narg, Mark and Mojo then become the targets of a new group of gnoll archers that have taken up position on the catapult ramp.  They decide to head back inside and out of the line of fire.   Alton reaches the rope too late to cut it, but having seen some of his companions over on the creature’s head decide to scurry across the neck to join them.  

Grelmak has also seen this new group of foes, and then yells out “There’s a human female with them!”   Purge comments, “The wizardess we were told of.”    Cassie moves into position by the window and lets loose with a 12-hit die Fireball from her crown of might.”   

The DM informs the players that as soon as Cassie’s face appeared in the window the Wizardess let loose with a 13-hit dice Fireball of her own, and which ever mage hit first would have prevented the other from casting her spell.   The DM and player both roll a d10 to see which fireball hits first, both rolling an eight, indicating simultaneous explosions at both locations.   Cassie, however, does far better with the damage roll, indicating 62 points to the DM’s 35 points.   

The catapult ramp is destroyed along with everyone and everything on it.    Alton sees this destruction above him and causally comments “Ah, Cassie.”   Back in the Head Howdah, Cassie finds that she is rather wounded but still alive, and she is very thankful that Deanna was outside of the room when the fireball hit.   She casts a Cure Serious Wounds spell onto herself and calls her familiar back.   Looking around the room she sees that both Purge and Grelmak lie unmoving, and she goes over to check them out.   Grelmak is dead and Purge is near death.  She casts a Cure Serious Wounds spell onto him and then lowers him into the Bag of Holding, instructing the druid Nahmi to assist him.   She strips Grelmak’s body of his magic items, finding that all except for his spell book survived the explosion.    

Cassie climbs below to her companions, leaving Grelmak’s body behind.   Mark, Mojo and Narg were all slightly scorched by the pillar of flame that shot out from the opening above them.   She informs them that Grelmak died and that Purge was badly injured, as well as the fact that the enemy wizardess and her companions were destroyed.    They then notice the Kadtanach start to move again.    Looking out the doorway, they now see the town of Gheldaylin some six to seven miles ahead, and conclude that they will reach it by nightfall in another hour or two. 

“Hi Guys,” Alton’s voice calls out from the doorway, adding “I kinda got kicked off and had to catch up with you guys.  Sorry it took so long.”    Cassie gives him a quick recap of what happened.  He says “You look awful,” and then casts a Cure Serious Wounds spell onto her, bringing her back up close to maximum.    

Everyone is then violently shaken to the side, as the Kadtanach tilts his head to scrape the burning ear-basket off from its head, as the flames are now bothering its ear.   The basket soon cracks and falls to the ground.    Alton comments, “So, the even while under control this creature seems to have some basic survival instincts.”    

Mark points to the fact that the fireball caught fire to the bedding and supplies in the room above them, which they haven’t put out yet.   Cassie says, “Well, if we put it out now the smoke will signal the enemy that we are still alive.”  Narg points out that the wood is very thick and will probably take a while to catch.  He adds, “Let’s just leave it burning.”   Alton feels guilty doing that since the fire could harm the creature.  Cassie says “Don’t worry.  It will just react the same way as it did with the ear, and will make for a really good distraction.”   “Killing us in the process,” Mark adds.   Cassie points out that it has now been over twenty-four hours since she used the Helm of Teleportation, which she could use to get everyone out fast in an emergency.  

Mark points out that standing around in the first floor of a building whose second floor is on fire is really not a wise thing to do.   Cassie takes out the Bag of Holding that she took from Grelmak.  It is too small to transport people in, but she uses it to transfer their remaining supplies from the party’s second bag.   They then decide to have Cassie, Deanna, Mark, Mojo and Narg get into this second bag and have Alton move them elsewhere.   Alton picks up all of the bags and then reapplies the invisibility, making the bags invisible too.   He comments, “Just call me Alton ‘three bags’ Wadsworth.”


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## Joshua Randall (Nov 20, 2003)

> Looking around the room she sees that both Purge and Grelmak lie unmoving.... Grelmak is dead.... She strips Grelmak’s body of his magic items....



Cassie's not much of a sentimentalist, is she?


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## Kriskrafts (Nov 20, 2003)

Joshua Randall said:
			
		

> Cassie's not much of a sentimentalist, is she?



not a book not important right now


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## Blasphemonkey (Nov 21, 2003)

Silver Moon said:
			
		

> 2) That hasn’t been a problem yet, as the highest-level character in the group is 13th, and she works fine alongside the 8th to 10th levels.




Just a little confused here. You have Cassie-Andra listed as a 10th level wizard/8th level cleric. The magic item she has makes her levels one higher than written, so she is really 9Wiz/7Clr = 16th level? Or am I missing something?  

In any event, the Monkey continues to enjoy the story. Almost as good as Fiendish Bananas.    

- Blasphemonkey


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## Silver Moon (Nov 21, 2003)

Blasphemonkey said:
			
		

> You have Cassie-Andra listed as...9Wiz/7Clr = 16th level? Or am I missing something?



Oops, you're right.  I was just thinking single class when I wrote that response.   As you can see from reading the story, Cassie may be a tad more powerful than the others but not to the point of unbalancing the game.  In terms of actual gameplay Kriskraft's 11th level druid Serita usually comes across as having more raw power than her Cassie character. 

Thanks for the comments, keep them coming, I'm enjoying the dialogue.  Now on to the next chapter (another with the gnoll Rizah):


*Chapter 21, “Continuing the Gnoll’s Eye View” September 13th, 1019, 2:45 P.M.*

Lieutenant Rizah had taken command of the three other gnolls in the crow’s nest of the Head Howdah.   His first hour of the assignment went well, with the troops all taking orders from him while standing at alert.   From this location he and his troops have an excellent view of the heretic’s execution and expulsion from the Kadtanach.   Things calmed down after that, with the command being sounded to stand down from alert.  

The calm breaks a short while later when the Kadtanach pilot, still seated in his chair, was expelled through the front wall from over on the Yoke Howdah.  Alarms signaling Full Alert then sound again.  A pair of elves soon appears in the Yoke Howdah’s crow’s nest, fighting the gnolls stationed there.    Rizah orders his archers fire at these elves, but they disappeared back inside the howdah once the gnoll sentries were dispatched. 

A few minutes later one of Rizah’s sentries spot one of the elves, now making its way out of the hole where the pilot was ejected.   This lone elf begins to carefully walk across the Kadtanach’s neck towards the Head Howdah.   Rizah orders his archers to fire at the elf, also getting support from the Elite Troops under the command of Sub-chief Drog-Jeru, who have now climbed down from the catapult platform to the Yoke Howdah crow’s nest.     

Rizah notices that arrows falling behind the elf appear to be deflecting off of something, and concludes that the elf is probably magically protected from arrows and is acting as a decoy.    Rizah orders his archers to fire behind the elf, assuming that the elf’s companions are following him while invisible.    Rizah also decides that it is time for him to retrieve some items from his backpack, and steps away from his archers to the far side of the crow’s nest.  

Most of the gnoll troops wear small packs, in which they carry food, beverages and whatever valuables they possess.   Rizah, however, long ago decided that they only thing important enough to always have with him on the Kadtanach was the means to escape.   The contents of his pack consist of three ropes, of 50, 75, and 100-foot lengths, each with a grappling hook on one end and a metal ring on the other, to link the ropes together if necessary.   The only other contents are a pair of heavy leather high-topped boots and a pair of sturdy gloves, which he now decides to put on.   Gnolls normally do not wear such attire, since it prevents the full use of claws, but Rizah wants the added protection to allow for a quick descent on the rope without inflicting rope burns.   He takes out his shortest rope and secures its grappling hook to the crow’s nest rail, leaving the rest of the rope coiled beside it.  He then returns to check the progress of his archers. 

By this point in time the elf has made it to the Howdah and proceeds to the door at its base.   Rizah has his troops change weapons from bows to swords in anticipation of the elf climbing to the crow’s nest.   He moves over to where he secured his rope.  They do not have to wait long, with the trapdoor soon swinging open and the elf climbing up.   The gnolls swing their swords, one successful hitting.  The elf retaliates, skewering the gnoll that struck him.  Another elf materializes beside him, stabbing another gnoll to death.  Rizah kicks the rope off the crow’s nest and prepares to leap over the rail.   By this point in time both elves have charged his remaining subordinate and throw the gnoll off from the crow’s nest.  Rizah dives over the rail and slides down the rope.   

Rizah then runs towards the nearest ear basket, diving through its open window, and hoping that he hadn’t been seen by the elves.   This basket contains a giant spider and a pair of gnoll handlers.   Rizah takes command, ordering them to protect the entrance to this basket, and makes his way around the spider.   He is thankful to be inside when the Kadtanach begins shaking violently for an extended period of time.  

Nearly two hours then pass, during which time no enemies approach this basket.  This gives Rizah ample time to cut out a door near the bottom of the basket, and to firmly secure the grapple to his longest rope.    Krethhan, one of the elite gnoll guards assigned to Subchief Drog-Jeru, then yells into the basket from outside and orders him and his gnoll companions to come out.   The three gnolls exit, seeing Krethan with two other Elite Guards and three other gnolls soldiers.   The Elite Guards outrank Rizah (the equivalent of a military Captain) and Krethan orders the three to join his forces for an assault on the Head Howdah.   Rizah and the two others fall in line behind these six gnoll fighters. 

Krethan and his warriors break down the door and charge inside at the elf leader.  Two other elves join their leader and the gnolls begin to drop.   When only one of the first six still stands Rizah orders his two companions back to the ear basket, charging ahead of them.    Rizah is the only one to make it there, diving through the window as the other two are stopped by the elves.   The Lieutenant slips around the spider, leaving it to delay the elves, and slides down to the door he made at the bottom.   He kicks open the door and unfurls the rope, seeing that it reaches all the way to the ground.   A fire then erupts in the mass of webs above him and he quickly hurries through the opening. 

Rizah slides down the rope.   When he is about thirty feet below the ear basket he gets struck in the side of his face from a hammer thrown by one of the elves.   The hammer manages to hit him in such a way that it rips a gash in the side of his face before then striking his chest.   Rizah is in extreme pain from this, but has the presence of mind to continue to hold tight to the rope, since releasing it would result in falling to his death.   No further attacks come from above, and he soon reaches the ground.    Shortly thereafter the rope that he slid down falls, having burnt off from the now flaming ear basket.  

Rizah is then startled by the sight of six gnolls tied together and falling through the trees towards him.  They land dead in a messy heap a mere fifteen feet away from him.   He recognizes two of the bodies as belonging to the remaining Elite Troops.  He then hears the sound of hoof beats, and a sense of dread crosses his mind.   Chief Ujjain had warned him: “If you ever abandon troops assigned to you again I will personally kill you for cowardice.”  Rizah had just done exactly that three times in a row, and the gnoll cavalry will be upon him momentarily.


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## Silver Moon (Nov 24, 2003)

*Chapter 22, “Rizah’s Quick Thinking” September 13th, 1019, 5:45 P.M.*

Just as Rizah was trying to think of a way out of his present predicament two massive explosions fill the air above.   One is inside the Head Howdah with flames erupting out of the open windows of the structure.  The other more massive ball of flame is at the Yoke Howdah.    He watches as the remains of the catapult deck and catapult rain onto the forest, with the flaming debris starting a few small fires.  

Rizah realizes that the approaching cavalry troops will be temporarily distracted by the explosions and falling debris, delaying their arrival by a couple of minutes.   That is all the time that he needs.  He removes his last rope from his pack, tossing the grappling hook up into the nearest tree.   He then lies down on the ground, arranging the end of the rope on top of him, and lying so that his wounds are prominently displayed.    Rizah then closes his eyes and spends the next few minutes lying still and thinking up a good story to tell.  He speculates that he is probably the only gnoll that has survived who witnessed what had transpired at the Head Howdah, so nobody else would be able to contradict whatever story he comes up with. 

A pair of horses rides up, and Rizah hears a gnoll dismount and first approach the pile of bodies near him.  This gnoll approach him, check his body, and states “This one’s still alive.  It’s a Lieutenant.”  “Grab him and let’s go.  The Kadtanach is starting to move again,” a voice states.  Rizah recognizes the second voice as that of Lieutenant Renjarr, leader of the ground forces.    Rizah continues to feign unconsciousness as he is thrown over the flank of a horse.  The rider then has the horse quickly ride out of the way of the Kadtanach’s massive feet, narrowly missing being stomped upon.

They ride through the forest and then off to the side, stopping at a point a few hundred feet behind the creature and joining up with the two wagons.   The wagons have been following in the forest path created by the Kadtanach’s dragging tail.    He hears the voice of his former supervisor Gogol say “His name is Rizah.  He served as my Kegyai.  The Chief must have given him my old job.”  

A shaman apprentice is apparently in this particular wagon, and casts a Cure spell onto Rizah, healing over the recent wound.  Rizah now opens his eyes and looks up at Renjarr, feigning confusion and surprise.   “Report Lieutenant Rizah”, the officer states.   

Rizah sits up and tells them of the tribe coming under attack above by a large group of elves from this world, and that the gnoll heretic druids brought these elves onboard.    He then explains that he had been assigned to the Head Howdah, where he helped the Elite Forces fight the elves.   He tells how several of these gnolls were knocked overboard while still tied together and tethered to the Howdah.   Rizah then explains how he bravely attempted to rescue them, lowering himself down towards them with rescue ropes.  He says that the last thing he remembers is falling through the air, as one of the elves must of detached his own rope.  He speculates that his line must have snagged in the trees and partially broken his fall, resulting in him being injured rather than killed.  Both Renjarr and Gogol both appear to believe the story.

Two gnoll cavalry troops soon ride up and join them.  These gnolls report that the second air basket has been severed from the creature and that smoke is now pouring out of the Head Howdah.  The bell alarms have now all ceased.    Renjarr is unsure what to make of these developments.   They notice new movement by the wyverns up above on the rear deck of the creature, and decide to just continue following the Kadtanach.  

Around ten minutes later the pair of wyverns fly down towards them.  Each wyvern has two gnolls riding on it.   Three of these four gnolls are trained lizard-riders and the other is Chief Ujjain’s son, Lieutenant Kajjan.   The wyverns land before then and the horses and wagons come to a stop.   Kajjan dismounts and approaches the ground force leader.   He reports, “The situation is dire.  Subchief Drog-Jeru and Yeenoghu’s human guardian have both been killed.  The Kadtanach pilot was also slain and Yeenoghu has now granted my father the honor of piloting the Kadtanach.   I need to bring Drog-Jeru’s senior apprentice Jart-Krin and also the strongest of your group back to protect our Chief.”  

Rizah takes all this in, concluding to himself that if Chief Ujjain was foolish enough to put on the helm he is as good as dead himself.   Rizah suggests, “I am still injured, but Lieutenant Renjarr is at full strength.  Take him with you and I will manage things down here.”   Kajjan nods agreement and Renjarr also goes along with this suggestion.   The gnolls mount up and the wyverns take to the air again.    Watching them go Rizah smiles softly to himself, watching as the remaining members of the tribe that outrank fly him away.  Rizah thinks to himself that only death now awaits those above, and is thankful to now be on the ground.   

He climbs up onto Renjarr’s warhorse, which he now considers his own, and looks around at the two-dozen gnoll troops which now report to him.   Realizing that his former commander is the most powerful fighter in this group, Rizah says to Gogol, “I am sorry for what the Chief did to you.  I will do whatever I can to help in getting your proper rank restored.   I know that only the Chief can assign rank, however I plan to treat you as a Kegyai and also have the gnolls under my command treat you as such.”  Gogol is elated to hear this, and swears newfound loyalty to Rizah.  

Rizah asks Gogol for the name of the senior members and is told that the Archer Kegyai is named Wergul and the Cavalry Kegyai is named Drej-Kron.  Rizah is further reassured at hearing the hyphenated name, since it means that the Cavalry Kegyai is also an apprentice shaman, so his group is not without healing.  He calls both of these Kegyai over to himself and Gogol.

Rizah says, “I will need to rely upon the three of you.  I fear that the elves of this world are supported by their own deities and may actually have the power to take the Kadtanach away fromYeenoghu.   We must continue to following, observe and do what we can to support our god.  We had better plan for quick mobility.   Distribute all of the food, water and additional quivers of arrows from the wagons among the cavalry troops.  Rearrange the draft ropes so that horses pulling each wagon can be quickly detached, in the event that it becomes necessary to abandon the wagons.   Each archer should be assigned to ride either one of those horses or to double up with a cavalryman.    Do this quickly, as we must resume traveling soon.”

The gnolls all respond immediately as ordered, confirming Rizah’s thoughts that these soldiers will now follow him blindly.     The momentarily delay will also help to create more of a distance between them and the Kadtanach.   Rizah decides to proceed cautiously, and have his group get no closer than a quarter-mile to the creature.


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## Silver Moon (Nov 26, 2003)

*Game #7 - 11/23/03*

*Chapter 23, “Chamber of the Wizardess”, September 13th, 1019, 6:30 P.M.*

Cassie, Mark, Mojo and Narg had been sitting inside of the Bag of Holding for around half-an-hour.   Mojo’s special armor had vanished once they entered the bag, but his wound looked to be fully healed.  Narg is getting impatient and complains, “This is taking way too long.  Why did we send Alton in the first place?”  Mojo replies, “It’s was not so much a case of us sending him as telling him to get away from us.”   Mark comments, “Well, maybe that was a mistake.  He wasn’t with us when were in that group of buildings before, so doesn’t know his way around.”    

The bag then opens up, and Alton chimpanzee voice says, “They’ve got everything buttoned up tight.”   “What are you talking about?” Cassie asks.  Alton replies, “The building on the yoke was deserted.  I’ve moved further back and right now I'm before the first three buildings, but the doors and windows are all shut.”   I went inside the middle one, a furnace building with the fires still running, but nobody is around.  “Anyone in any of the crow’s nests?” Narg asks.  Alton replies, “A gargoyle is still on the roof of the building to my right.   Can they see through invisibility?”  Narg replies, “I don’t remember, but why don’t you go to the one on your left instead.”

The bag closes up.  A few minutes later it opens again.   Alton says, “No good.  It has no doors, and the windows higher up were only illusionary, with solid walls behind them.”  Mark comments, “That makes no sense.  How does anyone get inside of it?”  Narg replies, “Teleportation.  We saw those Gith creatures doing that.”   Mojo says, “Hold on.  If it was solid wall behind where you saw windows then maybe there are windows behind where you saw solid wall.  Let me out, I’ll take a look.”   

Mojo activates his Ring of Invisibility and climbs out.   He notices that they are now around a mile or two closer to the town of Gheldaylin.  The fire in the second floor of the Head Howdah is now burning rather speedily.  He looks up at the building beside him and manages to see through the illusions, confirming that his suspicions about the windows were correct.   He climbs back inside, instructing Alton to climb up and find a real window.    

A short while later they are dumped out of the Bag and onto the floor of a twenty-foot diameter room.   The room appears to be a bedchamber for a single individual, with mahogany walls and matching mahogany furniture, including dresses and an armoire.  The room also contains a collection of embroidered pillows. 

Cassie unfastens the hammock from the wall and begins to roll it up.  “What are you doing?” Narg asks.  She replies, “This is fine silk.  I’m keeping it,” and she then puts in and pillows into a Bag of Holding.   Mojo says, “Why bother?  You don’t actually expect Arrow-Boy to fit in that thing with you? (A reference to her elvan archer boyfriend Aradyn).  She replies, “Sure, we’ll put it under the trapeze.”   Mojo laughs and says, “Yeah, right.  If only he would be that daring.  I’d be willing to bet that Aradyn sleeps on a wooden slab on the floor and that he wears pajamas to bed.”   Narg comments, “Heck, I’ll even bet that he wears wooden pajamas.”  _[DM’s note: I always get a kick out of Narg insulting Aradyn, as both characters belong to the same player.]_

Purge is let out of the first Bag of Holding to check the wooden armoire in the room for traps.  He does not find any, and it does not appear to be locked.   It is opened to reveal very nice women’s clothing, much of which is silk with silver, gold and platinum embroidery on it.   Cassie decides she will take all of it, and starts to remove the garments from the wooden and bone hangers.  Mojo picks one up and asks, “What is this strange thing the clothes are on?”   Cassie replies, “Just hangers, they don’t appear to be magical.”   “Hangers?  I don’t understand?” he comments.   “Something to put clothes on!” She replies.  “What’s wrong with the floor?” is his response. 

Cassie is determined to find the Wizardess’s magic book, and she begins to check everything in the room where it might be.  She orders the others to look too.   She examines a large mirror fastened to a desk, and contemplates taking it with except it is too big to fit in the Bag of Holding.   Mojo says, “We should take it with us as a gnoll distraction.  They will run up to at and start barking at the other gnolls that they see.”

Everyone continues to look around the room more carefully.  Mojo notices for the first time that there is actually a trapdoor concealed by a illusion on the floor.   He finds the edge of it and starts to pry it up, as a rank mangy aroma smelling like unwashed gnolls penetrates.   “What is it?” Mark asks.  Mojo answers, “Based on the smell, I’d say there is a puppy mill down there.”

They look below to see a room below is filled with several bunk beds and other crude bedding including blankets and sleeping mats.   Mojo asks, “Why would she want a whole bunch of smelly gnolls sleeping in the room below here.”  Cassie suggests, “They were probably there to help protect her.”  “Or maybe she was a prisoner,” Narg suggests.   A now frustrated Cassie says, “Well, I sure don't see any books down there.  It has to be around here somewhere.”  “Maybe she had it with her,” Mark suggests.   Cassie retorts,  “I sure hope not, because I fried her.”  

Alton decides to investigate the room below, and climbs down the ladder.  Feeling around, he discovers that the bunks don’t actually exist, even though he still sees them.   He closes his eyes and relies on his chimpanzee sense of smell, with the gnoll scent now disappearing and being replaced by the smell of beeswax.   He tells this to the others, and Cassie says “It’s her study!"  Cassie  enthusiastically climbs down the ladder.   Feeling around the room, Alton and Cassie soon find a desk.   They yell for Purge to climb down and check for traps. 

Meanwhile, Mojo takes a much closer look into the room, now seeing it to be a study with a smooth mahogany desk, along side a large amethyst-encrusted pedestal holding a leather-bound tome.  The pedestal itself has been sculpted into the shape of a purple worm with its mouth agape, its hinged jaws securing the book in place.  He tells this to the others and they believe him but are still unable to see through the illusion of the gnoll bunkhouse.    Mojo directs Purge over in the direction of the Pedestal.   As he nears it a female voice calls out “Ah, ah, ah!  If you touch my book it is the innocent who will suffer.”     Mojo comments, “The innocent? Well, none of us have anything to worry about then.”   Purge moves back and Cassie then sends Alton forward, which repeats the message.  “Just a Magic Mouth spell,” she concludes.   

Narg starts to lose his patience, and tells Cassie, “This is taking too long.   Just take the book and let’s go.”   “It may be trapped,” Alton suggests.   Narg replies, “Fine, then leave it, and we’ll come back here later.”   “Like that’s really going to happen,” Mojo adds sarcastically.    Cassie grabs the book.   Cassie’s desire to read the volume causes her to now see through the illusion, and she opens it up to confirm that it is indeed a spell book.   She then shuts the book and then hears some screaming.   

