As the party thought about it, they suddenly all saw in their minds a vision of Elfrich, who said to them: "Sentinels from Olath coming to apprehend you, dead or alive. Elane will protect you. Get out now. Meet us in Flamekeep." (Olath in a city a few hours journey away.)
The party decided to heed his warning and made the several hour journey to Flamekeep, arriving there that evening. They found the headquarters of the Church of the Silver Flame, and were there guided to a chamber where Elane and Elfrich were waiting for them.
Elane explained that political circumstances are conspiring against the party. Thrane and House Deneith were cracking down on past enemies, so the warrants for Taumir and Edge were being actively pursued now, and Azeri was still wanted in connection with the incident at Askelios (the victims had forgiven Azeri, but the law of course did not know that). Elane said that she wanted to help and protect them - she was very grateful for the work they did in bringing down Zelian. She proposed giving them new identities and sending them away from Aundair and Thrane. The party though this was a good idea, so they followed her to the outskirts of Flamekeep, to the church that they had launched their first expedition from.
Before leaving Flamekeep, Elfrich begged their forgiveness for his part in their troubles, and they frankly forgave him.
As they walked to the church, Elane seemed quiet, pensive. When she finally decided to speak, she said she had a confession to make.
"I think, considering the circumstances, that I should be honest with you. The day we met at Reita's home, well, that wasn't the first time I'd heard of you. You see, it was me who brought you all together in the first place. The day you all met in Passage - I had arranged for you to meet and come together. I knew what Zelian and House Deneith had done to your people, Taumir, and to your friend, Tselem, and to you personally, Edge, and I wanted to bring you together to defeat him. I had to let you come to your own realizations of why he was your enemy of course, since none of you knew."
The party was surprised by this revelation, but not concerned. They asked a few questions, and continued their journey.
When they reached the church, to their alarm. the doors came open and about a dozen creatures of fire and stone stepped out. The party immediately realized that Elane had double-crossed them. She did not even attempt to deny it. "You understand, of course, that I can't have Zelian's death linked to the Church of the Silver Flame, or me. I am sorry. But after all, you are all wanted criminals and a [racial slur for changelings]."
And with that, Elane stabbed Elfrich through the heart, killing him instantly, and began walking away.
The creatures rushed at the party, clearly intent on their destruction. Azeri and Tselem threw up magical barriers that slowed their approach, and sent forth several blasts of magical power that took out multiple opponents at once. They also weren't about to let Elane get away that easily either. The over-confident cleric was brought down under an overwhelming attack, and began to bleed to death there on the field. As the party dealt with the more serious opponents, Elane was bound and brought back from the brink of death. The treacherous churchlady proved to still be an annoyance - even bound, she managed to strike at Azeri a few times.
Within short order, only two of the attacking creatures remained, and the party was beating them down. Still, the creatures were not done yet...
Rewards
(Nothing yet, encounter is still ongoing)
Monday, August 17, 2015
Monday, July 20, 2015
Session #31: The Ghosts of the Lost
The party defeated these Yuan-ti mercenaries, and continued the long journey back the way they had come. They made it to Zarash'ak by 22 Nymm (two days later), and the next day they took a boat back to the northern coast. This time, they returned to Rekkenmark, arriving on the 3rd day of Lharvion.
In Rekkenmark, they took stock of the world situation, as well as their own. They learned that one Caraas d'Deneith had emerged as the leader of House Deneith. They did some research, and found out that the next best place to find someone to create a counter-ritual was the ruined city of Shadukar, just north of the Burnt Wood. Or at least it had been - Shadukar was reduced to a burned-out ruin in the Last War, and its refugees had spread out too far and wide to track them down as a group. The party didn't really have any other options though, so they decided to give the city a shot.
Getting there took the majority of 4 Lharvion - they arrived in the evening, and spent the night outside the ruins. The next day (5 Lharvion), they entered the city cautiously, not sure of what they would find. They eventually found a ruined temple that look promising, and slowly made their way inside. Their caution turned out to be wise, as once they had ventured deep enough in, they were attacked, of all things, by a malevolent altar! Azeri was able to recognize it as having been imbued with power from a dark god long ago, and attacking them now, years later. The party was able to use their weapons to break it down and stop the attack.
A quick look through the rest of the temple showed it to be empty and dead. The party stood in the ruins of the dead city, and wondered where there was to go next.
