Dragons--I had thought them extinct. In fact, I've heard that no one had seen them in hundreds of years. Yet now, within the span of a day, we've seen two. Have they returned? If so, from where? Why are they back? And most importantly, do their appearance have anything to do with what's been happening across the lands?
After the door was shut, we needed to find a way out, or find a way to kill the dragon. I healed those who were hurt, and tried to hold the door shut for as long as I could. Fortunately, Borrow searched the walls, and found a small crack in the wall, which turned out to be a secret passage way leading out of the room! We quickly moved toward corridor, which was only a few feet wide. After we entered it, we had Borrow go back and make sure that the door was closed -- completely this time, so that if the dragon broke in, he would not be able to find the hidden door.
We continued a ways down, opening into an empty room. We found another hidden passageway and kept going. Eventually, we encountered a pair of Nothrogs -- how did they get in here? We weren't able to get much out of them before they attacked. They weren't much of a match for us, and after we dispatched them, we kept exploring the ancient Dwarven halls. In the next room, we found ourselves in a grand hall. It was possibly the dining hall or perhaps the training grounds for Dwarven warriors. In either case, four Nothrogs seemed to be standing guard in the room, and they leaped into action. They seemed to be well trained and highly motivated, but still no match for the five of us that weren't blinded by the dragon. I speculated that they must be more of Nassiral Hate's elite guard.
In the next room, we encountered the smell of roasted meats and other cooking. An elderly Nothrog was standing near a stove and he didn't seem to be paying attention. He quickly surrendered as he we called for him to drop what he was doing. He didn't seem to be the meanest Nothrog around, and actually provided us with good information about what to expect. He told us that the Nothrog legion came with the black dragon, and that most of the legion had left already, with the best pickings of the slain silver dragon's loot. He said that one lieutenant was still around just down the hall, and that they had also captured a prisoner. We tied him up and told him that we'd be back.
We found the room that belonged to the commander. He was a tough Nothrog, but we defeated him without too much difficulty, because he was heavily outnumbered. These Nothrog don't know the meaning of surrender. Inside the room was a few notes and a piece of paper with Dwarven writing on it. We found the Dwarf prisoner in the next room. He explained that his name was Barricade, and that he was captured not too long ago. We rested for the evening and the next day, we prepared to fight the dragon.
Using the Dwarven note we found, Borrow and Obegard managed to figure out the puzzle to unlocking an ancient Dwarven Protector spirit. Then, the three priests, Barrin, Barricade, and I cast as many defensive and offensive augmentation spells as we could and set forth back into the tunnel. It didn't take long before the dragon appeared. He blasted several with a line of acid, but he made a tactical error in choosing to stand in the corner -- it allowed Obegard to trap it there with a well place sheet of sticky webbing. Ili and the Dwarves started in to attack as I tried to sap its strength using a spell. The dragon's natural resistance foiled my spell, and I also saw that several flurries of Obegard's magic missiles seemed to just get absorbed by the dragon's hide. However, all this time, the dragon was still trapped, and Ili, Barricade, and the Dwarf Spirit were pounding away. I moved in to attack as well. I called upon all my power and determination and hacked at the dragon twice. The first time, I cleaved a deep wound in its side, which caused it to reel back in pain. That left him open and vulnerable, and with my second strike, I aimed my blade at its neck, striking true and cleaving the dragon's head with one mighty blow.
It was done. The dragon had been slain, and Stoneyvale should be safe...for now.
Showing posts with label malakar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label malakar. Show all posts
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Shadows Over Stoneyvale
While trekking up the mountains in search of this shadow "thing", we were ambushed by a Hill Giant, who hurled boulders at us from a vantage point high on a cliff. I think Ili was first struck since she was in the lead. The rock nearly knocked her to the ground. As we scrambled for cover, we discussed whether or not we should fight the beast or run away. Fortunately, Obegard had prepared a spell of flight that enabled me to quickly reach the top. Obegard slowed it down by trapping beneath a field of webs, and as I approached the top, I noticed that the other had found a small steep incline that allowed the faster members to reach the ledge the hill giant was standing on.
Once we had reached within striking distance of the giant, he did not last long. Between Ili's powerful blows, Borrow's daggers and my greatsword, the giant was quickly taken down. It still was able to land a few good hits on me. After the fight, I took to the air to see if there was a larger lair nearby.
There was not, so we continued on our way to the cave for several days. The weather got foggier and foggier, until we could hardly see in front of us. On that day, we could barely make out "something" in the distance just through the fog. Not wanting to take chances, we backed off, and let Obegard cast a spell to see what it was. It turned out to be the ribcage of some giant beast. Perhaps a silver dragon Obegard explained. I was taken by surprise. Why would there be a dragon here, and how did it get killed? We next sent Borrow in under guise of invisibility to scout. He returned a short while later and reported that inside the cave, he saw a small room with several Nothrog inside playing cards. There was also some sort of shadowy beast, though by the description, Obegard concluded that it was a shade lion, and that it probably was being pressed into battle by the orcs against its will. We formulated a quick plan of ambush. Obegard would incinerate the four orcs sitting inside with a fireball while the rest of us would charge in after the initial explosion. The plan was simple, but as before, it worked well.
They were not match for us and we managed to capture one of beasts. We questioned him, and in return for his freedom, he told us that there was something important in the cave. It wasn't much, and we couldn't risk him going to warn others, so for the time being, I knocked him unconscious; he'd find his way out later.