She tells the others, but nobody else can hear it.  She then begins sees miniature people running around inside of her eyes.  These little people begin to pound on her cornea, and their screams are begging her to release them.   Their screams intensify, and Cassie begins to tell her allies about what is happening.  “Sounds like the book was cursed,” Purge comments.   Narg suggests to Cassie “Put the book back and maybe it will stop.”  She does so, but the people inside of her eyes just yell louder, pleading for her to stop torturing them.   Cassie’s head begins to ache.  Cassie screams out “Damned Cursed Book!”   “And they call me stupid,” Mojo says.  “Because you are!” Cassie yells at him.   “Yeah, right.  You didn’t see me trying to read a cursed book,” is his response. 

Narg orders everyone out of the lower room.   Cassie goes to grab the book again, and Purge asks “Are you sure that is wise.”   She yells at him, “It’s already done its damage.”  Mojo states “It hurt her, so she feels she must possess it.”     Cassie continues to get increasingly annoyed at the incessant whines she is hearing inside her head and cannot think straight.   Fortunately for her, Mojo reminds her that she also is wearing a medallion from Finder Wyvernspur, that can activate a special suit of armor for her.   She hits her medallion and the armor springs into place, the voices in her head then stopping.   

Since this holy armor does not hinder spell casting she decides to retain it, fearing that deactivating it will bring the curse back.   She also notices something that Mojo hadn’t, namely the armor’s visor bestows upon the wearer True Sight.   Mark says, “Yeah, don’t you remember.  Finder added in that power when the evil Overlord in the Abyss tried to trick us into walking through a magical doorway into a pool of lava.”    They all head back upstairs.   

The true sight permits Cassie to look through the illusionary windows.   Mojo can also see through them, and the two describe for the others what they see.   The sun has just set over the horizon they are moving towards and the light is beginning to fade.  The fire atop the Kadtanach’s head is now a roaring inferno.  Flying alongside the head are both wyverns, each with two gnolls, a pilot and an archer, the archers aiming at the door of the Head Howdah.   Cassie comments, “They must think we are still inside, and are waiting to shoot us when we run out.”    Lights can be seen from the buildings of the crossroad community of Gheldaylin, now less than a mile away.    She then sees two unknown objects rise up into the air from that town and head in their direction.


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## Blasphemonkey (Nov 27, 2003)

*Ahh, interesting...*

I had wanted to play that "people trapped inside your cornea" trick, but the PC made his saving throw. Immediately following that, the female wizard (who was hovering invisible above them) started out by casting Eyebite on the Tiefling PC, who also made his saving throw. What a letdown, they spoiled all my fun.   

- Blasphemonkey


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## Silver Moon (Nov 28, 2003)

*Chapter 24, “I’ve never liked amusement park rides”, September 13th, 1019, 7:30 P.M.*

The two flying creatures from the town move towards them as the Kadtanach moves closer to the town, closing the distance between them.     The Kadtanach has now left the outer edge of the forested lands and is trampling through the fields of outlying farms of the town.  The two flying objects pick up speed and near the front of the Kadtanach.   “It’s the Dragon Stalkers!” Cassie exclaims.    

Cassie describes what he sees to the others, “General Teakas is using her winged boots to fly.  She’s carrying the ranger Kela, whose broken arm appears to have been healed.  That team’s leader Gellyath is carrying a lance and riding atop a dragonne (a winged creature that resembles a cross between a lion and a brass dragon).   “Where in hell did they find one of those?” Narg asks.   Purge interjects, “They said Gheldaylin was his home town.  Maybe it is a family pet.”  

The two mounted wyverns fly forward to meet them.   Gellyath flies directly at one, using his lance to try to dismount one of the gnolls.   The gnoll pilot veers sharply to the right, the lance then scraping against the wyvern’s hide.    Teakas and Kela take on the other wyvern, with Kela firing off a series of arrows.   She initially targets the gnoll archer, without much success due to the Wyvern’s maneuverability.   The wyvern flies closer and she then attempts to fire at the animal’s eyes, with an arrow narrowly missing an eye and striking the side of the creature’s head.    Mojo’s player comments “This is like a cross between Godzilla and Midway.” 

Narg yells, “People, we’re wasting valuable time.  They are providing us with a distraction, let’s use it!”    Mojo says, “He’s right.  It’s time to get unbelievably violent on this thing.  Cassie, did you take a Locate Object spell today?”  “Yes,” she replies.   Mojo yells “Then use it.  You saw what that helmet looked like.”    She casts the spell, which points in the direction of the creature’s left flank.   The building immediately in that direction is the one that they first entered.  “That’s where they are.  Let’s Go!” Narg yells.   Cassie says, “Should we get in the bag of holding?”   Narg says, “Have Mark get in there until we need him.”  Mojo comments “There’s no way we can keep him in there that long.”  Mark gets into the bag. 

Mojo directs Narg to where the front window and he starts to climb out.   Below and to the left is a wooden bridge connecting that howdah to the one in front of it, and Narg lets fly his Rope of Climbing.   The rope secures itself around the bridge as Narg loops on the other end and hands it to Purge.   The half-elf then dive out the window and slides down the rope.   His sudden movement catches the attention of the gargoyle atop the other front tower, which flies off of the tower and begins a dive downward.  

Narg reaches the bridge, jumping up onto it.   He sees the gargoyle making a beeline towards him and grips the Nargblade back with both hands.  He holds it up over his shoulder as one would hold a baseball bat, and softly says to him, “Just like Babe Ruth.”    Narg waits on his swing until the monster is nearly upon him and then lets loose with all of the strength that he can muster and then some.   He is barely in time, with one of the gargoyle’s horns actually starting to poke against his face before the creature is then forced away from him.   The monster is propelled away into the open air in front of the towers, with blood flowing from a very deep gash in its side.    “Damn, I fouled it out,” Narg states.  

Mojo has now slid down to join him, and Narg helps him up onto the bridge.   The propelled gargoyle manages to eventually regain control of its wings, and starts to hover then flies away from them.   Mojo gets one hammer toss at it, but misses.  The gargoyle then flies off behind the buildings.   By this point both Purge and Cassie have also slid down the rope to join them.    It is getting darker out, and Cassie’s armor is comprised of very bright light, so she is shining like a beacon.   “Geez, can you tone that down?” Narg asks.  Alton has remained behind, and is now busy pouring vials of oil in the wizardesses's chamber and lighting them.  He mutters a complaint to himself about Cassie having taken all of the best combustibles in the room. 

The Kadtanach stops move with the center of town just a third of a mile ahead.    The party sees that the Dragon Stalkers are still busy fighting the mounted wyverns.   Kela is now sitting atop Teakas’s shoulders, still firing her bow, while Teakas is now using her crossbow as well.   One of the gnoll archers having been knocked from the sky and the other three gnolls all appear to be wounded.    The Dragon Stalkers are showing no visible wounds, although the dragonne has a few of the gnoll’s arrows sticking into it.   

The Kadtanach then begins to sway from side to side and everyone grabs onto the side of the bridge to keep from falling off.   Cassie sees that the creature is now frantically shaking its head and she exclaims, “Uh oh, the fire’s burned down to its scalp.”   “Let’s get into this building, quick!” Narg states, grabbing his rope again.   Purge attempts to pick the lock on the door, but with the creature’s constant movements is unable to.   “Here, let me use my lock pick,” Mojo states, as he takes his hammer to smashes the lock with such force that metal lock breaks completely off from the wood holding it, destroying that whole section of the door.   The door is then pulled open and they run inside. 

They find themselves back in the room with the prison cell.   “I think we’ve been here before,” Mojo comments.   “Yeah, around nine hours ago,” Cassie comments.    Alton scurries into the room and says, “Another fire’s now burning in that tower we just left.”   The floor then tilts very sharply forward at a forty-five degree angle, with everyone falling back in the direction of the door.  Narg’s immediate reaction is to throw his rope ahead of him, having it tie to the iron bars of the prison cell.  Alton and Cassie both grab the rope to keep from falling out the door.   

Purge and Mojo both fall against the front wall beside the doorway, which is now becoming the floor of the room.   All of the kegs and chests that were inside the room on the side wall slide towards them.   The door cannot be shut due to the broken lock, so Mojo and Purge act quickly to avoid being hit by the approaching objects while also pushing and pulling the largest chests over to partially block the doorway.  

The room now begins to also tilt sharply to one side.  “What’s going on?”  Cassie yells.   Purge looks out the doorway and states “The Kadtanach is kneeling forward to the ground, and is now trying to scrape the burning building off of its head against a grove of trees.”     Mojo exclaims, “Well I hope that it stops soon.  I’ve never liked amusement park rides.”    “We need to find that leader now, while this is keeping him preoccupied.”   “Like we’re not preoccupied ourselves?” Mojo retorts. 

Cassie mentions that she had seen a trapdoor in the floor the last time they were in this room.   “That must be where they are,” Narg yells.  Mojo pulls himself up the rope and locates the edges of this door.  He uses his dagger to pry it open and looks inside.   Narg yells “Is the leader down there?”   “No, just money,” Mojo replies, seeing a room filled with chests where several have now broken open, spilling coins all over the lower room.    Also in the room are various jewels and other valuables.     

The room then tilts again, with the floor going back to where it belongs.    The party again has to dodge several boxes and kegs that now roll back in their direction.    They look out the doorway and see that the Kadtanach is now standing again.  The Head Howdah is gone, with only a few burning embers and smoke coming from where it had been.  It is now dark outside and the wyverns and Dragon Stalkers are no longer in the air. “Where did they go?” Alton asks.   “Who cares, we have gnolls to kill,” Narg replies.   

 “Come on, they must be in the room above.  Let’s go,” Narg yells and scurries up the ladder, the others following.  They arrive in the archer’s loft above and find it deserted.  Narg climbs up further, sticking his head into the crow’s nest, which is also deserted.  The area outside is now beginning to light up from the fire Alton started in the adjacent tower.


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## Silver Moon (Dec 1, 2003)

*Chapter 25, “Hit the Deck”, September 13th, 1019, 8:00 P.M.*

Not seeing anyone out of the front windows of the archer’s loft the party looks out the back windows.  The group of buildings consists of deck, approximately 50-feet square, with another howdah on each side of it.  The part of the deck below where they are has an upper deck, approximately 10 by 30 feet in size.    Backlit by the fire left in the wizardess’s tower, they can see that both of the wyverns are on the back deck, with a pair of gnoll troops now climbing onto each.   Two gargoyles are also present, one atop the tower by the left flank and another guarding the door to the tower.  Narg recognizes the door guard as the same one he recently wounded.    

The group gathers around the windows.  “What do you think?” Narg asks.   Cassie replies “I thinking that this building wasn’t where the “Locate Object” spell was directing me but that one was,” pointing to the building with the gargoyles around it.    “Looks like the wyverns are about to take to the air again,” Alton comments.   “Better deal with them now instead,” Mojo offers.   “Fireball coming up,” Cassie states.

She has already used both of the more powerful fireballs from her Crown of Might, so has to toss one from a studied spell.   The spell is very successful, with the fireball doing considerable damage.    She had centered the spell directly on the wyvern closest to the building where they assessed the leader to now be.   The outer edge of the fireball hits the wounded gargoyle, the impact of the blast knocking it off of the deck, and possibly to its death.   As the massive ball of flame emerges she comments that the hide of the beast must have been oiled given how quickly the wyvern is engulfed in the flame.   

The flaming wyvern lets out a massive bellow, before collapsing dead onto the deck, its body still burning brightly.    Both gnolls seated on it are reduced to charred husks.   The second wyvern was just outside of the blast range and takes to the air.  Mojo lobs his hammer at it, but misses.    

A frustrated Alton now draws one of his possessions that he had taken from his pack before changing to chimp form and had been carrying around attached to a rope belt.   The item is a souvenir from the 20th Century world that he originated from, a 45-calibur handgun.    He takes his first shot at the wyvern, the invisibility dispelling from him.   Alton’s first shot wasn’t even close and his second shot barely misses the rapidly departing beast.  His third shot is on the mark, hitting the creature in the side.   The wounded wyvern continues to fly away. 

”Now what?” Mojo asks.  Narg answers, “We hit the deck, literally.”   “That’s a long way down,” Cassie comments.   Narg fastens his magical rope between two of the windows and starts to lower it to the upper deck below.   The Kadtanach starts to shake again, the burning wyvern falling off the deck.  “Be careful not to fall,” Purge comments.   Narg answers “What?  You think I want to fall 100 feet to my death?”  Mojo interjects, “Well, if you do I’ll laugh my ass off.”   Cassie says, “Oh no Narg, you’re not getting out of raising a kid that easily.”   “Yeah, then I’d have to,” Mojo states.  Narg answers, “Oh no you don’t.  If there is any person less qualified to raise a kid than me it’s you.” 

Narg gestures to the gargoyle atop the tower and tells Mojo “Cover me” and then climbs out of the window and slides down.    The gargoyle sees him, but does not move from its perch.   “Fine, it’s staying put,” Mojo says, and fastens the hammer back on his belt.  Mojo climbs out the window and and starts to slide down the rope after Narg. 

As soon as Narg’s feet land on the upper deck a dozen jet black, bony-ridged tentacles erupt from the deck floor.   A high-pitched scream begins to resonate as Narg gets lashed by some of the tentacles and entangled by others.   Mojo immediately grips the rope tight to stop his descent.  Up above Cassie says, “Ah, I know that spell.  Evard’s Black Tentacles.”   “Do something,” Alton yells.   She casts a Dispel Magic down onto Narg and the area around him.  The tentacles vanish and the alarm ceases.   Mojo slides the rest of the way down the rope.  

Narg charges along the deck in the direction of the building where they have determined the helmet to be in, with Mojo following.    As soon as he runs out of the area that had been affected by Cassie’s spell another group of tentacles spring up in his direction.  His reflex actions are to jump back and also swing the Nargblade at the objects heading towards him.   He is successful with both actions, propelling himself backwards with a reverse broad jump while delivering a perfect swing with the sword of sharpness, severing the first two tentacles coming at him.  

Mojo catches Narg in mid-air, and then turns to run back towards the rope.   The remaining tentacles begin growing and moving at them.   Narg says “No good, they’ll get us when we stop to grab the rope.”  “Okay Sundance, then we go for Plan B,” Mojo comments and runs to the right towards the edge of the upper deck, diving off of it.     The two of them fly through the air, Mojo releasing Narg, and both manage to land on their feet on the flower deck fifteen feet below with minimum impact damage.   The Gargoyle atop the tower now dives down in their direction. 

The tentacles do not pursue them off of the upper deck, but continue to swirl around down below where they had been.    Alton complains, “Great, they left those behind.  How do we get down without being grabbed?”   “I’ll show you,” Cassie comments, pulling up the magical rope and then using the Wand of Force.    She creates a Wall of Force, covering over the entire upper deck just above the swirling tentacles.    They lower the rope down and she and Purge then slide to the deck as Alton climbs down the wall.    The tentacles continue to swirl around under their feet beneath the invisible wall.  “Just like an ant farm,” Alton comments. 

Narg sees the gargoyle coming at him out of the corner of his eye, and pivots around with the Nargblade.  He gets in a perfect severing attack, the first striking the creature’s arm and wing, causing it to crash onto the deck and setting Narg up for the follow through on its neck, decapitating the monster.    Meanwhile, Mojo has spotted a pair of gnolls manning ballistae in the rear corners of the lower deck.   He tosses his hammer at the one furthest away, yelling to Narg about the other one.   Narg charges in that direction and Mojo lets the hammer sail a second time, killing the gnoll.  He yells to Narg “I’ve done my job, why don’t you?”  “What?  Did you miss the gargoyle?” Narg exclaims as he reaches the other gnoll and makes very short work of it.  

Narg then gestures toward the glowing Cassie on the upper deck and says in a British accent “She shines out like a shaft of gold when all else is dark.”  He then gestures to the door and with the same accent says to Mojo “Shall we?”  Mojo gestures as well and in the same accent replies, “After you old chum.”  “Oh no, I insist,” Narg replies.  “Oh rather,” is Narg’s response.   “Very well,” Mojo answers, and they head towards the door.


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## Silver Moon (Dec 3, 2003)

*Game #8 - 11/30/03*

*Chapter 26, “I guess he knows we’re here,” September 13th, 1019, 8:15 P.M.*

Narg reaches the door, opening it out a crack to glace inside.   Two gnoll fighters were waiting just on the other side of the door for them.  One pushes the door open wider as his partner successfully jabs a spear into Narg.    Mojo had taken a Button of Blasting out of his pocket before, and says to Narg “Get out of the way,” as he tosses the button into the room.   The button hits the floor between the two gnolls, setting off a 15-point explosion that knocks both of the gnolls down.   It also blasts the door off of its hinges and knocks Narg back for some damage.  “Give me more warning next time,” Narg complains. 

They look through the doorway back into the 20-foot diameter room.   The room is barren except for the two gnolls and a now damaged ladder in the center of the room (in fact, the explosion destroyed the bottom foot of the 50-foot high ladder, its entire weight now being held up by a pair of clamps at the very top).    They are surprised when the two gnolls stand up, having been only wounded by the blast.   

The gnolls charge forward, chanting “Death to the elves,” in gnollish.  Narg replies in the gnoll language, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’ve heard that before.”   Narg meets the first one in the doorway, skewering him with the Nargblade, as Mojo tosses his hammer full force into the room at the other one.    The hammer misses, but strikes the ladder hard, swinging it back into the far wall (as the DM rolls a “1” for the ladder’s saving thrown).   The ladder splits, with one side coming apart from the rungs.   It also breaks loose from the clamps up above, and comes crashing down into the room below in sections.    The remaining gnoll falls under the cascade of lumber falling on top of him.  Mojo enters the room and bludgeons the gnoll with the hammer to ensure his demise.  

The shaft goes up for forty feet before reaching an opening in the room at the top and another opening to the crow’s nest ten feet about that.   There are ledges fifteen and twenty feet above them, but no way of reaching them.  Narg complains,  “Oh great, you just had to take out the ladder didn’t you?”    Narg takes out his rope of climbing and looks for something to have it attach to.  He spots a metal clamp at the crow’s nest level that had previously been used to secure the ladder.   He has the magical rope levitate up to that point and attach to the clamp.  

Meanwhile, Purge has now helped lower Cassie down to the lower deck, while Alton headed straight over to the tower and has been climbing up the outside.    The druid in the form of an invisible chimpanzee has no difficulty scaling the 25 feet from the upper deck to the room at the top.  He reaches one of eight windows on this upper room and looks inside.   

There are five creatures in the room.  Three are gnolls, one dressed as a shaman, one dressed as a fighter, and the third wearing a fancy uniform and cloak while sitting in a chair.  The seated gnoll is wearing the bone helmet.    The other two individuals are the head gargoyle and the creature claiming to be the gnoll god Yeenoghu.   The DM asks Alton’s player if he is going inside.   The player replies “You expect me to go up against all of them by myself?  Alton may be brain dead but he’s not insane.   I’ll climb up higher.”   As Alton reaches the crow’s nest he sees the end of the rope of climbing as it attaches to the metal clamp.    

Alton glances down into the room below, and mutters to himself “If only I had a dog whistle.”  He then looks back over the railing to see what has become of Purge and Cassie, seeing them on the lower deck, checking something between the two decks.  In the room below, the creature claiming to be Yeenoghu notices the magical rope shoot up through the room and then go taut.  He looks down the opening, seeing Narg and Mojo climbing the rope.   He gestures to the gargoyle to take out its magical sword, and waits until the elf and half-elf are thirty feet up before signaling the gargoyle to act.   The powerful monster swings his magical blade with full force, hitting with enough power to sever the rope before him.  

As soon as the rope is cut the two brave fighters fall.   Narg is able to grab the corner of the ledge at the twenty-foot height, and Mojo is able to grab onto Narg’s legs.   They climb up onto the ledge.   Narg tests his rope, finding that in addition to being cut along the final five feet it is no longer magical.   He curses about what could have done that.    Mojo has a hunch, and strikes his magical Medallion, with the shining holy platemail now magically appearing again over his other armor.   Narg does the same, his armor also appearing.   Mojo comments, “Uh oh, it would have only done that if there is unmistakable evil around, besides you and me.”  

They find out soon enough, as the Yeenoghu creature appears in the opening above, holding some type of crossbow.   A screaming crossbow bolt flies towards them, bouncing off of Narg’s holy armor.   Mojo mutters, “I guess he knows we’re here,” as he tosses up his hammer, which strikes the creature for no effect before returning to Mojo.   It’s second screaming bolt bounces off of Mojo’s armor.  Alton concludes that his friends are in trouble, and casts a heat metal spell down into the room, which the enemies do not hear due to the echoes from the screaming bolts.  The Yeenoghu creature then fires again at Narg, this bolt actually penetrating the armor, but not deep enough to cause Narg damage.   Mojo tosses his hammer again, and is very surprised when the Yeenoghu creature reaches out and catches it.  

The sound of the screaming bolts has drawn Cassie and Purge over to the doorway and into the chamber.   At the sight of the two gnoll bodies and destroyed ladder Cassie mutters “Fighters, can’t do anything right.”    She and purge move forward and look up, seeing the major bad guy forty-five feet above them and holding onto Mojo’s hammer.   It lifts up the hammer, and tosses it downward with full force directly towards Cassie.   

As it sails past the ledge Mojo mutters “He missed us”, not realizing the intended target.   Below, Cassie’s hands had been at her side, and she scoops up the Bag of Holding tucked into her belt, opening up the bag before her.   The hammer sails into the bag, which she immediately shuts to prevent it from returning to the monster.    Inside the bag, Mark had just been standing around waiting to be let out when he sees it open above him, with Mojo’s hammer then sailing in at his head.   Mark leans back as it sails past him, barely missing his nose, chin, belly and other parts.  It strikes the floor hard, but thankfully not hard enough to rip the bag, which then closes up above him.   Mark is totally bewildered as to what has just happened, wondering why Mojo just tried to hurt him.   

On the ledge above, the bolts now cease, but the two fighters then see the gargoyle dropping through the opening above them.   The monster spreads its wings as it enters the shaft, hovering at the top, and gives them an evil grin.   It then lowers its head so that its rather sharp horns are extended towards them and then dives directly at the unarmed Mojo.


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## Blasphemonkey (Dec 4, 2003)

Silver Moon said:
			
		

> Inside the bag, Mark had just been standing around waiting to be let out when he sees it open above him, with Mojo’s hammer then sailing in at his head.   Mark leans back as it sails past him, barely missing his nose, chin, belly and other parts.  It strikes the floor hard, but thankfully not hard enough to rip the bag, which then closes up above him.   Mark is totally bewildered as to what has just happened, wondering why Mojo just tried to hurt him.




See what happens when you don't show up for a game? "Hey, guys, don't let anything happen to my character..." That was simply hilarious, and just really unique.  

- Blasphemonkey


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## Silver Moon (Dec 5, 2003)

Blasphemonkey said:
			
		

> See what happens when you don't show up for a game? "Hey, guys, don't let anything happen to my character..."



And the funniest thing is that Mark's player trusts Cassie's player (his sister-in-law) the most!    Thanks for the comments...now for the next chapter:

*Chapter 27, “A Chimp with a Gun”, September 13th, 1019, 8:30 P.M.*

Alton’s Heat Metal spell had been in effect for a few minutes now.   Most of the metal in the room began to get hot to the touch, including all of he held weapons, which the creatures then dropped.    The gnoll shaman had the least amount of metal on him, which he immediately stripped off and then pulled the shirt and metal breastplate beneath from the seated gnoll.  The other gnoll was preoccupied with stripping off his own armor.   Yeenoghu’s studded leather armor appeared to be unaffected, although he did drop both his crossbow and spiked whip, both of which are now glowing white-hot.   The gargoyle also dropped his heated sword prior to dropping down through the opening.  