Rewards
In Rekkenmark, they took stock of the world situation, as well as their own. They learned that one Caraas d'Deneith had emerged as the leader of House Deneith. They did some research, and found out that the next best place to find someone to create a counter-ritual was the ruined city of Shadukar, just north of the Burnt Wood. Or at least it had been - Shadukar was reduced to a burned-out ruin in the Last War, and its refugees had spread out too far and wide to track them down as a group. The party didn't really have any other options though, so they decided to give the city a shot.
Getting there took the majority of 4 Lharvion - they arrived in the evening, and spent the night outside the ruins. The next day (5 Lharvion), they entered the city cautiously, not sure of what they would find. They eventually found a ruined temple that look promising, and slowly made their way inside. Their caution turned out to be wise, as once they had ventured deep enough in, they were attacked, of all things, by a malevolent altar! Azeri was able to recognize it as having been imbued with power from a dark god long ago, and attacking them now, years later. The party was able to use their weapons to break it down and stop the attack.
A quick look through the rest of the temple showed it to be empty and dead. The party stood in the ruins of the dead city, and wondered where there was to go next.
Rewards
- 7,200 XP each. Time to level up!
- You have found a Fire Horn (Player's Handbook 2, p. 210).
Monday, June 8, 2015
Session #30: The Futility in the Swamp
The party followed the Order of the Lantern to their compound/village, and waited around for a while as the Order investigated the ritual. Tselem sat with them - even though they were much higher level than he, he wanted to keep an eye on them and the ritual. The Order eventually decided that they would be willing to buy the ritual from the party, to make a counter-ritual for House Tharashk, but were unwilling to sell one to the party directly. The party refused, and left, disgusted the whole affair.
The party decided to make their way back to Aundair, and began tramping back through the swamp towards the Lantern Tower and beyond. As they were on their way, they were stopped by a snake with a man's head, who began attacking them with several other snake-creatures. The party scored some powerful initial strikes, but then the battle became one of attrition...
Rewards
(None yet, encounter still in progress)
The party decided to make their way back to Aundair, and began tramping back through the swamp towards the Lantern Tower and beyond. As they were on their way, they were stopped by a snake with a man's head, who began attacking them with several other snake-creatures. The party scored some powerful initial strikes, but then the battle became one of attrition...
Rewards
(None yet, encounter still in progress)
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Session #29: The Men in the Trees
(The party realized they had also found a Rod of Scouring Justice +4 [Player's Handbook 2, p. 206].)
The party turned to Miri, wanting to know why they had just been attacked by mummies. She was just as stunned and confused as them. She was especially freaked out by the fact that both she and Tselem had contracted mummy rot from the encounter, making it harder for them to recover.
They all cautiously approached the reading room at the end of the hall, but no further attacks came. Inside the room, they searched through the books and found the information they were looking for in pretty short order (no thanks to Taumir). From the literature, they learned that the people best suited to creating counter-rituals are the Order of the Lantern, a mysterious cult of half-orc clerics living in the Shadow Marches near the Lantern Tower. The party was not especially thrilled at this knowledge, considering the Shadow Marches were a long ways away, and not well traveled.
They all made their way out of the library basement, where Miri then took her leave of them. The party made their way to a House Jorasco healing station, where Azeri's membership in the house got them in right away, if not much in the way of discounts. Tselem got himself healed from the mummy rot, and he then purchased a healing for Miri as well. (He sent her a message through House Sivis' magical post office.)
The party then went about figuring out how to get to the Lantern Tower. They went to the local House Orien teleportation station, and the flunky at the front desk told them the only way to get there was to travel to a port city (a trip of several days), then take a boat to Zarash'ak (a journey of a week), then travel through the dangerous marshes for another day or two to reach the tower. He was very blunt in his evaluation of their chances - "you'll probably die." Tselem was annoyed, and asked to speak with a manager. The manager was suitably impressed by their House connections that he was more polite and helpful, but told them the same thing - no one ever wants to go someplace that dangerous, so House Orien don't have services in that part of the world. The party heaved a collective sigh and prepared themselves for the long trip.
They traveled three days north to Otharaunt, where they boarded a ship that sailed around the western edge of Khorvaire, arriving in Zarash'ak a week later. They spent the night in the city, and while there learned that Thrane had joined Breland in the fight against Droaam. The next day they traveled to Glumtown, an aptly named place, where they couldn't even find an inn for the night and slept out under the stars. The next day, they made their way to the Lantern Tower, and were informed they had yet a little ways to go - when asked where they could find the Order of the Lantern, they were pointed in a vague direction that took them deeper in the forest. Which is how the party found themselves, in the cloudy mid-morning of the 20th day of Nymm, traipsing through the Lantern Swamp in the Shadow Marches on the southwestern end of Khorvaire, searching for the Order of the Lantern.