We made our way deeper into the cave, where we came across a large double door. As we were examining it, a silent shadow made its way behind us and attacked by surprise. It breathed a line of pure shadow. I was fortunate enough to be standing to the side, but several others were not. Several of them, including Barron were completely blinded by the shadows. I turned around and saw that it was some sort of a shadowy dragon. This must have been what the earlier adventurers had seen. Since it blocked our only exit, we ran through the double doors into a large chamber, while guiding the others who were blinded in as well. Some of the others tried to close the doors, but even with Son of Clouds running into the doors with a thunderous bang, the doors refused to budge. Ili's perhaps just being stubborn, kept trying. For her troubles, the dragon breathed another line of shadow into the room, blinding her as well. Somehow, she still with one final push, managed to get the door closed.
Perhaps it has bought us a few minutes, but unless we find some artifact in this room that would allow us to drive away the dragon, it was certain that at least one of us would have to be sacrificed in order to hold off the dragon long enough for the others to escape.
Once we had reached within striking distance of the giant, he did not last long. Between Ili's powerful blows, Borrow's daggers and my greatsword, the giant was quickly taken down. It still was able to land a few good hits on me. After the fight, I took to the air to see if there was a larger lair nearby.
There was not, so we continued on our way to the cave for several days. The weather got foggier and foggier, until we could hardly see in front of us. On that day, we could barely make out "something" in the distance just through the fog. Not wanting to take chances, we backed off, and let Obegard cast a spell to see what it was. It turned out to be the ribcage of some giant beast. Perhaps a silver dragon Obegard explained. I was taken by surprise. Why would there be a dragon here, and how did it get killed? We next sent Borrow in under guise of invisibility to scout. He returned a short while later and reported that inside the cave, he saw a small room with several Nothrog inside playing cards. There was also some sort of shadowy beast, though by the description, Obegard concluded that it was a shade lion, and that it probably was being pressed into battle by the orcs against its will. We formulated a quick plan of ambush. Obegard would incinerate the four orcs sitting inside with a fireball while the rest of us would charge in after the initial explosion. The plan was simple, but as before, it worked well.
They were not match for us and we managed to capture one of beasts. We questioned him, and in return for his freedom, he told us that there was something important in the cave. It wasn't much, and we couldn't risk him going to warn others, so for the time being, I knocked him unconscious; he'd find his way out later.
We made our way deeper into the cave, where we came across a large double door. As we were examining it, a silent shadow made its way behind us and attacked by surprise. It breathed a line of pure shadow. I was fortunate enough to be standing to the side, but several others were not. Several of them, including Barron were completely blinded by the shadows. I turned around and saw that it was some sort of a shadowy dragon. This must have been what the earlier adventurers had seen. Since it blocked our only exit, we ran through the double doors into a large chamber, while guiding the others who were blinded in as well. Some of the others tried to close the doors, but even with Son of Clouds running into the doors with a thunderous bang, the doors refused to budge. Ili's perhaps just being stubborn, kept trying. For her troubles, the dragon breathed another line of shadow into the room, blinding her as well. Somehow, she still with one final push, managed to get the door closed.
Perhaps it has bought us a few minutes, but unless we find some artifact in this room that would allow us to drive away the dragon, it was certain that at least one of us would have to be sacrificed in order to hold off the dragon long enough for the others to escape.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Revealed
It's never easy to learn something unexpected about someone you thought you knew, but it's even harder to live day after day, knowing that you're hated, reviled, and feared for simply being different.
It all started when we came across the small hamlet of Stoneyvale on our way Deverania. We had to take Barron to own kind, where he would be able to take the artifact underground and safely away from Nassiral Hate. The townsfolk were all on edge, but we were able to convince them that we might be able to help. A few of the townspeople had been killed in mysterious circumstances, with throats slashed open. I immediately suspected the Cult of Bascaron was involved, but Ili, in her typical close-mindedness, started talking about how all lycanthropes were vile and evil. I tried to explain (again) not all Lycanthropes were evil, though I don't think it sinked in.
Still, I welcomed the opportunity to destroy any of the Bascaron, and we set forth a day later. We found a set of tracks that didn't appear to belong to either animal or humanoid. It was easy to follow, and after about a day, we came across a small cave opening. It didn't feel too right, but we went forward anyways. That's when they struck. There were about a dozen of them, and they came at us fast. In less than a blink of eye, they were upon over us. One of the tougher, meaner looking ones told us to surrender. Upon looking at him, I could tell that he didn't have the twisted appearance of the Cult of Bascaron. I didn't know what they wanted, but I also didn't think that they'd kill us, so I encouraged the rest of them to give themselves up peacefully. Ili was more thickheaded, and it took a few more kicks before she calmed down.
Their leader circled us a few times, seemingly smug at having bested us. He stopped near me, and somehow, he knew. He said that he'd kill us all unless I would be able to defeat him in single combat. I was allowed to my feet, and to cast several spells to heal myself and increase my combat poweress. However, he looked very dangerous, and I didn't think I'd be able to defeat him in my normal form. So for the sake of everyone else, I turned into a half bear. Everyone in my group but Borrow looked shocked, and I rushed forward to attack. I fought as harder than I had ever fought, carving gashes into him that would have killed a normal man five times over. However, it just wasn't wasn't enough, he was preternaturally tough, and his blows were easily able to overcome my battered splint mail. I fell to unconsciousness, but I was woken up a few moments later. He told me that I was going to be branded, and I was in no position to resist. It hurt, but it wasn't the worst I've endured. After the ritual was complete, I could sense the presence of the others. So that's how they knew.