Alton decides that the bare-chested gnoll sitting in the seat is way too good a target to ignore.  He takes out his 45-calibur handgun and reloads it.   The DM comments “There’s nothing more dangerous than a chimp with a gun.”  Mojo’s player exclaims, “Chimp with a Gun!  Coming Saturday nights this fall on U.P.N.”   The comment is then made, “That would probably do better than the programs they’re currently broadcasting.”

Back down below, at the sight of the Gargoyle entering the room Cassie took out the Wand of Force.   She then casts a Wall of Force up at he diving monster, shaping the wall to curve out and back, bisecting the creature.    The wall does not physical harm him, but it does manage to stops the gargoyle in one place.   The wall is invisible so Mojo and Narg have no idea what just occurred, just that the creature is now frozen in place half way between the opening and them.    Mojo’s player exclaims “Since when do they have Keanu moves?”   Narg pulls the bolt out of his armor and tosses it in front of him, with it bouncing off of the invisible wall.   “It’s a wall of force,” Narg states.   Still looking up at the monster, Mojo replies, “No, it’s a gargoyle.”   Cassie and Purge step out to where Narg and Mojo can now see them and she yells up “No you idiot, I created a Wall of Force to stop it.  Take care of it.”   

“I can’t, my hammer’s gone,” Mojo yells down.  “Use your bows” she yells up.   Mojo looks to Narg and says, “I didn’t bring mine on this mission.  Did you bring yours?”  He replies, “Sure I brought it along. It’s in one of the Bags of Holding with all of the other stuff I don’t normally use.”  Mojo yells down, “We forgot them.”   Cassie yells up, “Narg, you’re married to an archer.  How can you not have a bow?”  He says, “I brought it.  You have it in one of the bags.”    “By the way, do you see my hammer down there?” Mojo asks.   

Cassie dumps out the Bag of Holding, with both the hammer and Mark spilling onto the floor.   As Mark stands up Purge comments “Well, at least he brought his bow.”   Cassie points up and says Mark, “Fine, use your bow and do something about that thing.”   Mark fires his first two arrows, both missing.   Cassie comments “That’s it.  When we get back to the island I’m sending all of you guys down to the school for archery practice.”    Purge picks up Mojo’s hammer and begins scaling the walls. 

The sound of a gunshot up above echoes throughout the chamber.   “What is Monkey Boy up to now,” Mojo exclaims.    Narg says “Sounds like he’s using that futuristic weapon on them, and I don’t mean his bong.”   Up above, the aforementioned chimp is still standing on the crow’s nest, holding the gun with both hands, having just made a very large hole in the chest of the gnoll pilot.   The gnoll fighter rushes over to the seated gnoll while the shaman looks up at Alton and then casts a spell.    Alton successfully saves from the spell.  He then shifts his aim to target the shaman and plugs the gnoll with a shot right between the eyes.  

The second shot resonates through the shaft below and Narg says ”We need to get up there real soon.”   “Not with him in the way,” Mojo states, pointing to the suspended gargoyle that is attempting to break himself out of the Wall of Force.   Cassie tosses some Magic Missile spells up into the monster as Mark manages to get two of his next four arrows into it.    Purge now reaches the ledge, and Mojo yells, “Give me that” as he rips the hammer out of Purge’s belt.    The hammer is thrown into the gargoyle, bouncing off the creature for minimum damage.   

The gnoll fighter is still busy trying to help the mortally wounded gnoll pilot in the chair.  The Yeenoghu creature moves over behind the chair and removes the helmet from the pilot.   Up until now Alton had been careful to avoid firing at the helm in hopes of maybe using it later.   That strategy changes since he is afraid that Yeenoghu will teleport away with it again.    The gun fires again (the player rolling a natural “20”) as the bullet strikes the bone helmet, splitting it right down the middle.   Yeenoghu yells out “NOOOOOO!” and looks up at the chimp.   

The creature then points his hands towards Alton and flames shoot out and arc up through the opening to the crow’s nest.   The chimpanzee reflexes save him, with Alton flipping backwards and off of the crow’s nest.  He grabs onto the railing as he starts to fall.    The streams of flames continue to pour through the opening and start to catch the crow’s nest area on fire.   Alton decides to move hand-over-hand around the crow’s nest railing to the opposite side.  

Back in the lower room below, they have heard the gunshots and monster’s yell and now see a river of flames filling the room above.    Cassie tells Mark, “Oh no, Alton’s in trouble   Will you guys please stop playing around with that gargoyle?”    “We’re doing the best we can,” Mojo stay, tossing his hammer and missing the gargoyle, the hammer bouncing off of the invisible wall.  “Just kill it!” she yells. 

Above and outside, Alton climbs down to the window immediately behind the Yeenoghu creature.  The monster has his back to the druid, continuing to send flames up into the crow’s nest from its outstretched arms.   Alton casually raises the gun up to a few inches from the back of the creature’s head and then fires point blank.  The creature lets out an even louder scream and then collapses to the floor.   

Alton climbs into the room.   By this time the gnoll fighter had pulled the pilot out the chair and is cradling him in his arms, totally ignoring the chimp.    Alton had assumed that his shot into the Yeenoghu killed it, but the creature now begins to move.   Alton starts to question if this creature might indeed be immortal.   The gnoll deity then begins to transform.    The DM announces “It becomes something that Mojo has seen before.”  Mojo’s player states “Yikes.  It’s become an oriental hooker!”   The DM says, “No, one of these,” and points to a picture of a Spectral Hound (Dungeon Magazine #100, Polyhedron page 37) identical to the one that had bitten Mojo earlier.   Alton decides he is in over his head and jumps out the window.

Down below, Mark gets two more arrows into the gargoyle.  Mojo then gets in a killing blow with the hammer and yells down “It’s dead Jim.”   Cassie yells up “It’s about time.  Alton may be dead by now.”   “No I’m not,” a voice behind then states.  They turn around to see the chimp standing in the doorway.  “What’s going on up there?” Narg yells down.  Alton replies “That’s where the bad guy is.  He’s in the form of one of those creepy wolves that made Mojo start to fade away.”    

“Come on, let’s go” Narg states, suddenly getting the idea to use the suspended gargoyle body as a platform up.   Narg hoists Purge up onto the Gargoyle.  Mojo then lifts Narg, who Purge pulls up to it.  Narg then lifts Purge up through the opening in the ceiling and Purge then pulls Narg up behind him.    There is no sign of the spectral hound, the only occupant of the room being a hysterical gnoll crying in anguish and holding the dead body of another gnoll.    

As Narg stands up the gnoll notices them.  The gnoll carefully lowers the body of its leader to the floor and the stands up.   He walks towards Narg, contorting its claws as though preparing to rake at him and says in gnollish “My name is Lieutenant Kajjan.  You killed my father.  Prepare to die.”


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## Blasphemonkey (Dec 5, 2003)

Silver Moon said:
			
		

> “My name is Lieutenant Kajjan.  You killed my father.  Prepare to die.”




LOL! (And I was really LOL'ing when I read that.) You know what that is? It's...
inconceivable!

By the way, what is the attack roll on that pistol? How do they come across additional ammunition?

- Blasphemonkey


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## Silver Moon (Dec 6, 2003)

Blasphemonkey said:
			
		

> By the way, what is the attack roll on that pistol?



It varies based upon a lot of factors, his own dexterity and distance to the target being main ones.  You'll notice he missed two of the three shots at the Wyvern.   He got very lucky on his dice rolls this time, although the final shot at a stationary target from two inches away would have been hard to miss. 


			
				Blasphemonkey said:
			
		

> How do they come across additional ammunition?



Back in 1994 I ran a long module titled "The K-Mart Kaper" where the party went through a portal for a short visit to Alton's world (circa 1975, Alton's player being glad that in his 8 years away he missed the entire Nixon administration).   I had worked in retail, and had the full blueprint for a discount department store, which we used as the battlemap.  At the end of the module they brought back the extra ammo, a box of 100 rounds.  He uses the gun rather sparingly, but I think he is starting to get low now.  


Well, with this blizzard outside it looks like we won't get to conclude this module tomorrow night as planned.   A lot happened during last week's game, so I still have a few more chapters to log.  It's also time to check in again with our old friend Rizah.  I'll have another chapter posted by tomorrow.


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## Silver Moon (Dec 7, 2003)

*Chapter 28, “Lieutenant Rizah Gains an Air Force”, September 13th, 1019, 7:30 P.M.*

Rizah’s forces have been following the Kadtanach at a safe distance for a hour now.   There has been minimal activity on the creature, the only thing of interest being the two wyverns now flying alongside the burning head howdah.    They have finally left the forests and are now traveling through farmlands on the outskirts of the town.    As they near each farmhouse or barn Rizah has one of his cavalry riders do a quick ride by the structure to confirm that they are unoccupied.  

They now notice the two wyverns fly forward and engage two other flying creatures in combat.  One of these appears to be a flying human, probably using some type of spell or other magic.  The other is a human knight riding a winged lion.   Rizah becomes angry at seeing this, as a few weeks earlier he had seen the traitorous gnoll heretic transform into such a beast.   He tells the three Kegyai “This looks bad.  That winged feline is Gnu-Dalcom.   The Elvan deities must have resurrected him after Yeenoghu’s punishment, and he is now helping our enemies.”  “What should we do?” the shaman apprentice Drej-Kron asks.      

Rizah gestures to a nearby barn and then commands “Have everyone move to behind that structure.  We may have to soon rescue our Chief and our God, which we will not be free to do if the flying enemies spot and attack us now.”      The horses and wagons move behind the cover of the barn.   Rizah sends four of the riders to move forward cautiously, using whatever they can find for cover.  He tells them to observe the situation and have one to return with a report every quarter-hour.  

The first returning rider reports that the Kadtanach has stopped moving.  He says that the air battle is still going on, and that one of the gnoll archers was knocked from the sky by the knight’s lance.  The gargoyle that had been stationed atop Yeenoghu’s Howdah has also moved, now at the Chief’s Howdah instead.   

The next rider reports that a battle is taking place along the rear deck, with one of the wyverns having been incinerated.   Rizah asks about the other wyvern, and is told that was last seen flying off in a southeast direction and appeared to have been wounded.    Rizah decides leaves Gogol in command of the troops at the barn, giving him strict order to stay put and fight only in a situation of self-defense.    The Lieutenant then orders Kegyai Wurgul to accompany him and the two ride off to the southeast.  

They ride through the farms and fields, seeing the Kadtanach standing in the distance, fires now raging from at least two of the howdah’s.    Rizah tells Wurgul to keep his eyes peeled for the other wyvern saying, “It might be the only means of rescuing our leaders.”   In reality, Rizah has no intention of mounting such a mission, instead realizing the strategic value of adding a flying mount to his own forces.   If they are indeed trapped on this world then an aerial assessment of the territory and its dangers will be invaluable to them. 

They soon come upon the wounded beast, which has landed alongside a small duck pond near a farmhouse.   Rizah orders Wurgul to investigate the building and the large barn adjacent to it, and to kill any occupants inside.    Both of the gnolls alongside the wyvern are trying to tend to a wound in the creature’s side.   He recognizes the two gnolls as being two of the four troops experienced in riding the flying winged lizard.   

At the sound of Rizah’s horse approaching both gnolls stop tending the beast and draw weapons.   Rizah commands in gnollish “Stand down.  I am the commander of our ground forces.  Report.”    The senior lizard-rider gives a summary version of what he knows.   Wurgul approaches, reporting that the house and barn look to be recently abandoned.    Rizah orders Wurgul to return to the other troops and to bring them and their equipment to this location.  

Rizah asks the lizard-riders the condition of the animal.  They say that he has a puncture wound it his side and it no longer wishes to fly, although there is appears to be no damage to the wing.   Rizah tells them that his group includes a shaman who can heal the creature.  A short while later the wagons and riders arrive.   Rizah orders the shaman to cast two of his remaining healing spells on the beast.   The shaman reports, “The creature’s wound has now been healed over and is now moving its wings again.  It still appears to be weakened, probably from blood loss.”  Rizah orders the troops to help move the creature into the barn.  He emphasizes that they all remain out of sight from the townsfolk and the flying enemies.  He declares, “The wyvern will need to rest for several hours before we can even attempt to have it fly.”

The third and fourth riders report to Rizah that the Kadtanach has managed to scrape off the Head Howdah and that it is still standing in the same place.  The fourth rider reports that the Kadtanach is also now acting differently although he does not know exactly why.  The human knight atop the winged lion has returned and has been joined by a white dragon.   Rizah thanks them and then orders the other cavalry quartet to go observe for the next two-hours, sending a rider back every half-hour with a report.   He tells them to pay particular attention to the actions of the Kadtanach and to try to ascertain if it is still under Yeenoghu’s command. 

Rizah decides to call for a Leaders Council, this group comprised of himself, the three Kegyai and the two lizard-riders.   They head next door to the adjacent farmhouse, soon finding a kitchen table to meet at.   They also find some fruit, cheese, bread and a few bottles of mead to consume during their meeting.    He begins the meeting by having the two lizard-riders repeat everything that they have observed during the past several hours.  

The meeting is interrupted by the return of the first cavalry observer.  He reports that the Kadtanach appears to again be free of Yeenoghu’s control, raising up its head and looking around the area.    The winged lion has returned to the center of town, but the white dragon remains, perched atop Yeenoghu’s Howdah.   Fires are now raging on both the Wizardess’s Howdah and Chief’s Howdah.   The observer is thanked for his report and given some of the fresh food found in the room to go share with the other troops.  

The meeting is resumed, with Rizah going around the table and asking each of the others to speculate about what has occurred.    All are very pessimistic, although the shaman apprentice Drej-Kron still holds hope that Yeenoghu is unharmed and will reassert himself before the enemy.    Rizah says, “I truly hope that you are correct, however it would be prudent for us to proceed under the assumption that the Elvan deities have forced Yeenoghu to depart.   We will keep observing the situation and I will make no final decisions until we can better ascertain what has occurred.  If an opportunity to rescue our Chief or our God presents itself then we will do so, however I refuse to sacrifice your lives for a lost cause.”  

Rizah then asks the two lizard-riders for their observations of the area from when they were flying towards the town prior to nightfall.    Only one of them had flown that run and he reports seeing forests on all sides of the town, with a major road heading west beyond the town and smaller roads heading north and south.   Far to the north, maybe some fifty miles away, he believes that they saw the presence of a great sea.   

Rizah declares, “Large bodies of water and major roadways both lead to cities, and any city in this region will now be on full alert.  We are too small in number to fight a prepared city guard, let alone an army that might be headquartered there.   If the Kadtanach is lost to us then we should plan on being away from this town by sunrise and avoid contact with any large settlements.  Kegyai Gogol, take two of the cavalry troops with you and find us the safest path to get to this south road unobserved.   Look for open fields with tall trees behind them, so that a low-flying wyvern can travel without being silhouetted by the moon.  This meeting is adjourned.”


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## Silver Moon (Dec 9, 2003)

*Chapter 29, “Where do we go from here?” September 13th, 1019, 8:45 P.M.*

The gnoll repeats, “My name is Lieutenant Kajjan.  You killed my father.  Prepare to die.”   Narg actually feels some pity for the creature as it lunges at him.   The gnoll is so distraught that Narg is able to easily sidestep the attack.  Narg then strikes the gnoll hard on the back of the head with the hilt of his sword, knocking the gnoll unconscious.   

By this time Purge has now helped Mojo up into the room.  “What’s going on?”  Mojo asks.   Narg replies, “I honestly don’t know.  Something about me killing his father.  I didn’t get any specifics.”     Purge lowers a rope down and then pulls up the Bag of Holding with Cassie and Mark inside of it, Alton riding on the rope.   They are emptied out and they then survey the room.   

“Where’s that dog-faced leader?” Narg exclaims.  Alton answers, “He was here when I left the room!  He had just turned into a dog.  I think I hurt him pretty bad.”   “You can’t kill a god,” Mark comments.   “I don’t think he was really a god,” Cassie states.  “I don’t know, mortals don’t usually survive having half of their brains blown out” Alton replies.  “Damn, he must have buggered off,” Mojo voices.    Alton exclaims, “Hey, don’t blame me.  I was up here fighting a god all by myself!  What the hell took you guys so long?”  

After a long pause Mark eventually answers, “We were fighting a gargoyle.”  Alton responds, “All five of you!”   Cassie mumbles, “Maybe if somebody would take a bow next time…” Narg snaps back at her with, “I travel light.”    Narg then turns to the druid and says, “Sorry Alton, the gargoyle took quite a while.  Good job, by the way.  So what was all that yelling, shooting and fire earlier?”   Alton gives them a very brief recap of what happened.   Mojo points to the large gnoll with the hole in his chest and asks, “What’s with him?”  Alton replies,” He was driving until I shot him.”  

Narg says, “That god has to be around here somewhere and I’m going to get him.  Give me some cover.”   “Cover?” Mark asks.   “Some type of hat I think,” Mojo interjects.   Narg climbs into the windowsill and says, “Fine, don’t cover me.  I’m going.  Somebody hand me a rope.”   “Maybe we should spend a minute and think about this first,” Alton comments.    Mark adds, “That druid might be able to help.”   

Cassie follows Mark’s suggestion, pulling the druid Nahmi from the other Bag of Holding.   Nahmi confirms that they are in the top of the Chief’s Howdah.  He confirms that that the body with the chest would was the Chief, the one with the head wound was a shaman apprentice, and that the unconscious one was a Lieutenant and also the Chief’s son.   “Did you like any of them?” Alton asks.   Nahmi replies, “Hell no.  They were the ones who imprisoned me.”   “The Lieutenant is tied up and put into the bag with the two humans.  

Cassie picks up the two pieces of the bone helmet and casts a Detect Magic, confirming that they are no longer magical.    “Uh guys, I think we have a bigger problem.   The creature is no longer being controlled.”  “Good,” Alton exclaims.    Mojo comments, “Good? Yeah, sure, up until it decides to get these buildings off its back by rolling over.   Let’s get out of here!”   “No, hold on, I think that I might be able to communicate with it,” Alton exclaims. 

Narg turns to Nahmi and says, “Okay Rover, what do you know about talking to this critter?”  The gnoll druid replies, “As far as I know you needed the helmet to do that.”  “You’re no help,” Mojo exclaims.   Narg says, “Wait, he might be.  I still want that leader!  Do you know which building that god hung out in?”   Nahmi says that he does, and points to the building on the front left side of the creature.   

The party then debates the best way to get there.   Cassie suggests using the Belt of Shape Change to polymorph into a flying creature.    Narg states, “Fine, let’s do it.  I’ll ride on your… whatever.”   Purge mumbles, “I don’t think Aradyn would approve of you being on her whatever.”   Cassie tells Narg “I’m not taking you anyway.  You don’t have any distance weapons.”  Mojo murmurs, “From what I hear he’s not real good up close either.” 

Alton exclaims, “Fine, you guys stay here and argue.  I’m going to go talk to this creature.”  Cassie says, “Will you just wait a minute.  I can fly you over there a lot faster than you can get there on your own.”   Mojo says, “Okay.  I’ll ride.  I can use my hammer as a distance weapon.  The rest of you into the bag.”   Nahmi is sent back into the bag with the humans and gnoll and told to keep a close eye on the gnoll prisoner.  

Purge and Mark climb into the other bag but Narg strongly objects to going back in it.   Alton screams, “Enough already!  Get in!”   Cassie points out that the crow’s nest above them is now burning rather fast and the flaming wood will soon be falling down on them.  Narg gives in, climbing into the bag while mumbling explicatives under his breath.   His holy armor deactivates once he is inside.  Before closing it up Cassie yells inside, “And why don’t you do something useful while you’re in there.  Like archery practice.”   Mark comments, “Oh no.  I’ve had enough weapons flying at me in here for one day.”   

Cassie climbs out the window and transforms into a white dragon, causing her glowing armor to disappear.   She is out of invisibility spells for today, but Alton and Mojo both have magical devices that they activate before climbing onto her back.    She flies forward, depositing Alton on the creature’s forehead.   

Cassie flies back upward and then sees something flying swiftly towards her out of the corner of her eye.    “Something’s coming,” she tells Mojo.   “Fine, I have my hammer ready he replies.”   She sees that it is Gellyath riding the dragonne and says “Hold on.  It’s the Dragon Stalkers.”  “Yeah, like you telling me that will really keep me from throwing this,” Mojo replies.    

As the dragonne flies closer it picks up speed and Gellyath gets his lance ready to attack.  Mojo says to Cassie “He might not know it’s us.”  “Why not?  He can see you, and a white animal has always been our polymorph code.”  Mojo answers “But I’m invisible, and have we ever bothered to tell them any of our codes?”    Cassie dives evasively to avoid being hit by the lance, then turns to come at them for another pass.   “Told you I should have just thrown the hammer,” Mojo comments.   Cassie dragon form loudly yells out “Silver Moon!  We’re the Silver Moon!”   The dragonne slows and cautiously moves in closer.   

Narg’s player yells, “Take me out of the bag.  I’ll talk to him!”   Mojo’s player replies, “Do you realize how pathetic you’ve become?  You’re begging to talk to the Dragon Stalkers!”    Narg’s player replies, “Well I’m bored stiff sitting around with Mark and Purge.  Neither of them will play craps or poker.”  Alton’s player says, “Have you suggested either Old Maid or Crazy Eights.”  Mojo’s player says, “Crazy Eights?  This is Mark and Purge we’re talking about.  You’d better make the Mild Eights instead.”


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## Silver Moon (Dec 11, 2003)

*Chapter 30, “Alton plays Dr. Doolittle”, September 13th, 1019, 9:15 P.M.*

The Kadtanach has a long pointed nose-like snout, which Alton has walked out upon, figuring that this is the only place that the creature can see him but not eat him.   He gets a firm grip onto both sides and then turns off his invisibility so that the creature will notice him.    “Trying to make the thing go cross-eyed,” Mojo’s player comments.  

The creature does notice the monkey on his nose, but has no major reaction.   Alton casts a Speak with Animals spell, but the creature does not seem to comprehend what he is saying.  Alton then pulls the Speak with Monster spell from the Ring of Spell Storing taken from Grelmak.  The creature now appears to reacts to what Alton is telling him, but lacks the ability to respond verbally.   Alton then activates the Amulet of ESP taken from Grelmak, which allows him to successfully probe the creature’s mind, and in conjunction with the other spell, understand them.

The creature begins to respond to Alton’s question.   It’s thoughts are very slow and somewhat simple.   _(The DM uses a slow and deep voice to convey this.  Mojo and Narg’s players decide it is similar to the Monty Python D.P. Gumby voice, and begin tossing out lines from that skit.  The DM eventually gets them to stop so that the game can resume.)_     Alton discovers that the creature is not aware of exactly where it is.   He starts to question the Kadtanach as to how it got there, discovering that the creature itself was responsible for the plane hopping.   “Where is your home?” Alton asks.   “Home.  Yes…I can now go home now,” the creature thinks.    Alton decides to communicate this up to Cassie and Mojo, but they are preoccupied with talking to Gellyath.  

Cassie asks Gellyath, “Why did you try to attack us?”   He says, “I though you were with the enemy.  They used wyverns and might have had a dragon too.”   “White dragons don’t work with evil creatures,” she replies.   He answers, “I wouldn’t know.”   She replies, “Well, given the name of your team you might want to take the time actually learn something about them.”    Mojo voice sounds out “We’re doing fine here.  Things are under control.”  

