Some of the heroes meet in the town of Avondale.
Jedon had been orc hunting and was returning to his camp when he was ambushed by a pair of orcs. Crystala was fleeing the Barons guards when she came to Jedon's aid. D'mond had been hired to steal something from a warehouse when the heist went wrong and the building started to burn. Dohrum met the others as they recovered at the temple of Koryis. Crystala was fleeing because she had stabbed the Baron in self-defence after he made unwelcome approaches towards her.
The others were met at a disused mine in the mountains north of Avondale.
Orto, the mad Dwarf, had imprisoned Simon and Delmundo the half-orc wizard who wanted them to produce plague spores. Jordan was used as manual labour by the orcs at the mine to break rocks.
The first group of heroes had been sent on a mission by Rhodoban, the head cleric of the order of Koryis in Avondale. There have been rumours that someone has been trying to spread spores of the Great Plague. There searching led them to an abandoned mine in the heart of the mountains between Avondale and Dal Skyr. There they found Orto, a dwarf, with two mage prisoners who he was trying to persuade to manufacture the plague. His previous mage had escaped but in his bid for freedom fell down an open mine shaft. Some of the PCs had started to explore the bottom of the shaft and found the mages' body along with his spell book which had been used for fire lighters by a hobgoblin that occupied the chamber at the foot of the shaft.
In their exploration of the chamber they uncovered an ancient door that seemed to open onto a long lost tomb. They have decided to ignore this for the present and take Orto back to Avondale for punishment. After resting at Zan's master's cave they returned to Avondale. They were in sight of the town when a group of city guard rode past. They thought they were safe but the guards rode back and ordered Crystala and D'mond to remove their hoods. Crystala pretends to be plague struck causing the guards to back off. On the way back to the town they were attacked by kobolds but Crystala showed her bravery once more and their assailants were chased off.
On returning to Avondale they found that the Mayor and the mage Kesryk were absent and hear that the Baron has put a price on Crystala's head. They visit a Dwarven ale house to hand back some items found in the temple. While most try to remain inconspicuous Jordan gets involved in an arm-wrestling bout with a dwarf and wins! Just then they are urged by Jedon to leave by the back way. Just in time it seems as a band of the Baron's men arrive.
Having evaded the guards with the help of Simon's magics they take up residence at the Bridge Inn. The following day they go their separate ways. Jordan, Dohrum, Crystala and Landrick narrowly avoid death in the market at the hands of a Guild Assassin. The authorities seem to think the target was the merchant but the heroes are suspicious, could the bolt have been meant for Crystala?
They are summoned to the temple of Koryis for a meeting with Rhodoban. There they are surprised to see the Baron who offers them a pardon and a pouch of gold if they retrieve a talisman from the family mausoleum.
The heroes decided to take up the Baron's offer and have spent some time researching the history of the Talisman.
They have now travelled into the woods and found the tomb of the Baron's ancestors. So far all has been plain sailing, the tomb opened easily and they find a stone coffin and a statue of the First Baron, intact bar one thumb. During this they meet Landor an elven cleric of few words.
They investigated the side crypts and encountered a number of animated skeletons, each of which have born a different coloured ring. They find a way into the deeper crypts and descend, much to Jedon's displeasure.
After solving many puzzles and overcoming several dangerous foes they came to the chamber where the first of the Jubfek's lay buried. Here they were given the talisman and told to take it to the First not to the current Baron. Sadly this prize came at a cost. Landrick died at the hands of the skeletal foes and D'mond took a wound that has since become infected. They left the temple and headed for the town of Avonmouth.
On the way to Avonmouth they stopped at the Greenwood Inn where a group of rogues started a fight as a distraction. Leaving behind a bottle of poisoned brandy the rogues made their escape. This brandy was passed around and Jedon succumbed to the poison. In a strange dreamworld the ranger imagined himself to be a dragon, one of the lords of an ancient city. In the dream he saw the bard Zanzibar and believes that Zan is a traitor and caused the downfall of the city.
Meanwhile the others searched out a druid who had the cure for the poison. The druid turned the rogues into statues and helped cure Jedon of the poison. She could do nothing for D'mond's arm however.