As they walked away, they told us that a party of adventurers had passed through the woods and into the mountains a few days ago. We followed after them, but I could tell that the others didn't trust me, especially Ili. I suspected that at first chance, she'd contact the church and try to have me "dealt" with. Perhaps with my newfound "gift" I would be able to find new friends in the church that would understand. Borrow seemed to have taken it the best, having no prior experiences with Lycanthropes, good or evil. We headed toward the mountains, but we couldn't pick up a trail, and returned to Stoneyvale. There, we met the sole survivor of the adventuring party that we were trying to follow. He had returned alone just a day before us. He seemed to be quite distressed, talking about how a great shadow had enveloped his friends and that only he was able to get away. He was able to describe to us where that had happened, and we planned to head back right away. Perhaps I could use this opportunity to prove once and for all that not all Lycanthropes are evil.
It all started when we came across the small hamlet of Stoneyvale on our way Deverania. We had to take Barron to own kind, where he would be able to take the artifact underground and safely away from Nassiral Hate. The townsfolk were all on edge, but we were able to convince them that we might be able to help. A few of the townspeople had been killed in mysterious circumstances, with throats slashed open. I immediately suspected the Cult of Bascaron was involved, but Ili, in her typical close-mindedness, started talking about how all lycanthropes were vile and evil. I tried to explain (again) not all Lycanthropes were evil, though I don't think it sinked in.
Still, I welcomed the opportunity to destroy any of the Bascaron, and we set forth a day later. We found a set of tracks that didn't appear to belong to either animal or humanoid. It was easy to follow, and after about a day, we came across a small cave opening. It didn't feel too right, but we went forward anyways. That's when they struck. There were about a dozen of them, and they came at us fast. In less than a blink of eye, they were upon over us. One of the tougher, meaner looking ones told us to surrender. Upon looking at him, I could tell that he didn't have the twisted appearance of the Cult of Bascaron. I didn't know what they wanted, but I also didn't think that they'd kill us, so I encouraged the rest of them to give themselves up peacefully. Ili was more thickheaded, and it took a few more kicks before she calmed down.
Their leader circled us a few times, seemingly smug at having bested us. He stopped near me, and somehow, he knew. He said that he'd kill us all unless I would be able to defeat him in single combat. I was allowed to my feet, and to cast several spells to heal myself and increase my combat poweress. However, he looked very dangerous, and I didn't think I'd be able to defeat him in my normal form. So for the sake of everyone else, I turned into a half bear. Everyone in my group but Borrow looked shocked, and I rushed forward to attack. I fought as harder than I had ever fought, carving gashes into him that would have killed a normal man five times over. However, it just wasn't wasn't enough, he was preternaturally tough, and his blows were easily able to overcome my battered splint mail. I fell to unconsciousness, but I was woken up a few moments later. He told me that I was going to be branded, and I was in no position to resist. It hurt, but it wasn't the worst I've endured. After the ritual was complete, I could sense the presence of the others. So that's how they knew.
As they walked away, they told us that a party of adventurers had passed through the woods and into the mountains a few days ago. We followed after them, but I could tell that the others didn't trust me, especially Ili. I suspected that at first chance, she'd contact the church and try to have me "dealt" with. Perhaps with my newfound "gift" I would be able to find new friends in the church that would understand. Borrow seemed to have taken it the best, having no prior experiences with Lycanthropes, good or evil. We headed toward the mountains, but we couldn't pick up a trail, and returned to Stoneyvale. There, we met the sole survivor of the adventuring party that we were trying to follow. He had returned alone just a day before us. He seemed to be quite distressed, talking about how a great shadow had enveloped his friends and that only he was able to get away. He was able to describe to us where that had happened, and we planned to head back right away. Perhaps I could use this opportunity to prove once and for all that not all Lycanthropes are evil.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Credit Where Credit's Due
It's kind of strange. Sometimes, perfectly reasonable people do stupid things. And sometimes, luck is mistaken for great insight.
We had Obegard scry into the monastery and he revealed that inside were two Nothrogs standing at the arrow slits and four of the kidnappers sitting around a table. We formulated a battle plan. As always, I suggested the simplest plan which also turned out to be the best. We would hide back while Borrow sneaked forward under invisibility to open the door to the monastery. Once that happened, Obegard would take the opening to send a fireball through.
The plan worked perfectly. After the fireball, both Son of Clouds and Ili rushed forward as I tried to follow as quickly as I could. I was a bit disappointed that I was so encumbered by armor because by the time I caught up, the battle was mostly over. We quickly moved to the door to the side of the monastery and surprised another one of the kidnappers as he was putting on his armor. He surrendered without incident and revealed that he was hired by the Nothrogs to kidnap a dwarf and bring him here. He explained that they had taken the dwarf downstairs. We tied him up and continued to the stairs.
As we opened another door, we were greeted by a pair of angry Nothrogs. One of them activated an item and suddenly grew huge in size and began swinging his now giant axe toward my head. It was an intimidating sight, but we pressed forth. While they attacked savagely, thanks to their poor armor and lack of regard for personal safely, we were able to defeat the pair handily.
We ran down the stairs into a room with a brazier in the middle and a series of grotesques that lined the walls. Obegard said that he sensed evocation magic in the fire, and illusiary magic on the walls. We didn't have time to stop and discuss, so we pressed to the next room, where we found what appeared to be the leaders--the woman who was leading the mercenaries and a Nothrog shaman. The dwarven captive was also here, but was hanging from chains and appeared to be unconscious.