Gellyath then says, “I’m still looking for my teammate Grelmak.  Have you seen him?”  Cassie replies, “I wouldn’t go looking for him if I were you.”   “Why?” Gellyath replies.   She answers, “He been incinerated.  There’s nothing left.”   The fighter’s face goes pale over hearing this, and his only comment is “Oh.”    

In the silence that follows they hear Alton’s chimp voice yelling, and fly down closer to him, but still above the creature’s head, lest he decide to eat them.    Alton yells up “I’m talking to it.   It wants to go home.”   Gellyath replies, “Just so it will get away from the town.”   Alton explains to the Kadtanach how he would like for it to turn around and leave the way it had come.   It does do, making a very sharp turn, which has its tail slam into a nearby house and reduce the building to splinters.  “Oops, sorry about that,” Alton tells Gellyath.   “Just get it to go,” the fighter replies.  

The creature begins walking away.   Alton asks it about the gnoll creatures and is told how they had mistreated the Kadtanach, and how the straps and buildings hurt.    Alton says, “Well, maybe we can help you remove them.”    The creature thinks, “Yes.  They can be removed.”   He then looks around the horizon, noticing a hill with a rocky sheer cliff on one side of it, about a half-mile away.   Alton picks up that it is planning to go there and scrape off the buildings and straps, and yells this informatuon up to the others.    

Gellyath says that he had better head back to town to communicate what is going on.  Before departing he tells Alton “Please try to avoid destroying any more buildings.”    Alton complies, as there are only a few structures between them and the hill, which he has the Kadtanach go around rather than through.    Mojo opens up the bag telling those inside what is happening.   Narg yells up, “Hey, I still want that god.   Tell Alton to have the thing stop and wait until we’re through.”   

Mojo conveys this and Alton is successful in explaining to the creature that “Before you scrape the buildings off could you please stop.  That creature that controlled you might still be around, and we would like to find him make sure that he doesn’t do anything to harm you again.”   Alton has to repeat and rephrase this a few more times before the Kadtanach actually comprehends, but it does come to a stop.   Alton yells up, “Okay, he did that.  But I don’t know how long he’ll stay like this.  You’d better hurry.”   

While the creature is stopped Alton continues to converse with it.   When asked his name the creature says “Me.”  In response Mojo’s player sings the verse, “Me, a name, I call myself.”   Alton discovers that the extra-planar monster comes from a plane inhabited by other massive  creatures, some even larger.  

Cassie and Mojo circle the howdah that Nahmi indicated belonged to Yeenoghu.   It is twenty-feet in diameter and has no visible windows or doors.   The roof of the structure is the highest point on the creature, being a full 175 feet above the ground.    The roof has no crow’s nest but Mojo notices a metal bar in the center that the gargoyle apparently used as a perch.   He has Cassie fly down next to it and climbs off, grabbing the bar with his hand.  He then helps take Narg out of the Bag of Holding, with both of them now grabbing onto the roof.   Narg tells Cassie, “You’d better be ready to grab us fast if this monster starts shaking again.”

They look around for a way into the building, finding none.   Cassie reminds them that she had taken five Reduce spells that day, originally planning to reduce the size of the straps.   She flies over to a very large board comprising around a quarter of the roof and casts the spell, the boards reducing to a fraction of its regular size.   Looking down, all that she and Narg see is a vast chamber filled with flames.   “That’s one Hell of a place,” Narg comments.


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## Silver Moon (Dec 14, 2003)

*Chapter 31, “Robbing the Place Blind”, September 13th, 1019, 9:30 P.M.*

“Out of the way, let me see” Mojo comments, sliding around Narg and peering down into the opening made by the missing board.   His holy armor is still activated, giving True Sight through its visor, and he states, “There are no flames down there.  It’s an illusion.”   Both Narg and Cassie try to disbelieve, but they still see it.   Narg holds his hand out above, feeling no heat, and says, “I think he’s right.”  “I agree, there’s no smoke,” she replies.   

Mojo ties a rope to the bar and slides down into the chamber.   The other two have a hard time seeing him through the illusionary flames blending in with the light cast from his armor.   He opens a trapdoor in the floor of the chamber and drops the remainder of the rope down then sides further down.   Narg follows, sliding all the way down to the lowest room.   The room is filled with multiple chest and the walls are lined with shelves of treasure.    

Narg yells up “Cassie, it’s full of treasure.  We’re going to need the Bags of Holding.”   She yells back down “They’re full of people.”  Mojo yells up “Well, get rid of them.  I’d rather have this stuff than Mark or Purge.”    She decides that’s actually is a pretty good idea, flying down to the ground to let the people out of the bags.    The two middle-aged humans are happy to finally be free.   The gnoll Lieutenant is still unconscious and Mark and Purge are instructed to turn it over to the local authorities.   She decides that it might be too dangerous to drop off the druid Nahmi, as some of locals might try to kill him, so leaves him in the bag.  She then flies back up, pulls up the rope, then lowers it back down with the bags.

During the time that she was away Mojo and Narg have had an opportunity to check everything in the room.    They fill the first bag with scroll cases, jewelry, and other items from the shelves.  All of the chests are opened up; most being filled with silver coins that they conclude aren’t worth lugging around.  One has gold and platinum coins, and those are emptied into the bag.  One bag is filled. Also in the room is an ornate statue with a water clock inside that is too big to fit into the bag.   Cassie wants it, so they secure it to the rope and she flies it up, then lowers it to the ground.   

“Anything else” she yells.  “Just chests of silver.  Hardly worth it,” Mojo yells.  Cassie yells back “The townspeople could probably use it.  Tie one onto the rope.”   She flies up one-at-a-time with each silver chest, making the best use of the time by releasing each once they are clear of the Kadtanach, the chests falling some 150 feet to the ground.   Most chests split open on contact, spilling the coins on the ground.   Once the place is emptied she pulls Mojo and Narg  back up.  

Mojo reminds them “Hey, what about that other treasure room beneath the jail room?”  “Good idea,” Narg replies, having Cassie fly the two of them over to it.   The fire in the two adjacent howdahs has now spread to the upper level of the howdah, but the bottom is still clear, so the two fighters head in the door with the second bag.    The treasure in this room is less elaborate than the other room, comprised mostly of copper and silver coins and various items made of silver and gold.   They fill up the bag.  The room then shakes and they notice the Kadtanach is moving again.     

Cassie yells in to the guys “I’ll be right back,” and flies over the creature’s head to pick up Alton.   “What happened?” she asks.   The chimp climbs onto the dragon and says, “The spell ran out and the creature decided to get going.”    She flies back over to pick up the other two.  Narg very reluctantly gets back into the bag with the gnoll druid as there is not enough room on her back for both him and Mojo, Alton hanging on a little further forward.  She then starts to fly away.    

Alton spots the four draft horses used to haul up the steel basket with the winch along the lower deck.  He says, “I’d feel bad if we just let them get killed.”  Cassie replies, “Yeah, and the farms back on the island could probably use them.”    As they fly close a gnoll holding a whip charges out from beside the horses.   “Better check with Nahmi about this guy,” Cassie states.   Mojo opens the bag and asks about this gnoll.  Nahmi states, “That is the whip-master.  He controls the horses.”   “Friend of yours?” Mojo asks.  Nahmi replies, “Absolutely not.  He is cruel to the animals.”   “That’s all I need to know,” Mojo states, letting his hammer fly.”   

The whip-master is hit hard, knocking him down onto the deck.   He then staggers to his feet and limps back to where the horses are between the upper and lower deck.   Mojo has Cassie drop him off on the deck and he approaches that area.   The wounded whip-master stands up and starts to raise his whip.  Mojo yells over in gnollish “I’m not after you.  We just want the horses.”   “You won’t hurt me?” the gnoll replies.  Mojo answers, “Not at all, you can stay right there.  Just send out the horses.”  

The gnoll ushers the horses out, the animals walking over to their usual places along the winch.   The Kadtanach is now a lot closer to the hill now, and Alton asks, “How are we going to get them down?”   Cassie says, “I still have four reduce spells!”   She has Mojo hold the horses steady so that her dragon form does not spook them, but they are so accustomed to the wyverns that they are not fazed by her.   She lands on the deck and casts Reduce on horses, making each  small enough that Mojo can fit them into a large pocket on his tunic.    Mojo climbs onto her back and she takes off from the deck.  Mojo comments “I didn’t have the heart to tell the whip-master that he’s going to die a rather violent death in around twenty minutes.”  Cassie tells Mojo that her reduce spell will last for around an hour-and-a-half.   He says, “Well, please remember to remind me before we get to that point.  I’d hate for them to grow while still in my pocket.”  

They land a short distance away from the hill.    The massive beast moves up to the cliffside and leans to the side, starting to scrape the buildings off.  The burning structures are the first ones to disintegrate and the other ones then start to splinter and split.   The straps take a considerably longer time to get off, but once they begin to snap it creates a domino effect. 

Mark and Purge soon join them and Nahmi is let out of the Bag of Holding.    None of the town’s residents venture any closer, although General Teakas from the Dragonstalkers flies in to join them in the vigil of watching the creature.   She talks to Cassie and confirms that her teammate Grelmak has perished.  Cassie does not volunteer any information about having taken his magical possessions and Alton was quick to hide the ring and amulet at the first sight of Teakas approaching   Teakas express concern about what the creature will do next, as it is still very close to the town.    Mojo remembers to take the horses out of his pocket.   

Nearly two hours pass from the time that the creature began scraping until all evidence of the gnoll habitat is removed.   The party realizes that searching through the debris for any other treasure will be a monumental task, as the scraping also brought down several tons of rocks and dirt from the hillside.  

Shortly before midnight the Kadtanach walks away from the hillside.   There are several noticeable wounds on its back from where it injured itself during the scraping.    It also appears to now be rather tired, walking a few hundred feet and then stopping and sitting down in a field.   It lowers its head to the ground.    Alton approaches the beast from the side and casts his remaining healing spells on to it, with negligible effect.   It remains unmoving, although its breathing is still noticeable, and the party concludes that it is asleep even though the eyes are still open.


_Later edit:  Tonight's game just got canned due to another blizzard (2nd week in a row).  Looks like I may never get to finish this module!    The "Story Hour" is now up to date so don't expect any more chapters for another week, although reader comments and questions are always welcomed._


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## Blasphemonkey (Dec 15, 2003)

Looks like the adventure is almost done. The only thing it seems that is left for the group to do, is to get the townspeople their loot, and to figure out what to do with the Kadtanach. I take it that you have seen the little note in the module about what is to happen if the helmet is destroyed?    

The way you described the Kadtanach scraping off the buildings was particularly interesting. Good job, I could really picture it in my head.

So what is the next adventure? It's dawn is nigh.  

- Blasphemonkey


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## Joshua Randall (Dec 15, 2003)

What happened to "Yeenoghu"? Is he dead? Fled? Or planning revenge?


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## Silver Moon (Dec 15, 2003)

Several interesting questions and comments - I'll start with this one:



			
				Blasphemonkey said:
			
		

> The only thing it seems that is left for the group to do, is to get the townspeople their loot, and to figure out what to do with the Kadtanach.




Actually I still have quite a bit left to do.


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## Silver Moon (Dec 16, 2003)

Joshua Randall said:
			
		

> What happened to "Yeenoghu"? Is he dead? Fled? Or planning revenge?



That question will be answered as part of the next game since the captured gnoll lieutenant was present in the same room with him.   Narg knocked the gnoll out before he could be interrogated but they will have an opportunity to do so the following morning.   Rest assured, the actions of "Yeenoghu" were consistent with the description of him and his personality (page #92 of the module).   The senior gnoll druid Dalcom has also discovered some interesting information about this "god", which will be revealed at the next game.


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## Silver Moon (Dec 18, 2003)

Blasphemonkey said:
			
		

> So what is the next adventure? It's dawn is nigh.



We still have to finish two other modules that were started after “Beast of Burden” began.   Both are with characters from a lower-level Silver Moon Adventurers spin-off team.    Another DM began and ran two nights of one of these when I was had to travel out to the mid-west.   It is from a pre-packed source and concerns finding an orc lair.    The other was played during two nights when Narg and Mojo’s players were absent.  It takes place at a local fair and I am using the excellent PDF “Tournaments, Fairs and Taverns” for that adventure.    

After that I will be running a short module titled “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” using our other campaign setting, a Boot Hill/D&D hybrid world.   I’ve run two short modules with this western setting that are logged as the following Story Hour: http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=28906

If you have been enjoyed the style and tone of this module (lots of role playing with an even mix of humor and action) then I think you’ll enjoy that story too.   The team leader is a mysterious human stranger named Arcade played by Mojo’s player; Cassie’s player has a half-elf Native American druid/bard; Alton’s player has an oriental half-orc fighter/rogue; Narg and Mark’s players both have human gunslingers (fighters).   So far they have had encounters with Geronomo, James West, Artimis Gordon, Jesse James and Billy the Kid.    If you read the story please feel free to comment, as feedback is always welcome and appreciated.


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## Silver Moon (Dec 22, 2003)

*Game #9 - 12/21/03*

*Chapter 32, “Gheldaylin”, September 14th, 1019, 12:15 A.M.* 

Alton, Cassie, Mojo, Narg, Nahmi and Teakas are looking at the creature when Mojo glances at Nahmi and says “Hey guys, what have we decided to do with this guy?”   Narg exclaims, “No.  Absolutely not!  No gnolls in the party.  We have to draw the line somewhere!”   Mojo replies, “Hey, if drew that line you’d have never been let into this party.”   “And look where that’s gotten us,” Cassie sarcastically comments.     Alton says, “Hey, he’s my kind of people, he’s hairy and grows things.”  

It appears that Narg is going to lose this argument and he exclaims, “Well this is the last straw.  From now on if I run into anyone that I don’t like I’m just going to kill them outright.”  “How is that any different than what you do now?”  Mojo replies.   Alton tells Narg, “Look, we already have a gay bugbear on the island.  How can this be any worse?”   Narg says, “Okay, I give up.  But I don’t want him anywhere near my house.”  Mojo replies. “You barely let me go into your house.”  “I think that’s more of his wife’s good judgment,” Cassie answers. 

Since Cassie is still in dragon form she decides to obtain some samples from the creature, flying up and collecting blood as well as some pieces of torn flesh and muscle.  She also flies by the rubble pile and gets a few scales that had broken off.   She returns to the party and Mojo says, “What do you need that for?”  “Analysis,” she replies.   “I think you’re the one who needs analysis,” he answers.  

They hear the sound of horses approaching from the town, and the party gets into a defensive stance.  A dozen horses ride up and an armored woman dismounts.   Teakas approaches her and they briefly converse.  Teakas introduces the woman as Captain Ral Twarn, the leader of the town guard and also Gellyath’s cousin.   She then introduces the Silver Moon Adventurers, explaining that the chimp and dragon are polymorphed party members “What do you want?” Cassie asks.

Ral says that they are concerned about the creature since it is still less than a mile from town, and they have come to post guard over it.    Cassie explains that, “Its tired and resting.  When it wakes up it is planning to teleport away from here.”   Mojo adds, “Or it might decide to wander into town and _(Grandma offending comment omitted)_.  We’re not sure yet.”    Cassie gestures to Mojo and comments, “What is it that the Queen sees in this Bozo?”  Mojo reaches towards his belt buckle and replies, “Do you really want to see?”   “You just keep those on,” Narg interjects.

Getting back to Ral, Cassie says, “Ignore him.  Look, the creature is going to rest and then it will be going home to another world.  We’ve also instructed it to stay away from your buildings. You have nothing further to worry about.”  Mojo comments, “Hey, if it is going to teleport away shouldn’t we first load it up with all the people we’d like to get rid of?”  “Starting with you?” Alton inquires.   Mojo answers, “I was thinking more like the King, and possibly my cousin Lono.”  Alton answers, “We just got one group of monsters off its back, why give it another?”   

Ral tells the group, “Well, I’m happy to hear that, but we still want to keep an eye on it just to be safe.”   Cassie suggests that they keep a distance, to which she says, “No problem.  The horses don’t want to get too close to it anyway.”    Ral then tells them, “The town is that way.  Your friends Mark and Purge got rooms for you at the Gheldaylin Inn.”   “A bed and a drink, you don’t have to tell me twice,” Narg comments.   “Let’s go,” Mojo states.   Alton and Cassie say that they plan to stay and keep an eye on the Kadtanach.  Nahmi decides it is probably safer for him to avoid the town is well.  The two fighters walk off.  Teakas decides to fly back to the town as well.  The other three bed down for the night.  

Narg and Mojo soon arrive in town.   Gheldaylin is a typical rural crossroads hamlet.   The center of town consists of around twenty buildings surrounded by a wooden palisade fence.    There are two inns in the community.  One is named the “Cranky Rooster”, which has the refugee carts near it.   The other is a sturdier stone structure with the sign “Gheldaylin Inn.”  Mojo comments, “At least they picked the better establishment for us to stay at.” 

They enter the building, seeing Mark and Purge sitting at a table and join them.   Narg says, “I have one critically important question.  Have we missed last call?”   Purge replies, “No. With a giant monster less than a mile away this place isn’t planning to close.”   Purge hands each of them a room key.  Mojo quips, “Gee Purge, I’m really not that kind of guy.  You have to get at least a drink into me first.”   They order drinks and catch each other up on what is going on.   Mark says that the town normally has a population of around 300, but that the overwhelming majority of the residents have evacuated.  They finish their drinks and the four then head upstairs to their respective rooms. 

Cassie is the first party member to awaken, finding it to now be well past dawn.    The sun is shining down and she notices the rays of sunlight are shining through the Kadtanach, with it now being translucent.    She approaches the creature and passes her hand through it, encountering a minimum of resistance similar to movement through water.   She rejoins the others, and is pleased to see that the samples she collected are still solid.   The town guards are pleased that the creature is fading away.  

Cassie spends the next two hours using her dragon form and the four draft horses to start pulling the large harness straps away from the rubble pile.   She is able to get several that had been attached to the torso, but all of the ones still fastened to the massive yoke are still buried under tons of rubble.    “What do you want that for?” Alton asks.   She says, “Are you kidding?   These staps are made of a petrified leather and are 9-inches thick, 3-feet wide, and hundreds of feet long.  There’s nothing like them on this world.  I’m sure we can come up with something to use them for.”     She instructs Ral to keep everyone away from the debris pile, claiming salvage rights.   Ral agrees to rope off the area, pointing out that rocks are still falling from the hill, so they should keep people away for safety sake. 

The four party members from town eventually join them.  By this point it is almost gone, being only a faint outline.   Alton passes his hand through the creature, finding no resistance at all.   Cassie explains that she has read about inter-dimensional travel like that before, that the elvan timekeeper Lord Aldorn wrote about a mysterious cube-like structure that once visited the planet which took three days to solidify on this world and another three days to fade away when it was done.    

By mid-morning the creature is totally gone.   Cassie and Alton both transform back into their normal humanoid forms.  Ral tells the party that she has just been notified that the gnoll prisoner they captured has regained consciousness and is currently in the town jail.  Alton reminds the party that the gnoll was present in the room where Yeenoghu disappeared from and might have an ideas as to where he went.   She also has brought horses for the party to ride back to town on.  

They arrive at the town jail.  Purge and Nahmi stay outside while the others head inside, with Nahmi reminding them that this gnoll was a Lieutentant and son of the gnoll chief.   Mojo comments that the iron cage the gnoll is inside reminds him of a baby’s playpen.  He goes up the side of the bars and says in a silly voice “Oh, what a big gnoll.  Oh what a big gnoll!”   Cassie says, “I’ll handle this.”   

She says in the gnoll language, “Listen.  We want some information from you.  If you tell me what I want you will not be harmed.”  He replies, “Of course you won’t harm me.  You are only a woman.  Can’t your men speak for themselves wench?”   Cassie goes ballistic at that and surprises him by reaching into the cell and grabbing him.   She then casts a reverse Hairy cantrip onto the beast, making him instantly bald.   The others are repulsed at this, as the creature also wasn’t wearing any clothing.   Mojo comments “What was that I said about ‘too much information’”

The gnoll is totally shocked by this.  Narg says, “I’ll handle this.   Listen pal, you just blew it.  She was the only one of us who didn’t want to take your head off.   Answer our questions NOW or I’ll let her do some real damage to you.”    Cassie then adds to this by telling him in detail about the Kadtanach being gone, the buildings that it carried all being destroyed, the other gnolls all being dead, and that they are his only possible hope to live.”  

The gnoll’s defiance is now gone.  He answers their questions.  He says that Yeenoghu only briefly took the form of the spectral hound, and that he then transformed back into his own form and teleported away.    Alton says, “Makes sense, I partially recover from wounds when I change form.  He must have too, since I hurt him pretty bad.  I guess he needed to be better to use spells.”  They ask where he would have gone.  The gnoll tells them where Yeenoghu’s howdah had been located.  “Where checked, he wasn’t there,” Mojo comments.   “Maybe he was invisible,” Alton comments.  “Nah, my visor would have seen that.  He must have plane shifted away,” Mojo comments.  “Well, we didn’t leave him anything to stick around for,” Narg adds. 

They head back outside.  Ral asks what should be done with the prisoner.  “Whatever you want,” Purge comments “He was one of the leaders of that thing that attacked the other three towns.  You may want to turn him over to the former authorities from those towns.”   Ral comments, “Yeah, I imagine more of those refugees will be wandering in during the next day or two.”   

Ral then invites the party to stay for around for lunch, saying that there will be a banquet to honor the heroes that saved the town.  “Do you mean us?” Cassie comments.   She answers, “You, and the Dragon Stalkers.”   Several people are uncomfortable with the idea of sharing the accolades, but Narg points out “We probably should give them some of the credit.  Didn’t the Dragon Stalkers lose something like seventeen guys fighting that thing?”  “I think the actual number was two,” Purge points out.  Narg responds, “I never was very good at math.”


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## Blasphemonkey (Dec 25, 2003)

Just two curious questions on this Christmas morning (Happy Holidays!):



			
				Silver Moon said:
			
		

> Cassie explains that, “Its tired and resting.  When it wakes up it is planning to teleport away from here.”




How did they figure this out? Or were they just guessing that would happen?



			
				Silver Moon said:
			
		

> Cassie explains that she has read about inter-dimensional travel like that before, that the elvan timekeeper Lord Aldorn wrote about a mysterious cube-like structure that once visited the planet which took three days to solidify on this world and another three days to fade away when it was done.




Is there anything to this story? Was it from another adventure that you ran or something?

Keep up the good work.  

- Blasphemonkey


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## Silver Moon (Dec 27, 2003)

Blasphemonkey said:
			
		

> How did they figure this out? Or were they just guessing that would happen?



Alton deduced that from the Kadtanach's thoughts (Chapter 30, paragraph 3).



			
				Blasphemonkey said:
			
		

> Is there anything to this story? Was it from another adventure that you ran or something?



Actually it's foreshadowing for a future module.  From the moment I first saw a Rubic's Cube I've been designing a module where a giant inter-dimensional cube will visit the world, each square being a patchwork quilt of a different world. 


And now for the next chapter:

*Chapter 33, “Heroes Honor”, September 14th, 1019, 11:15 A.M.* 

Cassie reminds the group that the Queen hasn’t been notified about what happened.  Narg says to Mojo,“You need to call the little woman on your corkscrew.”   Mojo replies, “If I had a little woman on my corkscrew I’d be a whole lot happier right now.”   Cassie interjects, “He means you need to call the Queen on your communication device.”  “I prefer my interpretation,” Mojo responds.    