As they searched, they came into a larger clearing, and in the middle there were two trees far larger than most of the rest they had seen in the forest. As they looked around, to their astonishment, the two trees came to life and started attacking them! A furious battle ensued, in which these strange tree-beasts employed other, smaller trees in the area as foot-soldiers. The party was holding their own, but then Azeri realized she knew what these things were - they were Treants, guardians of the forest, and that they generally would not attack those who are friends of nature. In an attempt to convince the creatures that they fit that category, Azeri used her divine power to heal one of the creature's wounds, and then stepped from the battle to try to repair some of the greenery in the area. The Treants immediately took notice, and stopped their assault.
The Treants asked who they are, and why they are here. The party responded that they were looking for the Order of the Lantern. The Treants considered that, and then one lumbered off into the forest, ordering the party to stay put. About an hour later, three male half-orcs, carrying lanterns lit even during mid-day, came striding out of the gloom. They asked the party who they were and what they wanted. The party showed them the Grant Dragonmark ritual, and said they were here to see if a counter-ritual could be made. The Order of the Lantern considered that, and then beckoned the party to follow them deeper into the swamp.
Rewards
The party turned to Miri, wanting to know why they had just been attacked by mummies. She was just as stunned and confused as them. She was especially freaked out by the fact that both she and Tselem had contracted mummy rot from the encounter, making it harder for them to recover.
They all cautiously approached the reading room at the end of the hall, but no further attacks came. Inside the room, they searched through the books and found the information they were looking for in pretty short order (no thanks to Taumir). From the literature, they learned that the people best suited to creating counter-rituals are the Order of the Lantern, a mysterious cult of half-orc clerics living in the Shadow Marches near the Lantern Tower. The party was not especially thrilled at this knowledge, considering the Shadow Marches were a long ways away, and not well traveled.
They all made their way out of the library basement, where Miri then took her leave of them. The party made their way to a House Jorasco healing station, where Azeri's membership in the house got them in right away, if not much in the way of discounts. Tselem got himself healed from the mummy rot, and he then purchased a healing for Miri as well. (He sent her a message through House Sivis' magical post office.)
The party then went about figuring out how to get to the Lantern Tower. They went to the local House Orien teleportation station, and the flunky at the front desk told them the only way to get there was to travel to a port city (a trip of several days), then take a boat to Zarash'ak (a journey of a week), then travel through the dangerous marshes for another day or two to reach the tower. He was very blunt in his evaluation of their chances - "you'll probably die." Tselem was annoyed, and asked to speak with a manager. The manager was suitably impressed by their House connections that he was more polite and helpful, but told them the same thing - no one ever wants to go someplace that dangerous, so House Orien don't have services in that part of the world. The party heaved a collective sigh and prepared themselves for the long trip.
They traveled three days north to Otharaunt, where they boarded a ship that sailed around the western edge of Khorvaire, arriving in Zarash'ak a week later. They spent the night in the city, and while there learned that Thrane had joined Breland in the fight against Droaam. The next day they traveled to Glumtown, an aptly named place, where they couldn't even find an inn for the night and slept out under the stars. The next day, they made their way to the Lantern Tower, and were informed they had yet a little ways to go - when asked where they could find the Order of the Lantern, they were pointed in a vague direction that took them deeper in the forest. Which is how the party found themselves, in the cloudy mid-morning of the 20th day of Nymm, traipsing through the Lantern Swamp in the Shadow Marches on the southwestern end of Khorvaire, searching for the Order of the Lantern.
As they searched, they came into a larger clearing, and in the middle there were two trees far larger than most of the rest they had seen in the forest. As they looked around, to their astonishment, the two trees came to life and started attacking them! A furious battle ensued, in which these strange tree-beasts employed other, smaller trees in the area as foot-soldiers. The party was holding their own, but then Azeri realized she knew what these things were - they were Treants, guardians of the forest, and that they generally would not attack those who are friends of nature. In an attempt to convince the creatures that they fit that category, Azeri used her divine power to heal one of the creature's wounds, and then stepped from the battle to try to repair some of the greenery in the area. The Treants immediately took notice, and stopped their assault.