The journey continued and they arrived in Avonmouth. Dohrum went to the temple of Koryis and aided the clerics in the preparations for D'mond's cure, a cure that has cost the party 1000gp. The others stayed in the Dog and Razor, a dockside tavern in the poorer part of town. The following day D'mond was cured and they encounter an angry ship's captain at the docks who they decide to sail with to Safeharbour. But before they can go Simon is kidnapped by agents of the Baron and the others with the aid of Greywort, the half-orc boatman, go to his rescue.
They find Simon in the clutches of Argas, the bandit. Just before they are about to leave Greywort the boatman falls dying through the only door out of the caves. A battle with some of Baron Jubfek's guards ensues during which Crystala and Landor are either captured or killed. The others hide in a secret room that somehow Jedon remembers from his dream in the Greenwood Inn. They emerge into the cellars of the lighthouse and are discovered by the lighthouse keeper who with the aid of captain Caduach and the Jubfek Talisman, which they discover is called Ordana's Ward, they get aboard the captain's ship, 'The Flower Of The West.'
Little did they know that others had been set on thier trail.
They set sail for Safeharbour but the weather is against them. First they encounter calm weather that leaves them drifting then the ship is attacked by alus-vaarn, a form of evil water spirit. During the battle the ship is damaged, a number of the crew are hurt or killed and Dohrum looses his holy symbol, ripped from his grasp by one of the evil spirits.
They limp their way into a cove on Dragontooth Island and the heroes go ashore to look for fresh food, water and timber, the evil spirits having corrupted the ships' stores. Once ashore Jedon and Simon are attached by blood sucking birds but they win through with the aid of Jordan's sword craft. They find an old corpse in a halfling net trap that carries a worn and damaged map of the island and a unknown potion. They decide to follow the trail marked on the map after burying the corpse beneath a cairn of stones. The map leads them through a ruined village and an old grave, upon which is some ancient dwarven writing. Dohrum deciphers this and finds it to be a tale of one of the ancient dwarven kings who died here at the hands, or rather teeth of a dragon.
They continue along the trail to a broken bridge. Dohrum again reads some fragments of ancient dwarven writing on the bridge and with eyes closed sets out across it. The others see him get half way before falling to seeming death at the bottom of a deep ravine. They try to find his body but fail. Simon tries to repeat what Dohrum did with the same effect. However this is an illusion and both Dohrum and Simon are safe on the other side. They return to lead the others across.
They follow the path up the side of a mountain to a cave in which they find the bones of the dragon that killed the dwarven king Orry. However as they examine the ancient items preserved amongst the bones they are found by a group of strangely dressed halflings who after much jumping up and down escort them to their village where they are greeted by their chief who provides a magical feast for them.
However they find that the feast has a bitter aftertaste. The chief tells them that the PCs have trespassed on the grave of thier sacred spirit guardian and they must face thier champion in a fight to the death. The tribes humour is not improved when Simon produces an impromptu magical fireworks display which includes a representation of a green dragon - thier spirit guardian.
Fyrmont 24th 1014
Thinking that a halfling would be no match for Jordan they rest easy. However when the time for the challange comes they are shocked to see a hulking ogre step into the ring to take on Jordan. Jordan's ogre upbringing gives him the ability to speak the same tongue as his challenger and he discovers that the ogre is sick of being kept with the halflings and longs for an escape and the two act in concert to break free and a chase ensues along the tracks through forest and mountain. As they run past the cave that caused all the trouble Dohrum snatches up helm and axe that he had detirmined belonged to the ancient king Orry. Jedon took the gold tipped arrow that was embedded in the dragon's eye socket and they ran for the shore. However as they left the cave a green dragon spirit formed within the cave. The heroes stook still in fear as the dragon spirit sniffed and looked at each of them in turn, especially Dohrum and Jedon before floating out of the cave towards the halflings. The frightened, awestruck halfings fell to thier knees and this gave the PCs the chance to dash off.
The journey on to Safeharbour began quietly enough but barely a day had passed before a drifting ship was sighted. Fearing that it was a trap set by Captain Vai but honour bound by Guild rules to investigate
Captain Caduach drew the Flower of the West alongside. He soon recognised the ship as the All or Nothing, owned by the Exratty family out of Safeharbour. A quick inspection of the deck revealed no crew except for a much sunblasted and seagull pecked mage hanging from the mast.