They decide to make the call in private.  Mojo says he will handle it by himself, but Alton, Cassie, Mark and Narg insist on tagging along.   They head back to the inn and up to the second floor.   Mojo takes the combination bottle-opener and corkscrew and make the adjustments to activate it.   The Queen immediately answers, having been waiting impatiently to find out what is going on.     “Hi Honey, it’s me,” Mojo starts.   The others then hear him say; “It’s gone.  I defeated it single-handedly.”   The others start yelling comments to the contrary. 

Mojo gets then to calm down, then says to the Queen “Okay, fine, I had some help from my teammates.”   Alton blurts out “YOU had some help?  Where were you when I was fighting a god all by myself?”   Mojo starts to give her a summary of what happened saying, “We got the monster to leave once we killed all of the smelly creatures on top of it.”   Alton again comments “What is this WE he keeps talking about?  I was the one who talked to the thing!”  Mojo continues “We saved the Kralt Lordholding.  Someday you’ll have to explain to us what we did that for?”  Cassie yells, “Give me that!  I’ll talk to her.”  

Mojo refuses to share the communication device, turning around and holding it closer.   He makes another comment, implying that the Kralt residents are even filthier than the gnolls.   The Queen asks if there were any casualties and Mojo replies, “Nobody important, only Dragon Stalkers.”  

Mojo smiles and they hear him say, “Sure, I’d be happy to stop by later for a reward.”  Narg yells, “Just him or all of us?”  Mojo frowns, and mutters “You guys are invited too.  Must be a different type of reward than what I thought.”  Cassie comments, “One track mind.”   Cassie then has Mojo confirm that the Queen will grant the Silver Moon Adventures “salvage rights” to the debris pile.  Mojo concludes the conversation by saying, “Okay honey, see you in a few hours.  Bye.”

They head back outside for the luncheon.  Several members of the Silver Moon Adventurers start to have second thoughts about attending the banquet when they discover that the four seats at the head table are reserved for the Dragon Stalkers.  “I think we should hire ourselves a better publicist,” Narg comments.  “Well, at least we don’t have to sit with them,” Mark adds.  Cassie complains, “Let’s just skip this.  We don’t need the aggravation.”  Alton puts his foot down and says, “No, We’re staying!  I’m tired, I’m hungry and I did more than the rest of you.  If these people want to honor the heroes with a free meal we stay and accept it, even if we don’t get top billing.”  

The main square in the town has now been filled up with the tables and chairs from both inns.   The remaining people in town, plus the refugees, number around one hundred.   The Silver Moon Adventurers are seated at a table adjacent with to the head table.    Given the presence of the refugees, whose homes were destroyed by the gnolls, Nahmi decides to hide out in the Bag of Holding rather than attend the dinner. 

The Dragon Stalkers make a grand entrance.   Gellyath leads his team, his wounds all healed and attired in his finest silk clothing beneath his ring-mail vest, his flowing blonde hair neatly arranged.  Teakas follows, wearing the decorative rather than functional version of her General of the Queen’s Army uniform.  The ranger Kela follows.  She is attired in a form fitting leather jerkin over cotton shirt and leggings, with her hair tied back in a ponytail and fastened with a fancy ribbon.   The fourth and final member of this team is a gnoll.  He is wearing a simple tunic, belted at the waist.  The fur is burnt off of about a quarter of his body, revealing charred skin beneath.  Much of his remaining fur appears burnt or singed.  “That’s the senior druid!” Cassie exclaims.  “I though he was dead,” Mojo comments.  “Looks like he got better,” Alton adds. 

The Silver Moon Adventurers approach the quartet.  They nod greetings at the first three while Cassie and Alton head directly towards the gnoll.   Narg and Mojo follow, with Narg muttering “Do we really need to visit this guy?”  Mojo replies, “Yes, if we want to get rid of that other gnoll.”  They introduce themselves and the gnoll introduces himself as Dalcom.    Alton says, “I think we have something of yours, an apprentice named Nahmi.”   Dalcom angrily replies, “Then you can keep him.  I was tortured, incinerated and left for dead because of his actions.  I never want to see him again!” 

After a rather tense pause Mojo comments, “Well, Nothing that awful will ever happen to you again now that you’ve joined the Dragon Stalkers.  They usually don’t get close enough to any real danger to get hurt.”   Dalcom moves on, joining his newfound allies at the head table.  Mojo comments, “Wait a minute, that guy’s joined the Dragon Stalkers, and he never wants to see Nahmi again.  If we keep the guy then we never have to see the Dragon Stalkers again!”  “Sold,” Narg interjects.   Cassie tells Alton, “Guess that makes it unanimous.”

The Mayor of Gheldaylin stands and makes a great speech honoring the heroes.  The towns priest then stands and talks about the two members of the Dragon Stalkers who perished.  The party discovers that the deceased mage Asgorad had also come from Gheldaylin and was a childhood friend of Gellyath.   Each of the Dragon Stalkers are mentioned by name and given time to make a speech, with Gellyath, Kela and Teakas speaking fondly of their fallen allies.  Mojo mutters to Narg “Geesh, is this a banquet or a wake?”  Narg answers “A little of both I think.”  

The final speaker is Dalcom, and his speech actually interests the party.   He tells of his background, having been forced to work for the being claiming to be Yeenoghu, who commanded the Kadtanach.   He says that he was never a follower of that deity, but one does not say “No” to the god of your race.  Dalcom states that his job was to cast Pass Without Trace spells behind the monster to keep armies from immediately tracking it.  He assumed at first that the god could have done this himself but didn’t want to be bothered with this mundane task.   Only later did he start to suspect that ‘Yeenoghu’ wasn’t who he claimed to be.  

This suspicion was confirmed the previous day before, as Dalcom was interrogated and tortured by the being claiming to be Yeenoghu.  Dalcom states “I answered his questions truthfully, but he still accused me of lying.   The ability to detect lies is common among clerics, and a true god would certainly have that power.  I knew then that he was a false god.   I was later assisted by this town’s priest to inquire to his gods and my own about who this creature actually was, finding it to actually be a member of near-immortal race known as the celestials.”   Dalcom concludes his speech by swearing his loyalty to his new friends the Dragon Stalkers and pledging to help protect this world. 

The dinner is completed.   Cassie talks to Ral about the debris pile, informing her that “The Queen has granted us salvage rights.  Please keep everyone away from that pile.  I’ll be returning tomorrow with a construction crew.”    Cassie also makes arrangements with the inn to take care of the four draft horses until she returns.    

The party heads back upstairs to one of the rooms.   Nahmi is let out of the bag, and informed “We have some good news and some bad news.  The good news is that your master is alive.  The bad news is that he never wants to see you again.”   Alton volunteers to be Nahmi’s new instructor.  

Cassie says that she needs a few minutes to restudy her Teleport spell.  She discovers a footnote in her spell book that references the use of the spell in conjunction with a Helm of Teleportation, discovering that up to six teleports are possible with the use of a single spell!  _(1st Edition item description, the Helm having been acquired in a game way back in 1982)_ “Why didn’t we ever know that before?” Narg comments.   Cassie replies, “Kharole probably did but she must have forgotten. It’s her helm, and she’s still not high enough in level to know the Teleport spell, so she probably didn’t consider it important enough to mention.”   Alton says, “Well, that solves part of the problem of getting all of us to the Queen's Castle, since the Bags of Holding are currently all filled up with treasure!”


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## Blasphemonkey (Dec 30, 2003)

Silver Moon said:
			
		

> Actually it's foreshadowing for a future module.  From the moment I first saw a Rubic's Cube I've been designing a module where a giant inter-dimensional cube will visit the world, each square being a patchwork quilt of a different world.




Hey, that's a really neat idea. I have to conclude, though, that either you've been designing this module for about 20 years, or you've been out of the loop for awhile, as the good old Rubic's Cube came out in the early `80's.  

As for myself, I eventually "solved" the Cube by rearranging all the little colored stickers on it. Whatta maroon.   

- Blasphemonkey


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## Silver Moon (Dec 31, 2003)

Blasphemonkey said:
			
		

> ...I have to conclude, though, that either you've been designing this module for about 20 years, or you've been out of the loop for awhile, as the good old Rubic's Cube came out in the early `80's.



The former.  I originally started planning that module as my second "Epic".  I've now run five Epic-length modules (the latest being the frequently pimped "Chinese Take-out", played back in 2001) while that idea still remains in the development stage.     Oh well, here's the last numbered chapter in this Story Hour (an Epilogue still to follow):


*Chapter 34, “Audience with the Queen”, September 14th, 1019, 2:00 P.M.* 

The Silver Moon Adventurers arrive at the palace of Queen Jennifer, located in the city of Karjjil Valley in the Thenossia Lordholding.   The palace is comprised of a large walled structure with a multi-story tower and several baileys with other buildings.  _(DM’s Note: Jennifer’s place is modeled after Richmond Castle of Yorkshire, England, a picture of which can be found at the following link:_ http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/parade/hq69/Pages/hist_dia.html _)._

The adventurers are escorted into the Great Hall where the Queen awaits them.    She welcomes them and then asks for a detailed description of what transpired in Kralt.   Narg does most of the talking, giving a fairly accurate summary with Cassie adding in key details that he misses.   He concludes by telling her “Those Dragon Stalkers who you sent aren’t the most competent group in the world.”   She rhetorically replies, “I know.  Why do you think I asked you guys to go in there the day afterwards?” 

Mojo interjects, “Why did you appoint them in the first place?”   She answers, “Somebody needed the job.   Look, I gave you guys the most important places.  I appointed you to watch over Jawlt, where you live and several of you are political leaders, Thenossia, where I rule and you use to live, and Aldorn where the Lord is a close friend of yours who Cassie here has been named as a successor to.”  “Okay, that makes sense,” Cassie comments.    

Jennifer continues, “The Elucidators are competent and reside on the border of  the East and Zalpar Lordholdings, so it made sense appointing them to watch over those lands plus the other central Lordholding of Kaloon.    That left the Cantage, Eldamar and Kralt Lordholdings to go to someone else.  I’m not really worried about Cantage, as it has its own 1,000 strong army and a fleet of ships to protect itself with.   

Kralt and Eldamar are mostly forested lands where nothing much happens.  The only real major community in both of those Lordholdings is Eldamar City where the Dragon Stalkers live and are the local heroes of.    So it made sense to name them.  Yeah, I know, your spin-off team Da’Bears also lives in Eldamar City, but it is to both your advantage and mine for them to continue to have a  low profile for us to use for more clandestine operations.   Besides, from what you’ve said, the Dragon Stalkers at least tried to help this time, so give them credit for that.”   

The Queen summons a scholar advisor of hers and asks him what he knows about the race known as Celestials, which this false god apparently was a member of.   The scholar says that he has heard of them but does not know any details and will need to research it further.   He adds that he was under the impression that all Celestials were Lawful Good.    Mojo comments “Well, this wouldn’t be the first time that a good guy was turned evil and sent to this world.  Remember last year, when the evil Arch Mage Morgarth turned out to be the possessed Mordenkainen  _(Module #100, “Chinese Take-out”, the Story Hour of which is at the following link:_ http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=28642 _)._

Cassie reiterates that she wants salvage rights to the debris pile in Gheldaylin, which the Queen now formally grants, writing this out and marking it with the official seal.    The Queen then says, “Now, I wanted to give you some type of reward.”   Mojo states, “Your praise is reward enough, Milady.”   Alton yells, “Oh shut up Mojo.  You weren’t the one wrestling with the god!”  Mojo mutters, “No, I’d rather be wrestling with the Queen.”  

The Queen brings out a collection of sixteen magic items to give the party.  She explains that these were possessions of the former Halla Thief and Assassins Guild.   That Guild had attempted to assassinate both the Queen and King two months earlier  _(Module #117, “League of Assassins”, the Story Hour of which is at the following link _:http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=37644 _)._  Jennifer states that she has retaliated by having the Guild eradicated.   

The items consist of two broadswords, a shortsword, a hammer, a dagger, two rings, a pouch of sling bullets, a pair of gauntlets, a necklace, three potions, a protection scroll, a cloak, and a crimson rose.    The magic properties of each item are explained to the party.  Alton takes the rose, Mark takes the gauntlets, Cassie takes the dagger and one of the rings, Mojo takes the cloak and Nahmi takes the hammer.   Neither Narg nor Purge see anything they particularly want and suggest that the remainder be added into the collection of Party Magic.   Mojo’s player jokes that since Nahmi’s two weapons are now a hammer and sickle that he must be “Soviet gnoll”. 

Jennifer comments that she was glad that she didn’t have to also send in the Elucidators, as their mage Lynne is currently pregnant and her husband Ji-Do Kwan objects to her adventuring in that condition.  Narg comments that he was smart enough to let his pregnant wife Vallessa make that decision on her own, adding that “Since she no longer fits into her armor she’s more content to stay at home.”   Cassie comments “I’ll have Ji-Do’s twin sister Jamie _(another character of Cassie’s player)_ talk to him.  She still adventured during her pregnancies.”  Mark adds, “She would have had to, she was pregnant more often than not.”  

The conversation is winding down and Cassie says that they should prepare to teleport back to Silver Moon Island.    Mojo says, “Give me a few minutes, I need to go see somebody first.”  “And who would that be?” Jennifer innocently asks.   “A certain husband of yours,” is Mojo’s reply.   She replies, “He’s not around here.  He’s in his own section of the castle.”   “I’ll find him,” Mojo answers.   “You will not!,” she replies, adding “What is your problem?”

Cassie interjects, “He objects to your being back together with your husband.”  Jennifer replies, “Why?  It’s just a political arrangement so that I can directly control his two Lordholdings in addition to my own.”   Mojo angrily yells, “Yeah, right, except that you’re also sleeping with him!”  She answers, “We are not!  Quite frankly, he’d probably prefer you to me.”   “Huh?” Narg states.   Jennifer walks over to Mojo, points her index finger against his chest, and says, “Look, Matthan and I have an arrangement.   I’m discreet about my boyfriends and he in turn is discreet about his boyfriends.”   Mojo has a shocked look on his face.  Cassie just smiles, having figured that out a very long time ago.

Narg speak next, saying “Hold on?  Are you saying that Matthan’s playing for the other team?”   Jennifer replies, “Yes, but please keep that a secret.  That secret was what his brother Toronas and the High Priestess Pamela used to control his actions.”  Mark says, “So when he was courting you and those other two women…”   Jennifer responds, “That was only to give him an heir.   And it certainly worked in my favor, didn’t it?”   Narg glances around and says “Now that you mention it, this palace does look like it’s recently gotten a ‘Queer Eye’ makeover.”  

Mojo finally speaks, yelling to the Queen, “You could have mentioned something about that to ME!”   Jennifer smiles and replies, “Ah, but it was such fun watching you get jealous.”  Once everyone is finished having a laugh at Mojo’s expense he feels a renewed sense of self-confidence and tells them, “You guys move along home.  I think I’ll stay here for a while.”    Jennifer says, “Yes, I think the General and I need to confer about a number of things.”  

The others take the hint and teleport home.   Cassie finds her apprentice Hiroshi and works out arrangements to recruit a group of construction workers from his wife’s clan of miners from the orient for the salvage operation in Kralt.  Several weeks pass before Mojo returns to the Island.


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## Silver Moon (Jan 3, 2004)

*Epilogue: November 20th, 1019:*

Wurgul awakes Rizah from his deep slumber on this cold morning.  They arise and look out from their temporary quarters, a dilapidated shack situated behind the larger inn.    A dusting of snow covers the ground, the first snowfall of the year.   “What an odd thing, this ‘snow’”, Wurgul comments.   Rizah states agreement with his chief bodyguard.  The world where they came from had a warmer climate and snow only existed atop the highest mountain peaks.   They both head over to the back door at the inn and knock.  The human cook opens the door and passes them a platter of food that they take back to the shack.  

After consuming the majority of the food they then approach the slumbering bugbear in the far corner, awakening him and giving him the plate of remaining scraps.   The bugbear named Ploth gobbles down the food quickly and then asks if there is more.  Rizah replies “That is all they gave us.  Dress and go ask the human for more.  We are hungry too.”    The bugbear gets dressed up in some fine woolen clothing, a fur cloak, and gold-plated cloak clasp, rings, necklace and bracers.    Speaking in the gnoll language Wurgul comments “This ruse disgusts me.”  Rizah replies, “And myself as well, but that bugbear tribe ruled our valley for many generations.  It is to our advantage that all outsiders believe that they still do.”  

The three head to the side door of the inn and go inside, remaining in the hallway outside of the dining room.   The human trader Eberton is eating with his sons and then notices them, stands, and approaches the trio.   The bugbear asks in broken common “The sale today?”  Eberton replies, “Yes, in around two hours.  Go and ready the wagon.”  “Need more food,” the bugbear replies.   “Are you animal creatures always hungry?” Eberton rhetorically asks, grabbing up a bowl of fruit and cheese from a side table and handing it to them.  They eat the food and then head over to the stable and get the horses and wagon hitched up.   

While waiting for the human and his two sons to join them Rizah reflects back upon the prior two months.  After leaving the town of Gheldaylin, Rizah and his twenty-six gnoll followers traveled first to the south and then to the west, avoiding all humanoid settlements along the way.  They used the lizard-riders to scout, but only sent the wyvern high aloft at the first light of dawn and last light of dusk, to avoid being seen.   The aerial reconnaissance proved valuable, as it helped them to steer clear of the dwarven land of Northumberland.  

The group stuck to less traveled roads, sending their cavalry troops ahead to scout, and all hid whenever groups of three or more travelers approached.  Lone or paired travelers were stopped and interrogated for information before being killed, stripped of possessions, and buried where the bodies would not found.   The group was eventually told of a valley where gnolls of this world resided, deep in the Thenossian Mountains, which then became the group’s destination. 

They arrived to discover the gnoll tribe was subservient to a sizeable tribe of bugbears that ruled over the great valley and the surrounding mountains.   Rizah learned that a second tribe of gnolls and a very large tribe of goblins also resided in the area and were vassals to the bugbear sovereign.   Rizah invited the head of each of these three subjugated tribes to join his Leader’s Council and they then collectively plotted a revolt.    

On a warm day in mid-October the King of the Bugbears was taken by surprise, being grabbed up by the wyvern.   He was flown aloft and then dropped into the midst of the tribe from a great height.   His sudden death immediately demoralized the remaining bugbears while simultaneously signaling all of the gnolls and goblins to attack their masters.   No prisoners were taken, soon resulting in a group of only fifty bugbear survivors.  These were predominantly women and children, holed up in the most defensible section of the cave lair.   Those were then betrayed by the cowardly bugbear Ploth.  He told Rizah of a secret entrance to the lair in exchange for the life of himself and his mate.   The only other bugbears besides that couple who were left alive were infants and toddlers, as they were deemed young enough to be re-educated into the new tribe. 

Rizah was named Chief and he appropriated the previous bugbear lair as his home and headquarters.   The eight members of the Leader’s Council were each given the title of Sub-Chief with all honors accorded thereof.  The combined tribe is now comprised of nearly 400 gnoll and goblin warriors, with each of the gnolls from Rizah’s original command given the rank of Kegyai or higher.   For the past month these troops have engaged in military training exercises and raids upon any neighboring creatures that might prove to be a threat to his valley.   The most successful of these raids was against a mother wyvern, which had four baby wyverns that were still at an age where they could be domesticated and trained for use as mounts. 

Rizah saw to it that the carcass of the mother wyvern was skillfully skinned, knowing that it would be of great value as a trading commodity.  He also had the organs and blood of the creature packed in mountain ice to preserve as components for spells or magic items.   The bugbear tribe had traded with some distant human communities and a wagon was loaded up with the wyvern body.   It was decided that they would approach these humans, presenting Ploth as the new Bugbear King with Rizah and Wurgul acting in the role of his servants.    

In two days they reached the town of Almwell.  The human trader Eberton agreed to take them to a large city some thirty miles west of his town where he would broker the sale of the items in exchange for one-third of the price which Rizah, through Ploth, agreed to.   They traveled through the mountains and around Mount Karjjil, the continent’s highest peak, arriving in the city of Karjjil Valley two days ago.   The city has a population of 25,000 with the residents being  predominantly human.  However, ogres and orcs had once ruled this mountainous region and a considerable number of half-ogres and half-orcs continued to live there.   This tolerance towards monster-types meant that while Ploth, Rizah and Wergul received an occasional stare by passers-by nobody actually questioned their right to be there.   

This morning’s wait ends, breaking Rizah from his thoughts as Eberton and his sons climb up onto the wagon.  They leave the inn and proceed towards a large stone building in the center of the city.   The building has no exterior walls, the roof being supported entirely by columns.  It serves as an open marketplace and is presently crowded with people hawking their wares and a large number of shoppers.   They circle around on the roads near the building, eventually locating an available space to park the wagon.  

Eberton heads into the structure, returning with three individuals, two humans and an elf.  One human is a tanner, who shows interest in the wyvern hide.  He offers a sum of 900 gold pieces that Eberton says that is considerably low, asking for 1,600 instead.  A sum of 1,230 is eventually settled upon.   The other two individuals appear to be wizards or sorcerers and they are interested in purchasing the other wyvern components.   Each wants different items, except for the heart that appeals to them both, and Eberton initiates a short auction for it.    At the end of the transaction a total of 3,258 gold pieces are pledged.  Arrangements are made to deliver the items to the homes of the three individuals and then collect the payments.  

At the home of the elvan wizard a rather talkative apprentice helps with the unloading of the items and Rizah is able to glean considerable information from him about the city and continent.   Rizah discovers that this city is the continent’s capitol and that a human female is the current ruler.  Furthermore, she does not have a standing army, relying instead on three teams of adventurers for protection.   

The loquacious human goes on to tell Rizah what he knows about the invasion in central Kralt two months earlier, where two of these adventuring teams had to be mobilized to stop a giant beast that had a gnoll city atop its back.   The apprentice tells him “The leader of the invasion was a Hound Archon, a creature of the celestial race, who had claimed to be the gnoll deity Yeenoghu.  The Hound Archon escaped capture and is rumored still on the continent, attempting  to raise a monster army somewhere deep in the forests and hills of eastern Kralt.”  

When the transactions are complete the group prepares to exit the city.   Rizah is still processing all that he has heard, concluding that the entire continent is incredibly vulnerable and that the Queen is too overconfident.  He concludes that the creature claiming to be Yeenoghu made the  mistake of not understanding how this land was organized, and that with a little preparation the invasion could have been an overwhelming success.   Rizah thinks to himself “Well, his loss has become my gain, and will continue to be so.  If he is truly not Yeenoghu then I should be able to use that information to add his new forces to those of mine.”  

As they pass near the outer gates of the Queen’s Palace, Rizah whispers something to Ploth.  The bugbear tells Eberton “Stop the wagon.  One of my servants has a cramp and needs to get out and stretch his legs.”   Rizah climbs down from the wagon and approaches the large iron fence surround the outer castle grounds.  He surveys the sizeable stone structure and the many stone walls surrounding the castle, evaluating all of its defenses.   A human guard on the castle grounds eventually notices the gnoll standing there and approaches.  The guard states from inside the fence “Hey, you flea-bitten mutt.  What do you think you’re looking at?”  Rizah gives the man a toothy grin, and replies in well-articulated common, “I am looking at my future home.”   