The shaman drank a potion and disappeared under the cracks of a door leading out the room. The woman promptly surrendered, but not before Son of Clouds gave her a good whack with his blade. I healed the dwarf back to his feet, and he explained that his name was Barron. He said that he was captured because he knew how to get to an artifact that was stored away at this temple. He also gave us the password that would allow us to pass a pair of Gargoyles that protected the artifact.
We searched room where the Nothrog escaped to, but he was nowhere to be found. The only thing of note there was a large prayer book that began with the words, "Kavara fears not the Flames". It all seemed pretty normal to me, but for some reason, Ili took the words to mean that she should go and leap into the brazier back in the other room. She was so brazen as to proclaim that Albrecht would protect her, and even accused my disinclination to leap into a roaring fire as a sign of lack of faith! She went ahead and did it, and it took all my willpower to stile my laughter as she came out the other side looking severely burned and approached me for healing. I guess some lessons are only learned the hard way.
We eventually did find the way into the catacombs that led to the artifact, but not before Son of Clouds triggered a trap that nearly cost him his arm. At the end of the tunnel, he encountered the Nothrog that had escaped us earlier. He was clutching a staff in one hand, and a gem of some sort in another. He cursed at us and immediately cast a spell that caused the dry and brittle vines around us to grow immensely, trapping us in a field of prickly thorns. We charged through the painful thorns anyways. Son of Clouds chopped down with his greatsword at the shaman, but was dismayed to find that though he caused a deep would, his sword had dissolved upon touching the shaman. That seemed to really upset him, and he hurled himself upon the Nothrog despite taking several hits as he tried to do so. I took the opportunity to disarm the Nothrog of the artifact. As I did so, I noticed that my own sword started melting, but I was able to pull back before too much damage was caused. Ili took this opportunity to step forward and punch the Nothrog with such force that the orc's ribcage was smashed to his spine, killing him instantly.
We carefully wrapped the artifact in cloth and took it back with us. But as we exited, a large fire elemental leapt from the brazier and attacked. It smashed me with a heavy blow that both crushed and burned. I called for everyone to run out as I tried to distract the elemental. For unknown reasons, Obegard, despite normally being very intelligent and self-preserving, decided that he would instead use the artifact to command the elemental, even though he had no idea how the artifact worked or even if it had any power over the elemental. He got for his trouble a blow from the elemental ignited his clothes on fire and knocked him unconscious. Fortunately, as the artifact hit the ground, the elemental retreated back to the brazier in the middle of the room. I was able to heal him and Burrow smothered the fire.
We discussed what to do next, and someone said off-hand that perhaps the phrase "Kavara fears not the Flames" had something to do with it all. That caused the elemental to instantly disappear from the room, and we were able to pick up the gem without further incident. We helped Barron up and discussed what to do with the artifact next.
As an aside, I am growing concerned with the state of Obegard's reasoning abilities. Perhaps his run-in with the elemental has damaged his senses deeper than I thought. Or perhaps Obegard has become so enamoured with Borrow's uncanny luck that he thinks that Borrow is an agent of the gods. For some reason, Obegard credits Borrow with the risky feat of disarming the crystal from the Nothrog. Obegard also credits Borrow for saving his life. Because surely, using magic to heal his profusely bleeding head-wound was less important than leaving Borrow (who incidentally does not have healing magic) to put out the fire. Finally, Obegard seems to think that Borrow is some sort of sage because he accidentally uttered the correct passphrase for deactivating the elemental (and it might have even been someone else who said it!).
We had Obegard scry into the monastery and he revealed that inside were two Nothrogs standing at the arrow slits and four of the kidnappers sitting around a table. We formulated a battle plan. As always, I suggested the simplest plan which also turned out to be the best. We would hide back while Borrow sneaked forward under invisibility to open the door to the monastery. Once that happened, Obegard would take the opening to send a fireball through.
The plan worked perfectly. After the fireball, both Son of Clouds and Ili rushed forward as I tried to follow as quickly as I could. I was a bit disappointed that I was so encumbered by armor because by the time I caught up, the battle was mostly over. We quickly moved to the door to the side of the monastery and surprised another one of the kidnappers as he was putting on his armor. He surrendered without incident and revealed that he was hired by the Nothrogs to kidnap a dwarf and bring him here. He explained that they had taken the dwarf downstairs. We tied him up and continued to the stairs.
As we opened another door, we were greeted by a pair of angry Nothrogs. One of them activated an item and suddenly grew huge in size and began swinging his now giant axe toward my head. It was an intimidating sight, but we pressed forth. While they attacked savagely, thanks to their poor armor and lack of regard for personal safely, we were able to defeat the pair handily.
We ran down the stairs into a room with a brazier in the middle and a series of grotesques that lined the walls. Obegard said that he sensed evocation magic in the fire, and illusiary magic on the walls. We didn't have time to stop and discuss, so we pressed to the next room, where we found what appeared to be the leaders--the woman who was leading the mercenaries and a Nothrog shaman. The dwarven captive was also here, but was hanging from chains and appeared to be unconscious.
The shaman drank a potion and disappeared under the cracks of a door leading out the room. The woman promptly surrendered, but not before Son of Clouds gave her a good whack with his blade. I healed the dwarf back to his feet, and he explained that his name was Barron. He said that he was captured because he knew how to get to an artifact that was stored away at this temple. He also gave us the password that would allow us to pass a pair of Gargoyles that protected the artifact.