The Treants asked who they are, and why they are here. The party responded that they were looking for the Order of the Lantern. The Treants considered that, and then one lumbered off into the forest, ordering the party to stay put. About an hour later, three male half-orcs, carrying lanterns lit even during mid-day, came striding out of the gloom. They asked the party who they were and what they wanted. The party showed them the Grant Dragonmark ritual, and said they were here to see if a counter-ritual could be made. The Order of the Lantern considered that, and then beckoned the party to follow them deeper into the swamp.
Rewards
- 5,000 XP each.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Session #28: The Ritual Secrets
The party dusted themselves off from the battle, and decided to go out into the woods that surround Korth to make a copy of the ritual. Doing so took the better part of the day - Azeri did the copying while Edge and Taumir stood guard. As evening drew on, they returned to town and made plans to make their way to Fairhaven. They debated several methods, but in the end decided on the way that was fastest, and remarkably also the cheapest - lightning rail. They knew there was a price on their heads, but they also knew that the upheaval of the war and the House Deneith succession crisis provided enough cover noise that they could probably slip through town unnoticed. Still, they took no chances, and arrived and boarded seperately.
The three day journey to Fairhaven was for once, completely uneventful. They did however learn some important world news: Breland had attacked Droaam. The Eldeen Reaches responded by saying they will remain neutral. Some responded to this by saying it means they are cowards, hiding behind the Byeshk Mountains where Droaam can’t harass them. Zilargo started locking down its borders – it sees this conflict as a particularly bad omen, as Nymm is supposed to a month under the mark of hospitality and forgiveness.
On the 6th day of Nymm, the party arrived in Fairhaven. The University of Wynarn was closed already, so they found an inn and settled in for the night. The next morning, 7 Nymm, they followed Tselem onto campus to the office of Miri, a human woman who had been one of Tselem's teachers of magic. She was a sweet middle-aged lady who was happy to see her student again and to meet the newcomers.
After the pleasantries were aside, they showed the ritual to Miri. She was initially very skeptical that they had what they said they did, but after looking it over she realized to her astonishment that they had something extremely rare and valuable. Tselem asked if there was a way to create a counter-ritual, one that removes dragonmarks. Miri said through her shock that every ritual has its opposite, but it would require some very powerful magic, far beyond her knowledge. She said she might know where to look up some information on such things though - the restricted section of the library.
The party and Miri made their way to the library, then down several flights of stairs into a dusty, gloomy basement. As they made to enter the room at this level. they were suddenly attacked! Almost a dozen mummies emerged from the walls and set upon them! Miri was just as surprised, and joined in the fight, but she was no adventurer, and contributed very little, though she managed not to die. The party cut through their attackers and blasted them back into dust.
Rewards
The three day journey to Fairhaven was for once, completely uneventful. They did however learn some important world news: Breland had attacked Droaam. The Eldeen Reaches responded by saying they will remain neutral. Some responded to this by saying it means they are cowards, hiding behind the Byeshk Mountains where Droaam can’t harass them. Zilargo started locking down its borders – it sees this conflict as a particularly bad omen, as Nymm is supposed to a month under the mark of hospitality and forgiveness.
On the 6th day of Nymm, the party arrived in Fairhaven. The University of Wynarn was closed already, so they found an inn and settled in for the night. The next morning, 7 Nymm, they followed Tselem onto campus to the office of Miri, a human woman who had been one of Tselem's teachers of magic. She was a sweet middle-aged lady who was happy to see her student again and to meet the newcomers.
After the pleasantries were aside, they showed the ritual to Miri. She was initially very skeptical that they had what they said they did, but after looking it over she realized to her astonishment that they had something extremely rare and valuable. Tselem asked if there was a way to create a counter-ritual, one that removes dragonmarks. Miri said through her shock that every ritual has its opposite, but it would require some very powerful magic, far beyond her knowledge. She said she might know where to look up some information on such things though - the restricted section of the library.
The party and Miri made their way to the library, then down several flights of stairs into a dusty, gloomy basement. As they made to enter the room at this level. they were suddenly attacked! Almost a dozen mummies emerged from the walls and set upon them! Miri was just as surprised, and joined in the fight, but she was no adventurer, and contributed very little, though she managed not to die. The party cut through their attackers and blasted them back into dust.
Rewards
- 4,750 XP each. Time to level up!