*The End *


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## Silver Moon (Apr 13, 2004)

*Module #125 - Game #1 - 4/11/04*

*Chapter One, “Putting The Band Back Together”, January 14th 1020:*

It has been a quiet three months since the Silver Moon Adventurers helped rid the world of the Kadtanach and its invading army of monsters (Module #120, “Beast of Burden”).    The adventuring team has kept pretty much to itself _(largely due to the four intervening modules being with the gaming group’s two other campaigns)_.   The druid Serita has been spending much of the time in the city of Jawltorn, supervising the construction of the city’s new hospital    A heavy winter has also set in, with major storms in early November and weekly storms thereafter. 

The harbor on Silver Moon Island iced over in early December, preventing the arrival and departure of ships.   As such, there have been very few visitors on the island.  So it came as a bit of a surprise on this brisk January day when an old human wizard accompanied by a female centaur teleported onto the street outside of Jerry’s Tavern.   The centaur thanked her companion for the ride and he teleported away.   She entered the tavern.  Jerry, the gnome proprietor of the establishment, recognized her as Brianna, a cleric of Mileiki who belongs to he adventuring team known as The Elucidators.    

Brianna finds herself a table, moving aside a chair, orders up a meal and a bottle of wine.   After the meal she seeks and is granted permission to travel to the Silver Moon School several miles inland.   She arrives at the school and is greeted by the Headmistress of the school.  Headmistress Jamie is the twin sister of one of Brianna’s teammate, a monk named Ji-Do-Kwan.    They enter the parlor of the main house and Jamie’s cleric husband Vincenzo joins them.

Brianna gives her the good news, that former Silver Moon Adventurer Ji-Do-Kwan and his wife Lynne have become parents.   As both had each been twins Jamie asks, “How many?”  Brianna replies, “Too many.   It seems that our Viking teammate has his dwarven sidekick gave the newlyweds a bottle of wine last spring, which they had spiked with a fertility potion.   Do you know what happens when you add fertility to two people already inclined towards multiplicity?  You get five!”    Vincenzo comments, “Quintuplets!  The most we’ve ever gotten is twins.  I guess we’d better plan on those five joining the school in a few years.”

Jamie says, “I hope those fighters was punished for their practical joke.”  Brianna replies, “Indeed they have been.  Our team leader did not appreciate what they did, and spent over ten hours lecturing them.”  “About what I’d expect from a cleric of Ukko,” Vincenzo comments.  She says, “He then assigned them to handle all of the overnight feedings and changings.”  Vincenzo states, “So what.  They’ll just give the kids booze until they fall sleep.”  She answers, “Not with Lynne’s brother supervising them.   They have the night shift while the parents have the day shift.  I came to give you the news and also to see if I can hang out here for the next several months.  I’m not overly fond of human babies that cry day and night.”  

The good news travels quickly around the Island, with Cassie commenting, “It sounds like the Elucidators will be out of commission for the indefinite future.   The Queen assigned three of her Lordholdings to that team.   Any guesses who she’ll call instead if something comes up?”   Cassie’s speculation proves to be accurate, as five weeks later Mojo will receive a call from the Queen on his magical corkscrew/bottle opener/communication device.  

*February 17th , 1020:*

Narg and Vallessa’s child is due to be born.  They have temporarily moved into a room at Jerry’s Inn to be near the midwife Jamie and the clerics for the birth.  The inn is also in close proximity to the Tavern for the celebration to follow.    Mojo enters the tavern this day and approaches a table where Cassie, Jamie, Narg and Vincenzo are seated.   Mojo announces, “I just heard from Queenie.   The Dragonstalkers are tied up and the Elucidators are out of action, so she needs to have us head back up to the Kralt Lordholding for a mission.  Apparently that guy who pretended to be the gnoll god is still hanging out in the area causing trouble.”   

Narg blurts out “Great! Let’s Go!”  Jamie gives him an icy stare and says, “NO!  You’re not going anywhere Narg!”    He replies, “But the Queen needs us!”   She says, “She needs people whose wives will not be giving birth any day now!”    Vincenzo tells Narg, “You’re not going to win this one.”  Mojo tells Narg, “See you later.  I’ll tell you how it all turns out.”   Narg replies, “Like hell you will.  You’re the Godfather.  If I have to stay here then so do you.”   Mojo says, “But the Queen…”   Cassie interrupts, “The Queen wants a team to go on this mission.  The team doesn’t have to include either of you.  I’ll lead it, you stay here.” 

She then asks Mojo if she can borrow his communication device.  He says, “No, it’s mine.  I’m going to be needing it.”  “Fine, be that way,” she states and exits the tavern.   Narg turns to his companion and says, “You’re planning to talk to the Queen again?.”  Mojo replies, “Nah, but I’ll be needing the corkscrew and bottle opener.  You will too, hours of labor are nothing to sit through while sober.”   

Cassie decides to bring along the others from the previous Kralt mission, contacting both Alton and Mark to accompany her.   Alton insists on having her cast a “Reduce” spell on his motorcycle and placing it inside one of the three Bags of Holding.   He says, “I could have really used it last time and don’t want to be caught short again.”  

The monk Purge has long since left the Island, so Cassie decides to fill his spot on the team with his female human monk protégé Luekia.   She is a very unique individual and belongs to a rather reclusive order.  She wears gloves, a birka and hooded cloak that cover everything except for her eyes.  Like Mark, she had participated on a prior mission requiring aquatic transformation (Module #83, “Chariots of Water”) and can assume an aquatic form when triggered by a Dispel Magic spell.  She has spent the better part of the past year trying to avoid a half-orc party member who has fallen in love with her, and quickly volunteers to go along when asked. 

Cassie decides to bring along the dwarf Lannon on the mission.  He is the party’s most experienced thief, although in many ways he is really just a frustrated fighter whose low strength didn’t warrant his going into the fighting profession.    She rounds out the team with Timothy, a tall and very quiet human cleric of Ukko, who was also one of the founding members of the Silver Moon Adventures.  Timothy and Luekia each make arrangements to have their pegasi looked after while they are away.   Luekia also arranges to have an Invisibility spell cast onto her. 

The six adventurers assemble back at Jerry’s Tavern, having gathered together the necessary supplies for the mission.   Surprisingly, both Mojo and Narg are not around to see them off.  Jerry, Jamie, Vincenzo and Vallessa wish them well, as Cassie’s five teammates climb into two of the three Bags of Holding.   She picks up the bags and then teleports away to the Monastery of the Kralt Lordholder.


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## Silver Moon (Apr 17, 2004)

*Chapter Two, “What Has Transpired”, February 17th, 1020:*

Cassie arrives in the meditation area where Purge had teleported the group to the previous year.   She lets Alton, Lannon, Luekia, Mark and Timothy out of the bag and they approach the monastery.   Eight monks are guarding the door, Alton commenting to the others “Looks like they’ve heightened security, there were only two last time.”   Cassie wastes no time with conversation, announcing to the guards “We are the Silver Moon Adventurers.  I believe that we are expected.”  

They are led through the building and into the large meeting room with the elaborate tapestry depicting the Kralt Lordholding affixed to the wall.   The monk greets each of them by name and thanks them for coming to help.   Lannon notices something odd about an area on a side wall, which just doesn’t look right to his dwarven genes.  Further concentration on the area shows it to be just slightly out-of-phase.   He gets the Lordholder’s attention and gestures.   The monk turns to the wall and says, “These are friends.  You can reveal yourself.”

The party watches as a large humanoid form appears beside the wall.  The form stands around 12 feet tall and is the exact same shade and texture as the wall, perfectly camouflaged.  It then steps away from the wall, and the skin tone changes to the rocky hue normally associated with stone giants, this humanoid’s race.   Timothy checks out the creature’s aura, quietly whispering to the others that it is neutral in alignment. 

Assuming the giant to merely be a bodyguard, the party goes back to ignoring it, and Cassie asks, “So, what has transpired in the last five months?”    The Lordholder replies, “Through a combination of clerical and magical means and interviewing of his captured past associates we have been able to derive a great deal of information about the enemy leader who commanded the great beast that attacked our land.”   Cassie interrupts by asking, “Has the beast returned?”  The monk replies, “No, it appears to have left our world for good.  The enemy leader, however, has remained in Kralt and continues to cause trouble.”

“Who exactly is he?” Lannon asks.   The Lordholder replies, “He is a creature known as a hound archon.  It is a member of an immortal race known as the celestials.  Think of a hound archon as an eternal lab-dog to the gods.  “Ah, someone to fetch the cosmic slippers,” Alton quips.   The monk continues, “Yes, and hound archons are all lawful-good in alignment, subservient to the wishes of their lawful good masters.”    This hound archon had been sent to hunt down the evil wizardess Sykless that you fought atop the beast.   “And she found a way to control it?” Cassie asks.

The monk replies, “Not exactly.  Are any of you familiar with a magic item known as a ‘Mirror of Opposition’?    Cassie replies, “Vaguely, it creates a type of opposite image doesn’t it?”   He replies, “Yes, with all of the same powers but of the opposite alignment.  And Sykless owned one.  So when the archon came to capture her she used it on him.   This opposite creature was equal in power to the good archon, and with Sykless’s assistance they were able to defeat and destroy the good one.   She and the evil one then formed an evil alliance.   She had the knowledge to capture the extra-plainer beast while he used his form and abilities to convince the gnolls that he was their deity.”

Mark comments, “That explains a lot.  We didn’t see any such mirror in the howdahs on the beast.”   The monk replies, “It was probably well hidden, as something that powerful is too dangerous to just leave sitting around.   Given how violently that travelling gnoll city was reduced to rubble it is safe to say that the mirror no longer exists.”   

“But the evil archon still does?” Lannon asks.  The monk states, “Yes, and has been spending the last five months raising an army. He has all of the abilities of the original archon, including the ability to plane shift to the Seven Heavens, but since the beings there are opposite his alignment he is wise enough not to.   That therefore leaves him stranded here on our world.   Most of the land of eastern Kralt is wilderness, with few human settlements but lots of small disorganized lairs of humanoid monsters.   It is these that he has been recruiting and organizing.

“And you’ve waited until now to call us?” Alton exclaims.    The monk replies, “The Queen has sent two teams to deal with the threat.   The Dragonstalkers have been in the Lordholding since November, being very effective with continuous strikes against the archon’s army using guerilla tactics and thereby driving his forces away from human towns.”  Cassie exclaims, “That group has actually been effective?  That’s new!  That druid must have taken over the team.”   The monk replies, “I concur.  Gellyath remains team leader, but the gnoll druid Dalcom’s quest for vengeance against the archon does appear to now be the driving force for that team.”  

“And the other team?”  Luekia asks.    He replies, “On loan to the Queen from your Lord Kindor, known as the ‘Suicide Squad’”.   Alton states, “Oh, those bums.  We captured them when they attacked our Island a while back (Module #98: ‘Retake the Island’).  Kindor’s having them work-off their prison sentence.”   The monk says, “Yes.  Their assigned team leader and head guard is a high-level druid, and he has been coordinating his team's actions with the druid Dalcom on the other team.    They’ve been hitting the enemy with two-pronged assaults.”

Lannon asks, “What is the make up of the archon’s army?”    The monk replies, “The celestial has the most influence on animal-based creatures so the majority of his forces are comprised of gnolls and bugbears.   He also has nearly total control on canines, and has drawn together most of the wolves of the Lordholding.  He uses them as his first line of attack and so many wolves have been slain during the past three months that I fear we will have an overpopulation of deer next winter.  Also among his troops a hobgoblin tribe who rides upon giant worg wolves, as the wolves were led to follow the archon and they chose to stay with their mounts.   We have also heard rumors that the archon has attracted several lycanthrope followers of the werewolf and werebear races.”  “He has been busy,” Alton comments.   

“How large is his army?” Lannon inquires.   The monk replies, “For the last several months it has numbered between 500 and 700, although that recently changed.   He had continued his ruse of being the gnoll deity Yeenoghu but the deception was found out last month, and two-thirds of his forces then abandoned him.”   “Where are those troops now?” Cassie asks.   The monk replies “They are long gone.  They must have feared retaliation for desertion from his remaining and future forces because they returned to their homes, packed up their families, and then left the Lordholding, disappearing into the mountains of Thenossia.”   

“And his remaining troops?” Mark inquires.  “Currently on a major offensive against the Dragonstalkers and Suicide Squad.   The archon however is not with them, having retreated to the safety of his lair.”    “Ah, I get it.  That’s where you want us to strike,” Lannon exclaims.  The monk replies, “Yes, we have just now found details as to the exact location of this lair.”   The stone giant has remained silent until this point but now speaks in a deep baritone voice that resonates throughout the room stating, “He is in my home.  I want him gone from there.”


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## Silver Moon (May 12, 2004)

*Chapter Three, “Entry Strategies”, February 17th, 1020:*

Gesturing to the giant, the Lordholder states, “My friend is from a mountainous area of southeastern Kralt, not far from the border to the East Lordholding.   He arrived here a few days ago with information about the archon’s whereabouts.”    Looking towards the giant, Cassie says to him in the language of the Stone Giants “Please sir, tell us your story.”

The giant states, “The stone giant cavern was home to me and three of my friends.   We thought it was well hidden and easy to defend, but this dog-like creature and his army still manged to invade.    The giant guarding the area near the bridge was incinerated by the creature whose forces then overran our cavern.   We fought hard but were overwhelmed by the greater numbers.   I survived only due to my ability to blend into walls, staying in one place until I had an opportunity to get away.  My friends were not as fortunate."

“I am sorry for your loss,” Cassie states.   A long period of silence follows, until the giant finally says “I am told that you can help rid my home of this vermin.”   “It’s what we do best,” Alton states.   “Can you describe the layout of your home to us?” Lannon asks.   The Kralt Lordholder says, “We can provide you with much more than that.  One of my monks is a skilled cartographer and has been working for several days now in making a detailed map of the caverns.”

They are led over to a table in the corner of the room where a full-color map has been laid out.  _[Note: The map shown to them is the “Map of Mystery” from page #47 of Dungeon Magazine #108]_

The ‘Stone Giant Caverns’ are comprised primarily of one very large chamber that is roughly a diagonal oval 100x300 feet in size with stones of various size breaking up the formation.  Off from it are several more smaller chambers, one of which is identified as being the ‘Chieftan’s Cave’.   “The leader is probably holed up in there,” Luekia comments.   

There appears to be only one main entranceway, with a rope and stone bridge leading to it across a chasm.   On the lair side of the bridge is a large grassy ledge, roughly 80x100 feet in size,  From this ledge are two stone caves with staircases up into the main lair.   Also higher up along the chasm wall is a smaller sentry ledge that looks out over the bridge.   Lannon comments, “That will probably be too well defended.  We should look for another way in.”  

“Tell us about this underground river?” Luekia asks the giant.    He explains that it flows from the east and passes by a side chamber of the lair, which is where the lair gets its water.   “Could we swim in?” Luekia asks.   The giant replies, “Probably not, it is totally underwater for over a half-mile leading to the liar.   That was how I escaped, but I can hold my breath for up to half-an-hour.”  “I think we can handle that one,” Cassie comments asking, “What exactly is located at that point the half-mile west?”   He replies, “Just a ledge along the river to come up for air, then it goes underwater again for nearly a mile.”   

Cassie asks Alton “Do you still have that amulet of ESP?”   He indicates that he does and hands it to her.   She explains to the giant that she needs him to visualize in his mind the ledge a half-mile west of the lair for her to capture that image in order to be able to teleport there.   He shows reluctance to having his mind probed, but the Lordholder assures him, “It’s safe and she can be trusted.  She’s only going to draw from you your surface thoughts, not what is deeper in your mind.  Think only of the destination itself and that is all she will see.”  The giant does as instructed and she focuses on the amulet’s power for a few minutes then says, “Okay, got it.  Thanks.”  

Looking back at the map Timothy comments “What is this large pit in the center of the main room?”   The giant replies “It goes deep down to the center of the earth.  We use it to get rid of our trash.”   Alton comments, “We should be careful of it.  You never know what this celestial may have pulled out from down there.”

Cassie asks the monk, “Did you find out anything about this hound archon’s powers?”   He replies, “The creature can send flames from his hands.  He apperat o have immunity to flames and like all celestials is partial immunity to other types of attack.   He can mimic some spell abilities.  He can assume the form of any canine, and like druidic transformations, gains partial healing with each transformation.”   Alton says, “Yeah, I saw that one.  I hit him with a powerful missile weapon last time, but he got better by changing into a funky dog.”  The monk says, “Well, according to his followers he carries a deep visible scar on his head from that encounter, so he is not totally invulnerable.”  Alton replies, “Damn, I knew I should have shot him again.”

The monk wishes them luck and the giant thanks them for attempting to rid his home of this vermin.   Cassie has the group gather into two of the party’s bags of holding, and she then teleports away to the location derived from the giant’s thoughts.


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## Silver Moon (May 31, 2004)

*Chapter Four, “Going with the Flow”, February 17th, 1020:*

Cassie lets the group out of the Bags of Holding, with them now standing upon the ledge with the river flowing by.  “Okay, how are we going to do this?” she asks.   Luekia suggests that she and Mark be hit by a Dispel Magic to trigger their aquatic forms.   Alton says that he could do a druidic transformation.  Cassie points out that she could also use the Belt of Shape Change.   

“Why don’t we do all,” Mark suggests.   Cassie replies, “No, that’s risky too.  This is a rather fast river and flows to a waterfall.  More people means more chance of getting separated, hurt or seen by the enemy and ruin the element of surprise.  I should probably go alone.”   The others object to that, seeing that as dangerous also.   They eventually decide to send just the two aquatics, as they are most comfortable in that environment.    

Timothy tosses a dispel magic onto the pair, with Mark becoming a sea elf and Luekia becoming a triton.   Mark had removed his armor prior to the transformation.  Luekia waits until afterwards to remove her burka, her specific transformation magically made to create for her a solid black well-oiled skin suit beneath (similar to a modern wet suit) that like her other attire keeps all but her eyes covered.  Each take a pair of party members in a Bag of Holding.  Mark sheathes his magical sword with darkness now filling the cavern.

They enter the river, their eyes both adjusting to the darkness and they swim with the current keeping each other close.   They are careful to avoid various protrusions in their path as they travel the underground river, staying with the widest flow as side passageways intersect off from it, as they would have been too narrow for the giant to swim through.   They eventually reach an area where the river flows into an underwater cavern approximately 50 by 80 feet in length, with illumination coming from the surface above.   

Luekia surfaces near where the river first breaks the surface, seeing a ledge area with several creatures on the opposite shore.   She heads back down and swims with Mark closer to them, to where a large rock juts out to the surface around 30 feet from the ledge area.   They surface behind the rock to use it for cover and then scout out the room.    The ledge runs 60 feet east to west at its widest point and ranges from 20 to 60 feet north to south, the narrowest section being that closest to them.   The area is lit by torches.  

They see five creatures of two different races.  Two appear to be large bears, standing upon two legs a few feet into the water.  They have bags of clothing that they appear to be washing by beating them upon several rocks.   The remaining three creatures are standing around some boulders at the far end of the room.   They appear to be humanoid bears, possibly were-bears, and are wearing clothing and carrying weapons.   

They cannot see part of the room from the angle they are at, so they head back below the water and swim over to another rock 50 feet further south.    This turns out to be a wise move, as from here they can see the only exit from the room, a stone staircase leading up into the remainder of the complex.  Standing on the stairs are a quartet of armed bugbears.    

Luekia suggests that they carefully follow the river down to the waterfall to check out the other entrance.   This reconnaissance shows that area and the ledge above it to be filled with over a dozen hobgoblins archers and several hobgoblins riding atop large worg wolves.   Mark comments, “No good.  Those wolves will smell us long before we ever get close.”  

They return to the first cave and surface behind the second large rock, opening the bags of holding enough to converse with the others.    Mark then alerts them to movement on shore.  The waiting has paid off, as the bears have now finished the laundering.  They collect the clothing in baskets and head back to the main complex, the four bugbears following them from the room.  The three humanoid bears remain, now moving back to the area near where the bears had been and inspecting it.  Mark comments “I’ll take three over nine any day.”

Battle plans are made.   Luekia swims over to the first rock.   They cannot see the three creatures from here, but that works both ways, so Lannon is let out of the bag.  He climbs onto her back and she swims him the short distance to the side wall, which he begins to climb.  Cassie is told by Luekie, “Be ready to shape change if I have to open the bag underwater.”  Luekia stays with Lannon from beneath the water as he makes his way toward the landing.

Mark has meanwhile swum to the far end of the room, over near where the creatures had originally been, and stays just beneath the surface behind a small outcropping that provides a minimal of cover.   Once Lannon is in position near the creatures Mark opens the bag just above the surface of the water and Timothy begins to climb out.   Timothy’s voice fills the chamber from the spell he casts, a Silence over the stone staircase to block all future noise from this room. 

The creatures react to the sound of a human voice echoing through the chamber.   Luekia exits the water, creating a further distraction as Lannon drops from behind and backstabs one of the monsters.   A second slash is all it takes for the creature to perish, its two companions charging towards Luekia who dives back beneath the water.    

Timothy has now climbed onto the banks of the shore, and tosses a Hold Person spell onto the creatures, which fails to work.   Alton hands Mark’s bow up to him and the sea elf stands at the waters edge, firing silver-tipped arrows at the monsters.    Alton then climbs from the bag and illuminates the pair of remaining foes with a Faerie Fire spell to make them better targets for Mark.  

With foes on several side the creatures back up towards the staircase and begin to run.  Luekia lets Cassie out of the bag and she uses her Wand of Force to create a Force Wall several stairs up.  The creatures collide abruptly with the wall, one falling back.   They both then pound on the wall, finding no way through.   The two decide to head back to the main chamber to fight, but the party are now ready for them and the battle ends quickly. 

The party decide to do further reconnaissance.   They decide to keep the Silence spell in place, but Cassie removes the Force Wall so that an invisible Lannon can now go check out the main chamber above.   He finds the room appears similar to that on the map, except it has nearly fifty occupants.   A bonfire is raging in the firepit, illuminating the vast chamber.  These include  around ten were-wolf type creatures, some larger than man-sized.  Many wolves circle the room.  Various other humanoid animals are also present, but he fails to see the creature he fought on the Kadtanach the previous autumn, although several rooms and side.   A tweleve-foot tall bald albino wolf-man with various painted markings on his body stands by the fire chanting.  One thing that concerns him most are piles of robes and horse barding lying in place around the pit.   He returns to the others to tell them what he has seen and for them to plan further.


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## Silver Moon (Sep 16, 2004)

*Chapter Five, “Into the Lair”, February 17th, 1020:*

They decide to move on in two teams.   Lannon will turn invisible and bring Mark and Cassie with him in one bag of holding while Luekia will try to move unseen in her dark burka with Alton and Timothy in another bag.   This will give each trio a rogue, a high-level cleric, a person who can transform into an animal, and a person in semi-aquatic form if an emergency water exit is required.  

Luekia continues to control the wolves, sending them down the far entrance to the ledge with the hobgoblins and instructing the wolves to attack whoever or whatever they find there.   This catches the attention of the other humanoid creatures within the room.   

Lannon continues to scale the wall without being detected and makes his way forward, bypassing most of the humanoid wolves and bugbears in the room.    He makes his way towards the staircase leading up to the leader’s chamber, finding it blocked by two giant humanoid wolves and a half-dozen bugbear.   He decides to try to pass them by climbing the ceiling about their heads.  

Lannon passes most of the creature, noticing that the ceiling appears to be moist in this region.  He reaches a spot where part of the ceiling crumbles in his hand, dust and rock falling below.  This catches the attention of the guards, one of which comes over to where he is to investigate.  Lannon remains still and waits until the guard concludes that nothing out of the ordinary is happening and returns.  