We searched room where the Nothrog escaped to, but he was nowhere to be found. The only thing of note there was a large prayer book that began with the words, "Kavara fears not the Flames". It all seemed pretty normal to me, but for some reason, Ili took the words to mean that she should go and leap into the brazier back in the other room. She was so brazen as to proclaim that Albrecht would protect her, and even accused my disinclination to leap into a roaring fire as a sign of lack of faith! She went ahead and did it, and it took all my willpower to stile my laughter as she came out the other side looking severely burned and approached me for healing. I guess some lessons are only learned the hard way.
We eventually did find the way into the catacombs that led to the artifact, but not before Son of Clouds triggered a trap that nearly cost him his arm. At the end of the tunnel, he encountered the Nothrog that had escaped us earlier. He was clutching a staff in one hand, and a gem of some sort in another. He cursed at us and immediately cast a spell that caused the dry and brittle vines around us to grow immensely, trapping us in a field of prickly thorns. We charged through the painful thorns anyways. Son of Clouds chopped down with his greatsword at the shaman, but was dismayed to find that though he caused a deep would, his sword had dissolved upon touching the shaman. That seemed to really upset him, and he hurled himself upon the Nothrog despite taking several hits as he tried to do so. I took the opportunity to disarm the Nothrog of the artifact. As I did so, I noticed that my own sword started melting, but I was able to pull back before too much damage was caused. Ili took this opportunity to step forward and punch the Nothrog with such force that the orc's ribcage was smashed to his spine, killing him instantly.
We carefully wrapped the artifact in cloth and took it back with us. But as we exited, a large fire elemental leapt from the brazier and attacked. It smashed me with a heavy blow that both crushed and burned. I called for everyone to run out as I tried to distract the elemental. For unknown reasons, Obegard, despite normally being very intelligent and self-preserving, decided that he would instead use the artifact to command the elemental, even though he had no idea how the artifact worked or even if it had any power over the elemental. He got for his trouble a blow from the elemental ignited his clothes on fire and knocked him unconscious. Fortunately, as the artifact hit the ground, the elemental retreated back to the brazier in the middle of the room. I was able to heal him and Burrow smothered the fire.
We discussed what to do next, and someone said off-hand that perhaps the phrase "Kavara fears not the Flames" had something to do with it all. That caused the elemental to instantly disappear from the room, and we were able to pick up the gem without further incident. We helped Barron up and discussed what to do with the artifact next.
As an aside, I am growing concerned with the state of Obegard's reasoning abilities. Perhaps his run-in with the elemental has damaged his senses deeper than I thought. Or perhaps Obegard has become so enamoured with Borrow's uncanny luck that he thinks that Borrow is an agent of the gods. For some reason, Obegard credits Borrow with the risky feat of disarming the crystal from the Nothrog. Obegard also credits Borrow for saving his life. Because surely, using magic to heal his profusely bleeding head-wound was less important than leaving Borrow (who incidentally does not have healing magic) to put out the fire. Finally, Obegard seems to think that Borrow is some sort of sage because he accidentally uttered the correct passphrase for deactivating the elemental (and it might have even been someone else who said it!).
Sunday, March 11, 2007
On the case
After the battle,
One of the assassins was still alive, and we needed some questions answered right away, so I healed him back to consciousness. Obegard cast a spell that turned the prisoner temporarily into his friend and questioned him. After a series of interrogations we were able to learn that the assassins had captured a dwarf a few days ago and were taking him to parts unknown. He did indicate that they came from the nearby elven forest. The commander of the keep recommended that we get an elven tracker to guide us through the forest.
I didn’t like the idea all too much, but we didn’t have much of a choice and we went to the elven camp. We had a list of three potential candidates, but I sensed that the first two were both evil. I knew that
We set off the next day to follow the assassins through the secret tunnel in the stables. The assassins didn’t make any attempt to hide their passage, and it was easy to follow them. Unfortunately, the group turned into the road, where their tracks mixed with the others traveling along the road, and we had no idea where they were headed. We had no choice but to instead head toward where they came from. Since the Dwarf was also being taking in that direction, the effort wouldn’t all be wasted.
We traveled for several days in the twisted elven woods. We eventually approached a small clearing that had a collapsed cave entrance. Something just felt wrong about the whole thing, and we proceeded cautiously. Our suspicions were right, and we heard heavy but strange footsteps behind us. It emerged from the forest, and we saw it – it was some sort of a giant skeleton of a bear, animated with foul magic no doubt. Son of Clouds and I went forward to attack, but its heavy claws and bite wounded me severely and knocked Son of Clouds unconscious. We also heard several footsteps behind us, but Obegard unleashed a tremendous ball of fire that burned the forest away and left behind nothing but smoldering bones.
I retreated for a way into the forest, and realized that if I were to beat the bear, I would have to tap into my lycanthropic heritage. The woods were dense, so it was unlikely that anyone would see me. I rushed forward and attacked, striking the bear as hard as I could twice, shattering it into a pile of bones. I returned to my normal form, and from the reactions of the other members, it did not appear as if anyone had noticed.
We investigated the cave entrance for a bit and discovered that the assassins that passed through had purposefully collapsed the. Our elven guide also noticed that a different set of tracks led to the other side, toward the plains. It appeared that they were also dragging someone with them, most likely the captured dwarf. They didn’t seem to be going very fast and we were catching up. However, they still had several days lead time over us. In a few days, we emerged from the forest into a vast plain. We kept following them and in a few more days, we came across some corpses. It looked like they were peasants that unfortunately crossed paths with the assassins. We didn’t have time to bury them and pushed forward.