Monday, May 11, 2015
Session #27: The Uncertainty of the Victors
When the dawn came, the party deliberated for quite a while, trying to decide what to do next. Many different goals were proposed, and at times different party members were quite opposite in what they wanted to see happen with this ritual. In the end, they decided they needed more information than they had now, so they decided to travel to Fairhaven. Tselem wanted to know if there were ways to reverse the ritual and make it so they could remove dragonmarks, and believed his old teachers at the University of Wynarn could help. Taumir was less focused on the ritual's political uses and more interested in learning more about what his people had been seeking, but felt that Tselem was on the right track. Azeri had grown quite tired of politics and dragonmarks, but was interested in the Wynarn library, so agreed to come along. Edge felt this whole adventure was ill-advised, but was not ready to abandon the group.
As the party made ready to travel to Fairhaven, they were suddenly attacked by four human-looking individuals. The fight was intense, and vicious, and the party was thrown off balance by the fact that their enemies seemed almost to be swiping at them with claws more than attacking them with weapons. As the strangers began to falter at the party's tenacious counter-attack, however, these villains began to reveal themselves as Rakshasa, shape-changing tiger-like creatures. The battle left the party drained, but when it was done, the party remained standing, and their enemies all lay dead.
Rewards
As the party made ready to travel to Fairhaven, they were suddenly attacked by four human-looking individuals. The fight was intense, and vicious, and the party was thrown off balance by the fact that their enemies seemed almost to be swiping at them with claws more than attacking them with weapons. As the strangers began to falter at the party's tenacious counter-attack, however, these villains began to reveal themselves as Rakshasa, shape-changing tiger-like creatures. The battle left the party drained, but when it was done, the party remained standing, and their enemies all lay dead.
Rewards
- 4,800 XP each.
- 10,300 GP total.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Session #26: The Greed of the Mror Holds
The party had several hours to kill before the return portal opened up, so they settled in for the night. It was uneventful, and the next mid-morning (2 Nymm), they stepped through the portal and arrived back at the Goradra Gap. From there, Vondal invited them to come to his home in Frostmantle for a celebration dinner, which they accepted. He arranged for another portal, and they stepped through to arrive in his living room.
Vondal's home was no mansion, but very fine and spacious. Vondal invited them to make themselves at home, and said he would summon them when it was dinner time. The party explored the house, availed themselves of the generous library, and wondered what their next move would be.
When dinner came, Vondal had invited a few of his friends, but made no introductions. The party asked him what was to happen next, and it became clear that Vondal was cutting them out of the deal they had made. He had no intention of democratizing dragonmarks - he wanted to sell them to the highest bidder! The party left the dinner feeling annoyed and betrayed, and resolved to do something about it that evening.
Around midnight, while all the rest slept, the party awoke. Azeri made ready to cast a portal while the rest searched for where Vondal had hidden the ritual. After some doing, they found a locked box in a locked room in the basement that seemed the most likely culprit. As they headed back upstairs though, Vondal was alerted to their prescence and came after them. A short but intense battle ensued. It was cut short by Azeri casting the portal and bringing the party to Korth, and closing it before Vondal could follow them through.
The party, now in Korth in the very wee hours of the morning of 3 Nymm, found a inn and set to work opening the locked box. To their delight and relief, it contained the ritual they sought!
Rewards
Vondal's home was no mansion, but very fine and spacious. Vondal invited them to make themselves at home, and said he would summon them when it was dinner time. The party explored the house, availed themselves of the generous library, and wondered what their next move would be.
When dinner came, Vondal had invited a few of his friends, but made no introductions. The party asked him what was to happen next, and it became clear that Vondal was cutting them out of the deal they had made. He had no intention of democratizing dragonmarks - he wanted to sell them to the highest bidder! The party left the dinner feeling annoyed and betrayed, and resolved to do something about it that evening.
Around midnight, while all the rest slept, the party awoke. Azeri made ready to cast a portal while the rest searched for where Vondal had hidden the ritual. After some doing, they found a locked box in a locked room in the basement that seemed the most likely culprit. As they headed back upstairs though, Vondal was alerted to their prescence and came after them. A short but intense battle ensued. It was cut short by Azeri casting the portal and bringing the party to Korth, and closing it before Vondal could follow them through.
The party, now in Korth in the very wee hours of the morning of 3 Nymm, found a inn and set to work opening the locked box. To their delight and relief, it contained the ritual they sought!
Rewards
- 1,000 XP each.
- 1,800 GP total (looted while searching)
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