The companions investigated the deserted wreck and found little in the cabins of the crew until the captain's cabin was searched. Here they found the ships's log which described how a mage had chartered and modified the ship for some sort of hunt. All had gone well untill some creature of the depths had been dredged up in the net. Here the log ended.
Realising the creature may still be in the hold the brave companions searched the lower levels of the ship. Here the discovered a horrible creature that tried to fool them with its mental powers. Dohrum and Verlis were nearly convinced that they saw a beutiful mermaid trapped in a glass bowl but them managed to see through the creature's illusion. Instead they saw a Terror of the Deep, a marine beholder.
Jordan and Dohrum smashed the glass tank and with the aid of Jedon and Simon finished the creature off. As it died it turned to stone and Captain Caduach, to prevent fear amongst his crew, pretended it was a statue and had it thrown over the side.
Further investigation of the ship led to the disovery of the mage's spell book and other items, including a note book that contained some valuable information on the nature of the beast.
Captain Caduach assigned a skeleton crew to the All or Nothing and both ships sailed towards Safeharbour once more.
On disembarking they are accosted by street urchins who are eventually scared off by one of Simon's illusions. This draws some of the patrolling militia who take the prisoners and the companions to the Militia House. Meanwhile Arrik and Dohrum go to the aid of a woman who has fainted. It appears that she is the wife of one of the dead crewmembers of the All or Nothing. She is distraught and is left in the care of Captain Caduach while Arrik and Dohrum catch up with the others.
Once the business in the Militia House is concluded the companions go to the Three Dragon's Inn where Simon causes a stir by telling the innkeeper's fortune as well as that of Arbet Garch.
Meanwhile Jedon has gone for a walk around the town and is kidnapped by a group of slavers operating out of the Scarlet Feather brothel. After spending a little time in a dank celler Jedon manages to escape through the sewers but not before he has a fist fight with a pair of guards.
D'mond, Verlis, Andrinor and Arrik go to find Scardovari a dealer in gems to sell the sapphire in order to raise the money to get Verlis cured of his lycanthropy. However Scardovari drives a hard bargin and the companions have to do him a favour in order to get their gold; distract the guards at Kingsgate to allow him to get his cargo out.
They decide to stage a fight in the Crippled Giant a tavern near the gate. They discover that Zan has a 'bit of history' with the half-giant bouncer that works there. The disruption escalates as planned and guards are drawn away from the gate and Zan gets thrown through a window in the ensuing fracas. However D'mond notices that the guards left at the gate have been killed by Scardovari's agents and with Zan, Arrik, Dohrum, Andrinor and the returning Jedon gives chase.
Simon and Verlis are taken into custody and are only saved from being put to the question by Arbet Garch by the direct intevention of Lord Kesryk. They then follow Symber from the inn to the tracks leading out of the city.
D'mond and the others discover a partially ruined stockade in the forest north of the city guarded archers. They manage to gain entance, leaving Zan and Dohrum to guard the path beside a spiked pit into which Jedon had earlier fallen. D'mond calls upon the power of the Jubfek Amulet to strkie fear into the heart of the slavers within the stockade where they are guarding the cargo of slaves that is awaiting a boat to arrive at a cove to the east. After a bloody battle the slave leader is killed and the fleaing slavers are herded into the pit they themselves constructed. This they did by stripping to their smalls and producing puppets from thier armour which they hung from the trees.
After a welcome nights rest the heroes meet Chang, a traveller from the uttermost east who is searching for his father, a bard of some renown. Over breakfast a summons arrives from the first, they have been granted an audience with the First and they are to meet a boat at Three Dragon Quay at noon. Meanwhile they recieve news that the Scarlet Feather brothel was burnt down in the night, an event foreshadowed in a note that was found in one of the slavers' tents.
The journey to the Royal Palace is not without trouble. On the quay they are faced with the choice; a royal barge or one manned by a hideous hag. All bar Arrik took the one belonging to the hag. As the boat moved across the water they see the royal barge blown up by a fireball spell cast from the dockside. It is then revealed that the hag is Lord Kesryk under an illusion.