Lannon continues and more of the ceiling comes off in his hand and falls.   This convinces all of the guards that something is indeed going on.   Several of the guards head up to and unlock the door to the chamber, entering to alert and guard their leader.   This actually helps Lannon, as he scampers into the room while the door is opened.   

The room has some furniture in it and Lannon moves to behind a large trunk to let Mark and Cassie out of the Bag of Holding.   Realizing that the animal-creatures will soon detect their scent, they waste no time in attacking.   Cassie is restricted from using her most lethal spells due to small size of the chamber.  Mark directly attacks while Cassie tosses Magic Missile spells into the fake deity to prevent him from using spells.   Lannon tries to sneak across for a backstab but the creature detects him.   Cassie then shifts to tossing spells into the creature’s bugbear bodyguards while Lannon and Mark drive their magical swords into the creature.  

The fake deity then polymorphs into an oversized spectral wolf, which causes Lannon and Mark some pause as Lannon says “That’s the same thing that big Mojo and caused him to start dissolving.” The momentary respite is all the time that the creature needs to make a break for the doorway, at speeds faster than the other three can stop him.   The main alarms have now been sounded in the primary room.   As the spectral wolf charges into the main chamber other humanoid wolves flock to it.   The large hairless and tattooed humanoid wolf rushes to the pit and casts a spell, causing the empty robes near the pit to fill up with ghost-like creatures.   

From behind the hiding area Luekia calls back the wolves she has sent away while Timothy charges out with his holy symbol and successful turns the undead, causing them to return to the pit.  Alton tosses Heat Metal spells onto the weapons of the creatures in the room.    The wolves that Luekia controls return followed by a dozen goblins riding upon worg wolves.    Cassie is now in a large enough chamber to let loose by massive Fireballs from her crown, which has the effect of cutting down roughly half the opponents in the room.   

Alton and Cassie then work out an effective tag-team maneuver that they had planned.  She casts Rock to Mud beneath the fake god’s feet, turning the floor under his feet into quicksand, which the wolf form cannot move through.   He polymorphs back into his humanoid dog form only to then be hit with Alton’s Detect Magic, which turns the mud back into rock, encasing him in the floor.   Cassie the skewers the trapped creature with a Lightning Bolt, by which time both Mark and Lannon are upon him.   Lannon stabs into the creature’s heart as Mark drives his sword into its skull.   

Once the leader is dead the remaining animal creatures come out of a daze.  The hobgoblin leader negotiates with the party, stating that they were controlled and requesting permission to leave rather than fight.   Cassie agrees to these terms only after receiving the promise that they would leave the Kralt Lordholding.   The remaining monsters quickly depart. 

A quick search of the leader’s room finds a chest with coins, mostly copper but enough of other metals to be worth taking.   The bags of holding are filled.   The group teleports back to the Monastery and reports their success.  The Kralt Lordholder orders up that a celebratory meal be prepared and insists that they spend the night as his guests.  

The End (for now)


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## Silver Moon (Oct 6, 2004)

*Module #128 - Sept. 26, 2004*

*Module 128, “The Birth”, February 18th, 1020:*

Narg and Mojo are sitting around Jerry’s tavern having a beer with Jerry and Vincenzo while the midwife Jamie checks on the Vallessa.   She returns and announces “The baby has dropped, looks like the birth could be any day now.”   Narg exclaims “It’s about time, I don’t think I can take much more of this.”  Jamie exclaims “You?  She’s the one who’s got something growing inside of her.”   Narg replies, “And tells me every chance she gets.”

Jamie and Vincenzo leave to return to their farm.   Jerry looks to Narg and says, “I gather you two had another fight?”  He replies, “Yeah, this time over my sneakers of all things.  I’ve been wearing them for the five years since we last visited Alton’s world, so they’re now to the point where they are really comfortable.  She insists they are old and worn out and should be thrown away.”   Mojo says, “Well, if that’s her criteria she should get rid of you too.”

The three don’t act the least bit surprised when Cassie teleports back into the middle of the room and dumps the others out of the Bags of Holding.   Jerry gets each of them food and drink while they relate what transpired up in the Kralt Lordholding. 

February 19th, 1020:

Another day of sitting around the tavern when an unexpected arrival walks through the door, namely Narg Junior (he is from an alternative future, see the Story Hour for Module #100, “Chinese Take-out”).  The group last saw him the previous year at Narg and Vallessa’s wedding.   “What are you doing here?” Narg asks.   The boy replies, “Tomorrow’s my birthday so I thought I’d spend it with you.”  

Narg replies, “That’s nice, if I’d known I would have bought you a present.”   Mojo looks at Narg and says “Hey Dummy, don’t you get it!  Tomorrow is his birthday….your son.”  Narg exclaims, “Oh, yeah, I should go tell Vallessa.”   Jerry says “No you idiot, leave her alone and don’t tell her anything, she’ll find out soon enough.  Just alert the midwife and her cleric husband.  Send somebody to get them NOW!   Trust me on this, my wife had twenty-six children.”  

Mojo asks Narg Junior “Won’t it be rather strange, you being here to see yourself be born?”  The boy replies, “No stranger than seeing a younger version of you Dad (the alternative Mojo was his stepfather).”   “Don’t call me that,” Mojo replies.   The boy looks around and says, “Hey, where is that half-elf Bitsey who I met at your wedding?  She was really cute.”  

Narg blurts out “Away, far away!”  Jerry says, “Not that far.  She’s the this Lordholding, in the town of Farnsberg.  She’s the town’s current Mayor.”   Mojo interjects “Big deal, you get to be Mayor of that town by winning a pie eating contest.”   Jerry interjects, “There’s more to the competition than that and the Mayer gets their weight in gold.”   The boy says, “So she’s both cute and rich.   See you guys later.”  He disappears out the door. 

As anticipated, later that evening Vallessa goes into Labor. 

February 20th, 1020, 11:30 A.M.:

After fourteen hours of heavy labor a three-quarters elvan boy is born.   Vallessa is adamant that the boy NOT be named Narg Junior.    Narg says “But that is what we named him last time.”  She replies, “No, I was told that in that other reality you were dead and I named him that in your memory.  You’re very much alive this time.”   Mojo interjects “Well, if that’s the only problem with the name I can take care of that for you.”

They spend the rest of the day working on names, coming up with a long list of choices including the names Clint, Otis, Brooks, Duke, Scott, Jay, Bootsey, Macco, Mac, Rudy, Duncan, Meldar, Ranier, Kathadin, Cuarthol and Two-sheds.  Mojo likes the name Spike and says that is what he’ll be calling he kid regardless of the name chosen.    The day ends with them still unsure, but with Narg leaning towards Cuarthol, an elvan term meaning bow & helm, and Vallessa leaning towards Kathadin, a name of unknown origin although it has an elvish sound to it. 

May 9th, 1020:

Nearly three months have gone by and Narg and Vallessa still haven’t reach any agreement on what to name their son, who the nickname “Spike” seems to be sticking to.   

The ship Silver Moon arrives in the city of Jawltorn where most of the party has arrived for the ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the City of Jawltorn Hospital, which Serita is the chief administrator of.    They arrive at the building where the auction had taken place the previous year (see the Story Hour for Module #117, “League of Assassins”).    Kindor has converted the building into an ambulance bay, with eight horse drawn medical carts.  He has also had a hospital ship constructed and docked a mile away, to transport these teams anywhere on the continent in the event of an emergency. 

Serita gives the group a tour of the hospital, an elaborately made multi-story stone building built in the shape of a wagon wheel.   The circular outer ring has all of the patient rooms, each of the nine ‘spokes’ are devoted to clergy and healers of the different religious alignments and the center circle is the hospital ‘s administration building.    The opening ceremonies go well.


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## Silver Moon (Nov 4, 2004)

*Module # 130 - Game 1 - 10/31/04*

Module #130, “Into the Fire” by Grant and David Boucher, is from Dungeon Magazine #1   The module states _“A small kingdom with a mountainous western border is assumed to exist; the DM should name the kingdom, its king, and its capital as desired”._   I have chosen to use “Istivin: City of Shadows” by Greg A. Vaugham & Erik Mona from Dungeon Magazine #117 for these elements, and will then follow up the adventure with one or more modules from the Istivin trilogy presented in Dungeon Magazine #117-119. 


Cast of Characters
Fiona, female half-elf 8th Level Wizard (Celticwolf)
Mojo, male elf 8th Level Fighter  (Enchantr)
Mark, male half-elf 8th Level Ranger (player not online)
Narg, male half-elf 9th Level Fighter  (Biz1489)
Purge, male human 6th Level Monk (NPC) 
Serita, female half-elf 11th Level Druid  (Kriskrafts)


*Chapter 1, “On the Road Again”, May 25th, 1020:* 

On a sunny spring day, several of the adventurers are sitting around Jerry’s Tavern on Silver Moon Island.    The party leader Narg is celebrating the fact that he and his wife have finally agreed upon a name for their three-month old child, that being Curin. With Narg are his friends Mojo and Mark, as well as the druid Serita who has recently returned from the City of Jawltorn. 

The mid-day meal is interrupted by the familiar buzzing sound of Mojo’s combination magical communication device and bottle-opener.   “It’s the Queen Phone” Mark, Narg and Serita exclaim in unison.”    “I have to find a way to turn this thing off,” Mojo states as the buzzing sound increases.   “Just answer it,” Mark states.   Mojo flips open the corkscrew on the device and speaks into it stating “Hi Sweetie, what’s up?” 

Mojo looks up and says, “She has another mission for us.”  Narg states, “Can we get paid this time?  I’m tired of doing this for free.”   Mark tells him “Stop complaining.  You didn’t even go on the last one.”   Serita asks Mojo “What’s the mission?”    He relays back “Missing person, some Prince from one of the little kingdoms in the East Lordholding.”    “How long has he been missing?” the druid asks.   Mojo relays the question and then replies “Fifteen years.”   “And they’ve waited until now to call us?” Narg exclaims.   

Mojo gets a few more details and then says goodbye.   He puts the corkscrew back in his pocket and says, “She wants us to go to a City State known as Istivin.  The King just discovered a clue to his long-lost son and wants someone to investigate.”  “Where is this place?” Serita asks.  Mojo replies “Along the boarder of the Zalpar Lordholding.”  “Aw no, we have to go hang out with those hippies,” Narg states.    Mojo replies, “Yeah, we’re to start at the Quan Hospice, where the Eludicators Adventuring Team hangs out.”   Serita says “Are we going to get paid?”  Mojo replies, “We should, she says the kingdom’s wealth comes from gold, silver and platinum mining.”

They discuss who should go.   Narg volunteers to lead the group.  Serita says “Shouldn’t you stay home with your baby?”   Narg replies, “Nah, I just get in the way.”  Serita says that he shouldn’t desert his wife with a colicky baby.    Narg reluctantly agrees to hire a nanny to help her out while he is gone and sends a message over to Jamie, the headmistress of the school on the island.   Jamie arranges for one of the teenage hengeyokai girls to stay with Vallessa.  Jamie also gives Narg a shopping list of items to pick up that are needed for the school.

All four decide to go but it is noted that they don’t have any wizards or rogues with them.   Serita heads over to the home of the wizardess Fiona to convince her to come along while Mark tracks down the monk Purge.    Objections are raised to Fiona bringing along her pegasus, but she points out that she knows how to cast a ‘Reduce’ spell, so it will fit into the Bag or Holding for travel.   Narg says “In that case we’re taking TWO bags of holding, I’m not traveling with any hay burner.” 

Mojo suggests bringing his new roommate, the drow elf ranger Ailsheir.  Narg exclaims “No drows!  And I can’t believe you gave him my old room!”    Mark says to Mojo “I thought you were going to take Narg’s old room and give yours to Ailsheir.”  Mojo says,  “I was, except that would have required me to clean his room and then move all of my stuff.   It was easier just to give it to the drow as is.”   “And he didn’t mind the mess?” Serita asks.   Mojo replies, “Well, before he joined us he had lived in the Abyss, Narg’s room was only a little worse.” 

Fiona and her mount get into one Bag while the four men climb into the other.  Serita picks up the bags and teleports the group to the Quan Hospice.    The Hospice is one of ten stone fortresses along the Zalpar Boarder Road, a 400-mile long roadway that surrounds the landlocked Lordholding.   While Zalpar places severe restrictions on travel within their lands but all people are free to use the border road, which is guarded and patrolled by the Zalparian dwarves of New Rockhome.   Travelers may also stay free of charge for up to a week at any of the hospices. 

Each of the Zalparian Hospices was built at a strategic location along the road, on easily defended higher elevations with visibility for tens of miles all around.   A trio of administrators consisting of a wizard, a scholar and a monk runs each hospice.   A dwarven military unit is also stationed at each hospice.   

The Quan Hospice also serves as the home and headquarters for the Elucidators, one of the continent’s best-known adventuring teams.    Rather than maintaining a standing army the Queen has assigned the protection and defense of her Lordholdings to three different teams of adventurers.   The Eludicators are responsible for the three central lordholdings while the Silver Moon Adventurers look after the three southern lordholdings.   Unfortunately the Elucidators are currently out-of-commission so the Silver Moon has been doing double duty. 

Dominic, a gnome high priest of Ukko who serves as leader of the Elucidators, greets the Silver Moon Adventurers.   He escorts them all to the Hospice’s nursery, which is the reason why his team is currently unavailable.   Inside the nursery are the monk and former Silver Moon team member Ji-Do Kwan, his wife and wizardess Llynn, and their four-month old quintuplets.  Serita empties out of the bag-of-holding a large quantity of knitted baby clothes that Jamie had made for her new nieces and nephews.    

Narg tells Ji-Do “My son is around the same age, I know what you’re going through.”  “Times five,” the monk replies.   Dominic thanks the Silver Moon for agreeing to take his team’s missions in the interim stating that, “Once the kids are toddlers and weaned we’ll be able to have the monks at the hospice watch them when the Queen needs us.”   Ji-Do says “Yeah, and when the kids turn five or six they’ll be moving to the school on your island.”   “We don’t need that,” Mojo exclaims.   “As if Jamie would let them go anywhere else for school,” Llynn comments. 

Mojo pulls Narg aside and says “We don’t need any more children on the island.”  Narg replies, “What do you mean?  I love kids, and you’ve got the majority of a softball team right here.”  Mojo answers, “Softball?  Look who these kids have for parents, a monk and a mage.  They’ll be a bunch of bookworms.   They won’t want to play ball, they’ll just sit on the bench and do mathematical equations in their heads.”  Narg repels “Well, I could use a good team statistician.”

Dominic tells the party they should go get settled and he will talk to them over dinner.  Narg replies, “Good.  Then you can tell us about this petty little kingdom we have to go save.”  Serita adds “Well, it least it’s somewhere that we’re not in any trouble with.  There aren’t many places like that left on this continent.”   Mojo reassures her “Don’t worry, I’m sure that we’ll also wear out our welcome there in no time.” 

The Silver Moon adventurers are each shown to individual rooms.   Fiona locates the stables and gets her pegasus out of the bag before the reduce spell wears off.


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## Silver Moon (Nov 12, 2004)

*Chapter 2, “Off to Istivin”, May 25th, 1020:* 

The Silver Moon Adventurers join the Cleric Dominic and the other members of his team for dinner.   Present at this meal are the ‘night crew’ of babysitters, comprised of the dwarven fighter Flashis and human Viking fighter Torvard.   The two of them were inadvertently responsible for the multiple births by giving the newlyweds a bottle of wine that had been spiked with a fertility potion.  As punishment Dominic assigned them the evening caretaker chores, supervised by Llynn’s brother Aaron to ensure that they take proper care of the infants. 

Over dinner Narg asks Dominic for information about the Kingdom of Istivin.   The cleric replies “They are a small mountainous land along the border with Zalpar.    The Kingdom currently has a population of over 25,000, the majority of whom live in the capital city of Istivin.  The city itself is in the far northeastern corner of the Kingdom.   The city is not far from the Davish River, which flows and merges with the larger Javan River to the east, that river marking the border to the adjacent Kingdom of Keoland.    The city and most townships lie on the Sterich Plain, surrounded by the Chrystalmist Mountains to the north, west and southwest and the Joten Mountains to the south and southeast.  

The city itself has a long history, dating back 800 years.  The population is 80% human, 15% dwarf, halfling and gnome, and the remaining 5% mixed, primarily elvan.   It is run by an Aristocracy named.  The hereditary leader is King Querchard, although since the days of the first Phlooredian King the Istivin ruler has adopted the title of Marquis to avoid confusion.  The land gets its wealth from mining operations in the mountains around the kingdoms.   They have also been attacked over the centuries from giants living in the mountains.  Ten years ago the city briefly fell to an onslaught of giants.   The population fled to the Keoland Kingdom, regrouped and during the next year were assisted by the East Lordholding retook the city and drove the surviving giants back.  That was the last time they had trouble from the giants.”

“So who is this missing prince?” Serita asks.   Dominic replies “Querchard’s only son.  He disappeared around the same time your group first organized.  I’m not sure what this new information the King has about this but am told that the King will be waiting for you at Fort Silan, the first fortress along the main highway to Istivin.  To get there you will need to travel around thirty miles north along the Zalpar Border road heading towards the Flla Hospice.   You will then reach a road heading northeast into Istivin.   Around twenty miles up the road you will reach Fort Silan.”

The party debates different modes of transportation to get there.  None of them are particularly thrilled about a fifty-mile long hike through the mountains.   Dominic offers to loan them out horses belonging to Zalpar but they decide to fly there instead using Fiona’s pegasus.   Arrangements are made for them to leave shortly after dawn.   

Mojo objects to the early hour but is told by Serita “You’ll be traveling in the Bag of Holding, so you can just go back asleep.”  He looks to Narg to support him on changing the early hour but Narg says, “Don’t look at me.  I’ve gotten used to getting up early when my son starts to cry for his morning feeding.”   “Why, you don’t have to feed him!” Mark exclaims.  Narg replies, “No, but somebody has to get the kid to bring him to his mother.  Do you really think that Vallessa is going to get out of bed in the winter just to turn around and get back in it?” 

May 26th, 1020:

The morning goes by rather quickly for everyone except Fiona and her mount who have to fly the fifty miles to their destination.    The journey along the Zalpar Border Road is eventful, with her flying high above other travelers and an occasional dwarven patrol.    The Istivin Highway segment is a little trickier, with her pegasi becoming the target of rock-throwing giants at a few places along the way.   She presses on, flying higher and out of their reach of the rocks (much to the chagrin of Narg’s player, who is anxious to fight giants). 

They reach Fort Silan shortly before noon.   When Fiona is within sight of the fortress she lands on the main road and lets the others out of the Bag of Holding and they then approach the gate.   The fort is a large multistory structure built of stone and standing atop a cliff from which the mountains can be seen from the north and west.  Two tiers of walls surround the outer section of the fort and dozens of archers are currently atop the walls.   The higher of the two towers rises up to a point seventy feet about the structure.   The party reaches the main gate and announces themselves. 

The party have been expected and their reputation as the continent’s foremost adventuring team precedes them.   They are soon ushered into the great hall of the fortress when King Querchard waits.   The man is surrounded by his two principle advisors.  The first of these is a tall bearded muscular fifty-year old human male with a diagonal scar across his face who is introduced as Frush O’Suggill, Captain-General of the Watch.  The other is an older thin-faced human with short white hair and a white goatee.  He wears a high-collared black robe and matching skullcap.  He has sharp pointed eyes.  The man is introduced as Verbane, Chief Wizard of the March. 

 Showing his usual distain for authority Narg ignores the two advisors completely and begins the conversation with the King by exclaiming “Yo Crown-breath, what’s the scoop?”    “I beg your pardon?” the Monarch exclaims.   Mojo, of all people, interjects “I am General Mojo of the Queen’s Army and at her request have come to offer you our assistance.   Could you please tell us the cause of the current problem?”  

The King states “Fifteen years ago my only son Lomaran, then only nine years old, set sail for the east to begin his final schooling in preparation for his eventual succession to the throne.  His shi never reached its destination.  After a search along our coasts I presumed the ship and my son to be lost at sea.  I was without an heir and without hope, until now.

Ten days ago the body of one of my knights was returned to Fort Silan by a group of strange, gray-skinned gnomes.  He was a member of a seven-man squad patrolling high in the mountains near our western border.  These men were some of the strongest and bravest in the realm.  The other six men have been missing in action for over week from when their patrol was to end at Fort Wheelan and I fear the worst.   

The dead knight was Sir Hujer.  He had died of burns, exposure to cold and many terrible wounds.  Stranger still was what he bore on his person, a silver necklace bearing my royal seal.”  The king lifts a tarnished necklace from his lap and holds it up.  “This is the same necklace that I gave to my son, just before he disappeared so many year ago.  To say the least, it is extremely odd that it should be found so high in the mountains, when by all rights it should now be lying at the bottom of the sea.”

Serita asks exactly where the ship departed from.   The King replies “The port city of Nos Nevits in the East Lordholding Kingdom of Raylan.”  The Silver Moon adventurers are familiar with that city, as the father of their cleric Vincenzo rules it.  They also know that it is situated more than 100 miles to the east.  

The King continues “I’m not only interested as to my son’s possible whereabouts, I am also gravely concerned about this new threat from the west and the possibility of…well, of whatever threat slew my knights and possessed my son’s necklace.  Because of the presence of the giants we know so little about what lies in these mountains beyond our mines.  This is why I have asked for your assistance.  I would like you to find out who or what is behind this attack, what happened to the rest of he patrol, and, if possible, what all of this has to do with my long-lost son and heir.” 

Mojo exclaims, “Hold on, that was fifteen years ago.  Don’t you have any more kids?”  “No, he was my only child,” the King replies.   Mojo says, “Then I think you have another problem.  Maybe somebody should have a talk with you about the birds and the bees.”   Narg interjects “Hell, even Matthan has a kid, and he…”  Serita cuts Narg off, stating to him and Mojo “And maybe I should just bang both of your heads together.”    She then mutters “However, perhaps I should have a talk to the Queen about druidic fertility treatments.”

Narg says, “Excuse me your majesty.  I must confer with my teammates.”  The six step away and he says “What do you think?”  Mojo says, “I haven’t heard any mention of payment.  We need to find out how much we can get away with charging him.”   

Mark asks, “Do we even want to do this?”  Serita states, “The knight died of fire and ice, that means a mage, an ogre mage or a dragon.”   Narg says, “I heard giants!  I’m in.  At least this isn’t one of those missions where we have to answer riddles from pixies or try to be nice to lawful good clerics.”  “Or rid the world of giant cosmic dogs with gnolls as fleas,” Mojo quips.


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## Silver Moon (Nov 25, 2004)

*Chapter Three, “Bird Watching”, May 26th, 1020:*

“So how much do we ask for?” Fiona says.   Mojo says “Well, we could get him to let us take the necklace.  It’s probably worth something if we want to sell it.”   Serita says “Well, let’s try to get a fixed amount regardless of what we discover.  The likelihood of us finding the Prince after this much time isn’t very promising.”    

The head back and Serita asks what the boy looks like.  The King produces a portrait of him at age nine.   “Prissy looking guy,” Mojo mutters.    Serita, with her usual bluntness, gets right to the point “How much are you going to pay us?”   The king tells them that he has considerable wealth should they be successful, with silver, gold and platinum from his mines and that his capitol city is known for its sages and scribes so he also has a considerable number of scrolls that could be used for compensation.