We eventually came across a small town. Obegard wanted to cast a divination spell before heading to town. He picked a bad spot to begin his incantations, however, and a guard from the town approached. He explained that the group we were following had passed through not too long ago, and that they indeed had a badly beaten dwarf with them. They apparently had robbed several supplies from the town, and hurt one of the town healers when she tried to heal the dwarf.
We stayed just long enough to buy more supplies, and ask a few questions about the group we were following. There was about a half dozen of the thugs, plus the dwarf--I didn't think that we would have much trouble dispatching them. We kept following the group and came across a cliff. Son of Clouds climbed up, and tossed a rope and helped the rest of us up as well. We continued forth and eventually came across a ruined monastery. I saw some shapes moving about inside. Could this be where the assassins set up camp to rest?
Monday, February 26, 2007
Dark Tide Rising
There's quite a bit that can be said about peace. There had been 100 years of it in the Free Kingdoms. Did it make us complacent? Perhaps, perhaps not, but all I know is that we weren't prepared for the elves, and we certainly weren't prepared for what happened tonight.
I had arrived in Ghostwood keep late in the day with Ili. A group from the Spire and Lyr arrived at the same time as well. We were immediately ushered in to a tower that housed all the people from the Free Kingdoms. Another tower nearby apparently housed the Devoronians. I entered the common room and sat about for a few hours, while Ili went off to perform her incessant proselytizing elsewhere in the keep. It was curious that none of the people in the room gave off a bad aura. I would have expected a least a few of them to have been pickpockets of some sort. The only character of note was a funny little man that certainly didn't belong in a tavern full of humans.
I went to talk to him a bit, to see what he was up. He seemed quite dodgy and evasive, as well as ill-mannered. He would barely tell me that his name was Borrow. I was about to tell him a thing or two about civility before a Lyran fellow stepped in and explained that Borrow had arrived with a group of Dwarves a few days back and was travelling with them to the Keep, and that Borrow was a decent enough fellow. It wasn't quite good enough for me, but I also didn't want to appear to question the Lyran's judgement, so I stepped away and continued to keep an eye on Borrow.
The negotiations between the elves and humans continued long into the night. I surmised that things must have not been going to well, so I retired for the evening. At around midnight, a commotion woke me up. All I heard was something about the delegation being assassinated and that trechery was afoot. I called for Ili, and she helped me strap on my armor as quickly as possible. I grabbed my weapons and ran out into the courtyard. I ran toward the center tower and talked with the guards there about letting us in. After showing our Archabcht symbols, they let us through.
We were looking for the Commander of the keep, who was waiting on the third floor. The place was like a maze, and it took us a while to find the room, on our way, we found the negotiations room where the massacre took place. There was lots of blood, but it appeared as if the bodies had been moved away. We went toward the other end of the keep, where we bumped into someone named Obegard. He said that he was from the Spire, and that he also needed to speak with the commander, so we let him come along. We finally found the commander, and he explained to us what had happened. He said that an unknown number of assassins had gained entrance into the keep, and that they were disguised as the guards. It didn't bode well for us, and I said that Ili and I could go and sweep the tower and look over everyone's aura. However, at that point we were interrupted by several soldiers who entered the room. When asked why they were there, they drew strange looking blades and attacked.
The fight was short but fierce, as we were fighting, Borrow seemingly appeared out of nowhere and struck one of the assailants. I don't know how he was able to follow us, but I was still glad that we had some help fighting these assasins off. During the fight, the commander was hurt badly, but I was able to heal him back to his feet after the fight was over. We searched the corpses of the assasins, and found a note of some sort. Obegard looked it over and could not figure it out, but Borrow somehow did. He said that the a piece of the note was missing. Puzzled, we walked downstairs to collect another blade from one of the assassins that had been killed later. Obegard said that he could use a spell to help locate more of the same blades, but that it could only find the closest one, so that we'd need to collect all that we could find, and take it far away.
When we were about to do so, however, we heard a tremendous explosion, and we ran out to see what it was. Someone had attacked the Church of Albrecht, setting of an explosion that surely must have killed everyone that was inside. We ran over to find that only one person had made it out. He was an adept that was assigned to guarding the door. I now suspect that he might have had something to do with it all, because his escape seemed all too miraculous. I resolved to question him more carefully the next day.
As we were heading back into the keep, an elf suddenly leapt out of the shadows and attacked us, yelling that there would be no peace. He moved as quick as a blur, and I didn't even have time to react before he knocked me and Ili unconscious, then quick as a blur again, he disappeared before the others could summon help. I don't know why he didn't kill us both when he easily could have done so. But no matter what, we had to continue with our task. Just then, we hear yet another commotion. This time, someone had attacked the Lyran delegation, killing all but the Son of Clouds. Fortunately, we arrived just in time to stabilize them before attempting to chase after the killers. By following Obegard, we were able to locate a secret passageway in the stables that led out of the keep. That must have been where they came from.
We returned to the central keep and talked again with the commander. As we were heading out, we passed by the prison and saw that the two guards standing outside had been slaughtered! We quickly entered the prison, and though the assassins were under an invisibility of some sort, I was still able to locate their aura, and they appeared to have been waiting in ambush. I motioned for the others to back up, and I was about to strike one of them, but they must have sensed what I was about to do and attacked. Fortunately, their strikes hit my armor, and I quickly returned with a powerful strike that killed one of them. Just then, I saw that Ili was in trouble, so I cast a spell that compelled the assassin attacking her to become paralyzed. Afterwards, she was easily able to finish him off. We cleaned up the rest of them, but discovered that the elven prisoner was missing! I wasn't sure why they'd go through all that trouble to spring him out. We found another note on one of the bodies. It seemed to be enough for Borrow to figure things out. It sounded from the note that whoever was responsible was neither working for the Elves or the Deveronians. There was a lot to puzzle out. Was the Cult involved, or perhaps a splinter faction within the Kingdoms? Why would an elf help the others, who were all humans? What information was it that the prisoner elf had that was so important they'd risk so much to get him out? And most importantly, no one could have executed such an elaborate plan without inside help. Who were the ones I could trust? Perhaps no one.
I had arrived in Ghostwood keep late in the day with Ili. A group from the Spire and Lyr arrived at the same time as well. We were immediately ushered in to a tower that housed all the people from the Free Kingdoms. Another tower nearby apparently housed the Devoronians. I entered the common room and sat about for a few hours, while Ili went off to perform her incessant proselytizing elsewhere in the keep. It was curious that none of the people in the room gave off a bad aura. I would have expected a least a few of them to have been pickpockets of some sort. The only character of note was a funny little man that certainly didn't belong in a tavern full of humans.
I went to talk to him a bit, to see what he was up. He seemed quite dodgy and evasive, as well as ill-mannered. He would barely tell me that his name was Borrow. I was about to tell him a thing or two about civility before a Lyran fellow stepped in and explained that Borrow had arrived with a group of Dwarves a few days back and was travelling with them to the Keep, and that Borrow was a decent enough fellow. It wasn't quite good enough for me, but I also didn't want to appear to question the Lyran's judgement, so I stepped away and continued to keep an eye on Borrow.
The negotiations between the elves and humans continued long into the night. I surmised that things must have not been going to well, so I retired for the evening. At around midnight, a commotion woke me up. All I heard was something about the delegation being assassinated and that trechery was afoot. I called for Ili, and she helped me strap on my armor as quickly as possible. I grabbed my weapons and ran out into the courtyard. I ran toward the center tower and talked with the guards there about letting us in. After showing our Archabcht symbols, they let us through.
We were looking for the Commander of the keep, who was waiting on the third floor. The place was like a maze, and it took us a while to find the room, on our way, we found the negotiations room where the massacre took place. There was lots of blood, but it appeared as if the bodies had been moved away. We went toward the other end of the keep, where we bumped into someone named Obegard. He said that he was from the Spire, and that he also needed to speak with the commander, so we let him come along. We finally found the commander, and he explained to us what had happened. He said that an unknown number of assassins had gained entrance into the keep, and that they were disguised as the guards. It didn't bode well for us, and I said that Ili and I could go and sweep the tower and look over everyone's aura. However, at that point we were interrupted by several soldiers who entered the room. When asked why they were there, they drew strange looking blades and attacked.
The fight was short but fierce, as we were fighting, Borrow seemingly appeared out of nowhere and struck one of the assailants. I don't know how he was able to follow us, but I was still glad that we had some help fighting these assasins off. During the fight, the commander was hurt badly, but I was able to heal him back to his feet after the fight was over. We searched the corpses of the assasins, and found a note of some sort. Obegard looked it over and could not figure it out, but Borrow somehow did. He said that the a piece of the note was missing. Puzzled, we walked downstairs to collect another blade from one of the assassins that had been killed later. Obegard said that he could use a spell to help locate more of the same blades, but that it could only find the closest one, so that we'd need to collect all that we could find, and take it far away.
When we were about to do so, however, we heard a tremendous explosion, and we ran out to see what it was. Someone had attacked the Church of Albrecht, setting of an explosion that surely must have killed everyone that was inside. We ran over to find that only one person had made it out. He was an adept that was assigned to guarding the door. I now suspect that he might have had something to do with it all, because his escape seemed all too miraculous. I resolved to question him more carefully the next day.
As we were heading back into the keep, an elf suddenly leapt out of the shadows and attacked us, yelling that there would be no peace. He moved as quick as a blur, and I didn't even have time to react before he knocked me and Ili unconscious, then quick as a blur again, he disappeared before the others could summon help. I don't know why he didn't kill us both when he easily could have done so. But no matter what, we had to continue with our task. Just then, we hear yet another commotion. This time, someone had attacked the Lyran delegation, killing all but the Son of Clouds. Fortunately, we arrived just in time to stabilize them before attempting to chase after the killers. By following Obegard, we were able to locate a secret passageway in the stables that led out of the keep. That must have been where they came from.
We returned to the central keep and talked again with the commander. As we were heading out, we passed by the prison and saw that the two guards standing outside had been slaughtered! We quickly entered the prison, and though the assassins were under an invisibility of some sort, I was still able to locate their aura, and they appeared to have been waiting in ambush. I motioned for the others to back up, and I was about to strike one of them, but they must have sensed what I was about to do and attacked. Fortunately, their strikes hit my armor, and I quickly returned with a powerful strike that killed one of them. Just then, I saw that Ili was in trouble, so I cast a spell that compelled the assassin attacking her to become paralyzed. Afterwards, she was easily able to finish him off. We cleaned up the rest of them, but discovered that the elven prisoner was missing! I wasn't sure why they'd go through all that trouble to spring him out. We found another note on one of the bodies. It seemed to be enough for Borrow to figure things out. It sounded from the note that whoever was responsible was neither working for the Elves or the Deveronians. There was a lot to puzzle out. Was the Cult involved, or perhaps a splinter faction within the Kingdoms? Why would an elf help the others, who were all humans? What information was it that the prisoner elf had that was so important they'd risk so much to get him out? And most importantly, no one could have executed such an elaborate plan without inside help. Who were the ones I could trust? Perhaps no one.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Malakar Korvinn
Background
An unassuming young man with a penetrating stare, Malakar has been serving as an Inquisitor in the church of Albrecht for some time. Generally calm and even-tempered, Malakar rarely if ever appears angry or unnerved. Suspicious by nature, only a few people have gained Malakar's confidence. To him, most humanoids are self-centered, close-minded individuals--too quick to judge and too quick to blame others for their own failings. Of course, few trust Malakar as well. Questioning one's own colleagues does not make one popular.