They pull back to discuss this further.  “Sounds good to me,” Mark states.  Purge says to Narg, “And given those sages and scribes we should be able to get the writing utensils, ink and paper that Jamie asked you to get.”  Mojo protests, “I am not going to put up with being paid in school supplies.”  “I think we’ll go for the precious metals instead,” Narg states.  “Or the scrolls,” Fiona interjects.  “Make that AND the scrolls,” Serita adds. 

They head back over and agree to undertake the mission.   Narg asks, “So, exactly what type of giants and other monsters are there in these mountains who we might run into?”    The Captain-General responds to this question “All types of giants.  We’ve also run into ogres and trolls.”   

“Any other monsters threatening this kingdom?” Fiona adds.   The wizard advisor says, “Well, we did have a problem with the drow opening up a portal to the abyss eighteen years ago.”   This causes all six adventurers to look up with an alarmed look.  “Leaving, what a good idea,” Mojo quips.  “Hold on, why don’t you tell us more about this,” Serita states.  

Verbane states “Istivin fell under the attack from a wholly unanticipated opponent – Lolth, Demon Queen of Spiders.  An immense black hemisphere of dark energy appeared over much of the city’s central square, completely cutting off the government and military leaders who were trapped inside.   The hemisphere expanded slowly and every day engulfed more of the city.   Fortunately a group of brave adventurers penetrated the barrier, defeated Lolth’s machinations and returned unharmed, sealing the barrier behind them.   We have had no trouble from the drow since that time.”   

“Why don’t I trust that to still be the case,” Fiona ponders.   Mojo turns to Narg and says “See, I told you that bring Ailshear would have helped.”  Narg sarcastically replies, “Yeah, sure, a place that’s historically had trouble with drow would just welcome one with open arms.”   Narg says “Look, don’t worry about it right now.  It’s not like we’ve never fought them before.  Hell, half of us here right now battled in the Abyss less than two years ago.” (Module #100 – “Chinese Take Out”, the ENWorld Story Hour at the following link: http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=28642). 

The King provides them with a map of the road through the mountains.   He states, “Since the gnomes wouldn’t reveal the location of the lair, or even where they found Sir Hujer, you must begin here where the original patrol began and follow its patch until you discover what happened.  The gnomes said that Sir Hujer’s last words were a warning about fire or flames.  He was not very coherent at the end, may be rest with the gods.”  

Mark suggests, “Maybe we should try to find and track these gray-skinned gnomes.”  Mojo says, “Good idea.  I’ve killed giants before.  Killing these gnomes would be something new for me.”  Fiona says “Fighters!  Mojo, I think he meant we find the gnomes to ask them for information, not eliminate them.”  “Party pooper,” he exclaims.   Narg requests that they be issued mounts to which the King agrees.   The party is provided lodgings for the evening. 

May 27th, 1020, 7:00 A.M. 

The party gets an early departure.  They have dressed for colder climates, as it is a brisk forty degrees out and snow can be seen atop the mountains in the distance.   They ride westward towards the mountains, which by mid-morning still remain in the distance, being further away than they appeared to be. 

They finally reach the mountains, stopping for lunch at a steam in the foothills.   They continue on into the afternoon, not finding any recent tracks other than those of small animals.   They start to reach the first of the higher peaks.   These peaks are fairly steep and some large winged creatures are seen flying overhead.   They get closer and deduce that the birds are giant eagles.  There are six of them in total, three sitting upon nests on three separate peaks with the mate flying near each.

The party discusses asking them for information.  Serita climbs onto Fiona’s pegasus and asks the men “Is there anything you’d like me to ask the birds?”   Mojo replies, “Yeah, tell them not to poop on us.”     As the pegasus starts to near a nest the male eagle goes into a dive towards her, claws extended.   Serita attempts to speak with the creature to no avail, as it lets out a loud angry screech.   When the bird is within 100 feet of them the pegasus’s own instincts for self-preservation kick in and it to makes a long wide dive to the side.   Mojo’s player comments “This is just like the movie Top Gun!”

Once the pegasus is far enough off the eagle breaks off its attack and returns to the nest.   Serita refuses to take “No” for an answer and does a druidic transformation into a giant eagle and flies upward.  Rather than heading towards that agitated bird she instead flies towards the nest which appears to have the youngest eagles, calling to them in the language of the birds.

The same result follows, with the male eagle diving towards her.   Narg looks up from below and says, “I’m confused.  I thought they were proud, noble and intelligent birds.  Why do they begin with an attack?”   Mojo replies, “Well they say that elves are proud, noble and intelligent but look at the two of us.”  

Serita attempts to evade but is less experience with this particular form as the bird, which manages to dig both of its claws into one of her wings.  It shreds the feathers and flesh to an extent that Serita can no longer continue to fly and she begins to plummet to the ground below.  
Narg turns to Mojo and comments “You know this is somehow going to end up being my fault.”  Purge comments “You can tell he’s married.”

Mark begins to worry when she still falling while little more than 100 feet from the ground when she transforms back into a half-elf and her Ring of Feather Falling kicks in.   She is rather angry when she reaches the ground and her mood doesn’t improve when Mojo applauds.   “They should not have been so uncooperative!  I was in their own form,” she exclaims.   

Purge says, “They were protecting nests.  If someone who was a possible threat approached Jamie while she was protecting one of her children she would have done the same.”  “Or she’d offer him some soup,” Narg comments.   Mojo says “Both.  She’d cut his head off with a sword and then pour the soup down the stump.”   Serita says “But the nests should be empty.  It’s too early for eagles to lay a clutch.”   The ranger Mark says, “Regular eagles yes, giant eagles have an earlier mating cycle.”   “Well, if you’re done trying to talk to birds can we move on?” Narg exclaims.


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## Silver Moon (Dec 5, 2004)

*Game #3 - 11/14/04*

*Chapter Four, “Like A Rolling Stone”, May 27th, 1020, 1:00 P.M. * 

The group rides on for another four miles as the road winds thought the valleys under the higher peaks.   They reach a section where the road narrows to around twenty-feet between the high cliffs on either side and much of that is strewn with rocks and a half dozen boulders from prior rockslides.   They carefully make heir way around several of the larger boulders when the ground beneath their horses’ hooves suddenly transforms to mud.   

Serita is able to get her horse out of the mud moving forward and Mark follows, trudging through the muck.   Mojo and Purge likewise work to extract their horse from the rear of the mud area.   Narg and Fiona’s horses are towards the center and are in the worse shape, sinking up to the saddle.  Fiona calls her pegasus to fly over and she climbs off the horse and onto its saddle instead.   

Narg decides to abandon his mount, tossing and looping his magical rope onto the top of a large boulder and having the rope pull him up towards there.   The rope contracts to a six-foot length and Narg’s feet brace against the side of he rock.   Much to his surprise, the rock moves, standing up on two rocky legs and parts of the stone move to reveal eyes and a mouth.   Narg scampers up onto the top of the creature.  

Three other boulders also become animated and Mojo complains about not liking this.   Fiona tries to urge her horse out of the mud to no avail.  Rocks of various sizes before the party move together and create a wall preventing them from moving forward.    When rocks then begin to do the same in the rear Serita calls for a retreat.    Mojo and Narg object until the earthquakes then begin and rocks start to shower the area from above.   They then reconsider, Narg jumping onto the back of Mojo’s horse as it rides past.   A falling boulder strikes and kills Fiona’s horse. 

The rapidly growing rear wall is about three feet in height when Serita and Mojo reach it and they are able to have the horses successfully jump the hurdle.   They retreat a good distance until the earth around them starts shaking.    Mojo’s first comment is “I guess it’s official, everybody hates us if even the stones in the road decide we’re the enemy.”  

Fiona flies back to see what is happening on the other side of the wall, seeing that the avalanche has ended and the mud has been turned back to stone.   There are six rock creatures now around the two dead horses, eating them.    She flies back and reports this to the others.   Serita complains, “I don’t think that King gave us very good intelligence about this mission.   You’d think he would have known about the rock creatures.  What should we do now?”  “Go back and throttle that King,” Serita replies.   Mojo says, “I don’t know, this may be a valuable find.  Do you know what the market is for a self-building wall?”

They decide to set up camp and cook supper, sending Fiona and Mark out to scout for an alternative path through the mountains.   They return and announce that avoiding the notch ahead will add at least a day to their journey.   “Forget that, what are the other choices?” Narg says.   “What’s wrong with the Bag of Holding?” Mojo exclaims.   Fiona replies, “The four remaining horses, I only have one Reduce spell left.”   After a short debate they decide that is still the best option so decide to stop for the night where they are and have Fiona study enough reduce spells in the morning to shrink all four horses. 

*May 28th, 1020, 7:00 A.M.* 

They get an early start.  Mojo suggests, “I don’t like loosing.  Let’s go back and fight the rocks!”  “I don’t think so,” Fiona states.   Mojo replies, “No, really, I’ve figured out what to do.   We go back and drill holes in each of them.  Then we fill the holes with water and cast a Cone of Cold spell.   The water will freeze and expand, causing the rocks to split open.”    She responds, “And how do you propose drilling these holes to begin with?”  He answers, “Hey, I’m just the idea guy, you folks can work out the details.”  He is overruled and the party 

Serita again suggests going back and yelling at the King.  She is also overruled.  The four horses and reduced.  Purge goes into the Bag of Holding with them to help keep the animals calm after putting makeshift blinders on the animals so that won’t panic at being in an enclosed space.   Narg insists on getting in the other bag of holding.  “Don’t like the smell of horse dung?” Mark asks.   Narg replies, “Actually it’s Purge that I don’t want to smell.”  Narg, Mark and Mojo get into the other Bag.  

Serita joins Fiona on the back of her pegasus and take to the air.   They fly low over the road in order to still look for evidence of the knights and also not make themselves a target to giant eagles or rock-throwing giants.   The reduce spell is good for an-hour-and-a-half during which time they manage to cover a distance of over fifteen miles, landing at the far end of a large lake and letting everyone out of the bags

They scout out an area that looks like another group camped there before.  Mark checks the tracks and concludes that a group of six to eight humans and their horses camped there a month ago.    The lake itself hugs the foot of a steep mountain pass and is about three miles long and a mile-and-a-half wide.   The water in the lake is clear but also very deep, as they do not see the bottom. 

The group enjoys and mid morning meal and watches the active volcano immediately to the north.  The party’s map indicates that it is Mount Torch, one of two active volcanoes in the region.   A plume of smoke can be seen rising from the crater at the top.   Following the meal the group prepare to depart.   They are down two horses but do not see this as a significant problem as Fiona can now ride her pegasus instead and at the speeds they are traveling through the mountains the monk Purge can keep up with them on foot. 

The road circumnavigates counterclockwise around Mount Torch, heading first northeast, then north, then northwest and then west.   When they have traveled for around six miles since the lake they reach a narrow winding section of the path.   Fiona is in the lead, flying quietly slightly above the road as the scout.   As such, she is the first to approach a crossroads in the next notch, where several roads meet surrounded by steep cliffs.   

From this point one road continues southwest around Mount Torch and two other roads branch off to both the north and northeast.  Fiona spots a group of a half-dozen fire giants sitting around a campfire in the middle of the northeast roadway around fifty feet north of the crossroads.  She is able to have her mount sharply bank up and back before they spot her and flies back to the other to alert them about the giants.


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## Silver Moon (Dec 10, 2004)

*Game #4  11/21/04*

*Chapter Five, “The bigger they are the harder they fall”, May 28th, 1020, 10:45 A.M.*

Upon hearing that there is a group of fire giants right around the bend Mark, Mojo and Narg all opt for a strategy of Get’em!    Fiona decides to first cause a distraction by flying up and out and tossing down a Lightening Bolt, which wounds three of the giants.   She also then sees that the giants have eight hell hounds with them.   Serita pulls from her belt pouch a handful of gas pellets, which she throws onto the ground in front of herself and her allies.  The effect of the gas simulates a Haste spell so they all pick up speed closing on their foes. 

Fiona pulls a maneuver to pivot her pegasus around while dodging some large boulders tossed by the giants.    Mojo uses his hammer of throwing to strike at the first giant who the ranger Mark makes a beeline towards.   Seeing flames coming form the mouths of the canines, Narg decides to make himself the target for them, given the fire resistant magic that he has.  

Several of the giants toss rocks over towards Serita and Purge.  Between her Boots of Speed and his monk speed as well as the magical haste they are both able to dodge but keeps them from closing for an attack.   Narg manages to kill the first two hell hounds that reach him.  Mojo continues to toss his hammer at the giants but then changes opponents when a hell hound lunges at his throat.   As the hammer returns to his hand he bludgeons the canine.   Mark manages to cut down the first giant.   Narg yells to Mark “Save some for me looks like fun, I’ve had it with these dogs,” as he decapitates another.  Serita tosses a Chill Metal spell onto the giant’s weapons.  

Fiona is getting annoyed at rocks being tossed up at her and her mount.   She waits until several giants have lifted up large boulders above their head to throw when she hits them with a Rock to Mud spell, disintegrating the swords weapons.   The mud also temporarily distracts the giants allowing Mark, Mojo and Narg to close on three more.   Fiona begins tossing Magic Missiles down into them.   Purge’s staff strikes the few remaining dogs and they then retreat.  

After two more giants fall it becomes obvious which of the remaining three is the leader as the other two move to protect him.   Mojo and Narg both target these two guards allowing Mark to close supported by spells thrown by both Serita and Fiona.  Purge deals with the remaining hounds.  

Once the battle is done the animals are searched and Serita extracts a few critical components from the bodies to use to make giant strength and control potions.   A magical sword is found but it is too large for any to use so they wrap it and then put it into a Bag of Holding.    A pouch of money is found on each of the giants with a large number of coins.   Serita examines the coins finding them all to be local currency. Mojo comments, “We should find us some jobs being giants, it apparently pays well.”    Purge looks at the bodies and says, “It may, but I don’t care for the retirement plan.”  

Based upon the items in their backpacks it appears that the giants were traveling to this area from somewhere else.  “Where do you think they came from?” Serita asks.   Mojo replies, “Well, I’d say that a long time ago a mommy fire giant and a daddy fire giant got together and decided to make some babies.”   “Oh shut up,” Fiona comments.    Narg stands there contemplative.  Serita asks, “What are you thinking?”  He answers, “I’m thinking that I want to go kill some more giants.   I’m guessing thy are the ones behind the disappearance of the knights.”   

They follow the tracks along the northeast road until the road then turns northwest but the giant’s tracks continue from the east.   Narg says they should continue to follow the tracks.  Purge says, “That isn’t our mission.”  Mojo just shakes his head and tells Purge, “Like we’re going to listen to you, a guy who lives in a sod house and doesn’t wear shoes.”   Narg says, “The parameters for this mission weren’t that clear.  This is the best lead we’ve found so far.”  Fiona says, “You’re thinking like a fighter.”  “What’s wrong with that!” he replies.  She answers, “Would you like a list?” 

Serita says “We didn’t bring a cleric with us to speak with the dead.  It would have been helpful if you had left one of the giant’s alive to question.”  Narg says, “Hey I gave them a chance.”  “When?” Fiona states.  He replies, “I’m sure I must have said something or other to them about surrendering.”   “I don’t recall hearing that,” she states.  “Well, then I at least meant to,” he replies. 

Mojo suggests having Fiona fly up and do some reconnaissance.  “But the giants might see her.  That would give away our position,” Purge states.  Mojo says “So?  They’ll attack her not us.  Then we’ll get to kill giants.  Seems like a win-win situation to me.”   Serita suggests invisibility but Fiona says that she didn’t study that spell this day. 

They continue to debate what to do.  Serita exclaims “How much time do we have to spend pretending to look for this kid before we can go home?”   They discuss looking for the gray gnomes again but are unsure of where to best do that.    

They then examine the map to try to ascertain where the giants may have come from, being cognizant of the fact that both fire giants and hell hounds prefer warmer climates.    They see that in addition to Mount Torch there is one more active volcano on the map, Roaring Peak Volcano some twenty miles east, and decide that should be their destination.   They ride on for the remainder of the morning and most of the afternoon, finding the valleys between the mountains to be passable for the horses but at a much slower pace than the road had been.  

By early evening they detect a plume of smoke rising up from the opposite side of the next hill.  Mark and Purge scout ahead and return to tell the others that it looks like an organized encampment of some fifty or so armed men.   They assume these must be troops working for King Querchard and ride forward to greet them.    As they approach the men take up arms and move out to surround them.  Fiona says, “Guys, they aren’t wearing any type of organized uniforms nor do they look friendly.  I think we’ve stumbled onto a camp of brigands.   They also realize that Mark and Purge had underestimated the size of the enemy force, with them actually numbering close to eighty.  

Narg tells his friends “Don’t do anything rash.  I’ll handle this.”  Mojo rolls his eyes.   Narg rides forward ahead of the others and a man armed in magical armor with a very fancy two-handed sword moves forward towards him.    Narg says “Hello.  The Queen sent us.  I’m Narg of the Silver Moon.”    That results in an unexpected reaction and the man yells out  “The Silver Moon found us!  Throughout the camp he and all of his followers drop their weapons and throw up their arms to surrender.    

The brigand leader says, “We thought we had gotten far enough away from you.”   The others in the party begin to talk among themselves.  “Do we know these guys?” “Not sure”,  “Something seems familiar.”    Narg pulls back and Serita says, “I think they may be from that bandit camp that was near Gelorynth.”   He says, “We cleaned their clock three times, but the last time was when?”  Mark says “Eleven years ago”    

Narg returns to the brigand leader and first confirms that that is who they are.  He then says, “The Queen sent us but not to hurt you unless absolutely necessary.   You are ordered to disband and steal no more.”   The bandits all nod in agreement to this.    Mojo adds “And turn over to us all that you have stolen from others.”   “So that we can return it,” Mark adds.   “Never said that,” Mojo mutters.   

The bandits are all relived that they are not going to be either attacked or imprisoned.   They have a large stockpile of food and drink and decide to have a celebration, making the Silver Moon the guests of honor.   Serita and Fiona are both cautious about partaking in the festivities but it soon becomes obvious that this group is too afraid of the consequences to attempt anything devious.   The horses are tended to and everyone gets a chance to fill their bellies.  

Serita and Fiona both use this as an opportunity to find out about the region.   The outlaws have been in the Istivin area for the last year but have operated mostly along the main highway.  They indicate that they only retreated to the mountains the previous week when a large army was heading down the road.   The party realizes that this contingent was the King’s guard heading to Fort Silan and had nothing to do with the bandits but do not tell them that. 

They ask about any encounters in or near the mountains.  The bandits say that they attacked and robbed a group of four clerics of Ukko who were on pilgrimage.   Serita insists that they surrender what they took from the clerics.  The bandits turn over to them four clerical scrolls, a potion, a suit of magical ring mail and a magical mace.   The bandits have not seen any giants but do tell of running into and fighting a group of fifteen ogres.   

Following the meal Narg orders the bandits to split up all of their remaining possessions, to go separate ways the following dawn and to never steal again.   He adds, “If we ever run into any of you again and you’ve been committing crimes we will not be so forgiving.”   Mojo adds, “King Querchard knows about you.  He told us right where to find you.  You’d best get out of his kingdom.”  Narg whispers, “Why’d you tell them that?”  Mojo replies, “So they’ll get the hell away from us.”

It is starting to now get dark.   The Silver Moon gets ready to depart.  Narg tells the former leader of the group “We’re going to go report to the King.   If any of these men try to follow us they’ll regret it.”    They decide to ride on for at least the first few hours of nightfall to put some more distance between them and the bandits. 

_DM’s Note:  The players were now in a section of the module’s map that was totally devoid of description.   So I needed to quickly come up with a scenario involving fire giants and an active volcano.  Fortunately the module “Preemptive Strike” by Paul Culotta from Dungeon #74 should fit in perfectly and enhance the overall mega-module._


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## Silver Moon (Feb 2, 2005)

*Module 129, Game 5*

*Chapter Six, “Battle in the Sky”, May 29th, 1020*

Fiona questions the wisdom of attacking the home of the giants without any provocation.  Narg says, “Fine, we’ll come up with a valid reason to kill them all.”   Fiona says, “And what, in your opinion, would the proper justification be?”  Mojo replies, “Oh we’ll come up with something solid.  Like if they’re using a salad fork instead of a dinner fork at meals.”  Narg says, “Sounds good to me, get’em!” 

They discuss the items obtained from the bandits, which Mojo summarizes as being “A cheap bunch of crap.”  Serita says, “Well, what did you expect.  They got the stuff from beating up some clerics of Ukko.”  Narg says, “Yeah, maybe they should have been rewarded for that.”   The group concludes that it isn’t nearly as fun to insult clerics of Ukko in the absence of Timothy, their party’s Ukko cleric. 

They continue to follow the path of giant tracks through the mountains.   Purge suggests that Serita talk to an animal to get an indication of where they are.  Unfortunately the only animals nearby are fish swimming in a stream, and Serita says, “I won’t talk to fish. They are too simple minded and hard to communicate with.”  “Then why do you still talk to Narg and Mojo,” Fiona asks.   Narg interjects, “How can fish be stupid, they swim in schools?”  “You’ve just made my point,” Fiona comments. 

After they’ve gone around five or six miles from the bandit camp Serita complains that they are on a wild goose chase.  Narg says, “Tracking these giants is the best lead that we’ve got.  It also might bring us to some terrible violence.”    “Nothing like a good frontal assault to break up the day,” Mojo adds.   Fiona says, “If we find a lair full of fire giants we are NOT doing a frontal assault.”  “Party pooper,” Mojo states. 

Fiona casts Invisibility spells onto both herself and her pegasus and does some ariel reconnaissance.   She spots the other volcano another ten miles away, the party not seeing it due to a large mountain in between.    She comes back and gives them two options to reach it, continuing through the mountains east or heading southeast for a few miles and then crossing the plains south of the mountains.  The plains route would be longer in miles but might actually be as quicker as it would be easier on the horses.   They decide to go that way.  

The group hears a loud eagle like screech from the mountain to their left.  Racing across the sky are five winged griffins.  Mounted on one of them is an elf that blows a high-pitched whistle before twisting in his saddle to fire an arrow at an enormous red dragon in pursuit.  Astride the monstrous reptile is a red-haired black-skinned giant wielding a large sword.

At the sound of the whistle, the four riderless griffins scatter in different directions.   Meanwhile, the elf’s arrow sinks into the dragon’s right eye and with an outraged bellow it blasts a burst of flame that singes part of the griffin’s wing, causing it to flutter down to a field about 100 yards away.  Roaring in triumph, the dragon begins to land while licking its chops.  The elf pulls free of the saddle, unsheathes his sword and prepares to face the approaching reptile. Mojo comments, “Too bad.  I brought a box of Pegasus Helper with me but no Griffin Helper.”  

Fiona decides to offer her assistance to the elf.   She flies high up into the air and gets above the dragon and giant and then sends a Lightning Bolt down into both the reptilian mount and its oversized rider.   Both are wounded but assume that the elf on the ground was responsible and continue to dive towards him.   The other members of the Silver Moon party charge in the direction of the elf. 

Fiona pursues from above and behind the dragon and sends a second bolt of lightening down into the creature, this time damaging its wings although it is still well enough to stay aloft.   The damage is enough to prompt the dragon to decide to flee back to the safety of its lair rather than continuing the attack. 

The party approaches the elf, which stands down from his challenge stance.   They decide to dismount and approach on foot, as their horses are reluctant to get any closer to the Griffin.


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## Silver Moon (Sep 4, 2007)

Referenced elsewhere so am bumping the thread.  This also reminds me that I need to get back to finishing the log for "Into the Fire".


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