Having already uncovered a small conspiracy within the church itself, the leaders of the church knew that Malakar's talent for noticing the smallest details that were out of place would come in handy in the Ghostwood. Unsavory characters of all sort would no doubt be teeming in the Ghostwood, looking for opportunities ply their trade all whist hiding amongst the bustle. It wouldn't be too surprising either, if at least a few of the officials sent Malakar far away lest Malakar turn his scrutinizing glare toward them.
Malakar's task in the Ghostwood is simple: protect the diplomats from the Free Kingdoms while the talks with the Elves take place. Of course, it's never as simple as it sounds. The elves cannot be trusted, and certainly the Cult of Bascaron would try to disrupt the meeting, hoping to plunge the nations into bloody war. However, Malakar is optimistic about the mission. He is well trained in warfare, and combines swordplay, divine magic and a smattering of arcane magic into a devastating whole.
Secret Background
Only a few people know that Malakar is actually not a human at all. He is actually a Lycanthrope who has been living amongst humans all his life. At a young age, he witnessed the Cult of Bascaron attack his village, killing his entire family as far as he knew. He now spends his days rooting out the cult where ever they may be hidden, not resting until he destroys them all. The irony of hunting shapeshifters while being one himself is not lost upon Malakar, but he hopes that through his efforts, he can demonstrate to others that not all Lycanthropes are evil, and that the true threat to humans is the Cult of Bascaron.
Appearance
Malakar certainly wouldn't stand out in a crowd of people, and that's how he likes it. He appears to be about six feet tall with matted dark hair. He is currently wearing a beat-up suit of Splint Mail, hoping to look like the rest of mercenaries hired to guard the meeting. He is however, carrying a greatsword of exceptional quality, though most of the time it remains sheathed in a plain scabbard strapped to his back. A light mace dangles from his waist as a backup weapon, and he seems to be wearing a pair of fairly menacing spiked gauntlets. His holy symbol--that of a golden dragon usually remains hidden tucked behind his armor.
Mechanics
Race is Lycanthrope with Bear as the chosen animal
Alignment is Lawful Good
Cleric of Albrecht 3/Church Inquisitor 1
Domains are War, Inquisition and Divine Magician (from CM)
Using the alternate class feature in UA to get Smite Evil/Aura of Courage instead of turning
An unassuming young man with a penetrating stare, Malakar has been serving as an Inquisitor in the church of Albrecht for some time. Generally calm and even-tempered, Malakar rarely if ever appears angry or unnerved. Suspicious by nature, only a few people have gained Malakar's confidence. To him, most humanoids are self-centered, close-minded individuals--too quick to judge and too quick to blame others for their own failings. Of course, few trust Malakar as well. Questioning one's own colleagues does not make one popular.
Having already uncovered a small conspiracy within the church itself, the leaders of the church knew that Malakar's talent for noticing the smallest details that were out of place would come in handy in the Ghostwood. Unsavory characters of all sort would no doubt be teeming in the Ghostwood, looking for opportunities ply their trade all whist hiding amongst the bustle. It wouldn't be too surprising either, if at least a few of the officials sent Malakar far away lest Malakar turn his scrutinizing glare toward them.
Malakar's task in the Ghostwood is simple: protect the diplomats from the Free Kingdoms while the talks with the Elves take place. Of course, it's never as simple as it sounds. The elves cannot be trusted, and certainly the Cult of Bascaron would try to disrupt the meeting, hoping to plunge the nations into bloody war. However, Malakar is optimistic about the mission. He is well trained in warfare, and combines swordplay, divine magic and a smattering of arcane magic into a devastating whole.
Secret Background
Only a few people know that Malakar is actually not a human at all. He is actually a Lycanthrope who has been living amongst humans all his life. At a young age, he witnessed the Cult of Bascaron attack his village, killing his entire family as far as he knew. He now spends his days rooting out the cult where ever they may be hidden, not resting until he destroys them all. The irony of hunting shapeshifters while being one himself is not lost upon Malakar, but he hopes that through his efforts, he can demonstrate to others that not all Lycanthropes are evil, and that the true threat to humans is the Cult of Bascaron.
Appearance
Malakar certainly wouldn't stand out in a crowd of people, and that's how he likes it. He appears to be about six feet tall with matted dark hair. He is currently wearing a beat-up suit of Splint Mail, hoping to look like the rest of mercenaries hired to guard the meeting. He is however, carrying a greatsword of exceptional quality, though most of the time it remains sheathed in a plain scabbard strapped to his back. A light mace dangles from his waist as a backup weapon, and he seems to be wearing a pair of fairly menacing spiked gauntlets. His holy symbol--that of a golden dragon usually remains hidden tucked behind his armor.
Mechanics
Race is Lycanthrope with Bear as the chosen animal
Alignment is Lawful Good
Cleric of Albrecht 3/Church Inquisitor 1
Domains are War, Inquisition and Divine Magician (from CM)
Using the alternate class feature in UA to get Smite Evil/Aura of Courage instead of turning
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