Lord Kesryk leaves the companions in a cave under Royal Island where they defeat a quartet of sea devils who were trying to break into the palace. On arrival in the audience hall they are admitted to the Order of the Dragon by the First but as they are about to hand the talisman over the First is struck by a bolt from a hidden assassin and falls to the ground where it is revealed that this is Lord Kesryk again in disguise.
Lord Kesryk, after banishing High Priest Ramos and Merchant Floorn from the room reveals that the First has vanished. Palace guards bring Arinna, bodyguard to the giant Prince Gedvor, into the room and suggest that she is the assassin.
The half-orc manages to persuade the others that she is innocent thanks to the intervention of The First's consort, Lady Mohana. The companions are briefed by Sir Rupert on what the Council knows of the disappearance of the First. The only lead they have is a magical tome that was found in the First's study. The book is filled with wonderfully lifelike illustrations. It is possible that the First was abducted by the use of this book.
Sir Rupert has recognised one of the pictures; it is a region near his holdings in the foothills of the Whitecap Mountains. He proposes that the Companions come with him to search for the First. All agree save Simon. Lord Kesryk asks him to stay and aid him in studying the tome for more information, Simon agrees.
On the way to the boat that would take then away from Royal Island, Andrinor slipped and fell into the sea and was lost; another death to be mourned it seems that a curse is upon you all.
Sir Rupert's guests turn out to be two mages, Velinax and Tarren. They are members of the Arabathil Brotherhood, a group of mages that collect and study rare and magical beasts. They have heard that a beholder, a fearsome creature of great intellect, has been spotted in the area and wish to enlist the Companions' help in trying to capture it. Sir Rupert thinks that this creature may be behind the capture of the First and recommends that they aid the mages in their mission. Jedon is reluctant to trust the mages but is eventually persuaded. After they leave the Companions all spend a day relaxing, D'mond finds some interesting scrolls and spends some time copying them for later use.
Ambyrmont 1st 1014
The Companions travel to Timberfell meeting no trouble on the road.
Timberfell is a small settlement populated by loggers and those trades that the loggers rely on. At the heart of the hamlet is the inn, The Knotty Ash. The companions stay here while they wait for the mages to turn up. As they wait they encounter a group of adventurers led by a female fighter by the name of Jelifer. Both groups are suspicious of each other and a fight nearly ensues.
Ambyrmont 2nd 1014
Jedon and the others head off into the forests where they meet Dak, the loggers' cook who says he has not seen the mages since the day before. As they search for more clues they find a truncated statue in a clearing which they deduce is the work of the beholder. They head back to the inn, dispirited.
Ambyrmont 3rd-4th 1014
After Chang and Jedon nearly make a serious mistakes in the woods when they mistake a lovers' tryst for the creature they hunt D'mond finds a map in the mages' room that allows the companions to find the beholder's lair. D'mond also suggests that the other party, who vanished in the night, may have searched thier rooms while they were away in the forest.
They find themselves near the entrance to a cave when a beholder rushes towards them erratically. The compaions attack and down the creature with surprising ease, the reason for this is soon revealled when the creature's form changes into that of the mage Tarren! After being healed by Dohrum he reports that he saw the beholder after hearing his partner scream. He ran into the forest not knowing the beholder had played a trick on him, changing his form into that of a beholder.
The companions return to Dak's wagon and after a good nights sleep they head back towards Timberfell and the Knotty Ash. That evening to celebrate thier safe return Dohrum challenges the others to a drinking contest that is surprisingly won by Zan. Chang, Arinna and Dohrum had to be carried upstairs after the event!
Ambyrmont 5th 1014
After a good night's rest the Tarren and Jellifer decide to team up to rescue Jellifer's companions who are still trapped in the beholder's passages.
Meet a friend of mine, Aleanor Pathsteader at the Inn of the Fair Warrior in Safeharbour as soon as you can. Something extraordinary is happening, and you need to know about it. The ranks of The Elect are swelling, and this may have some bearing on events with our missing friend. Do not try to contact me, I am being watched by forces unknown and I don't want them to know any more about you than they already do. -Your friend, Lord Kesryk.
The maze of passages which twist and turn under the city have never been mapped and have grown haphazardly over the last hundred years or more. In one of the many complex passage junctions Chang stumbled into a deeper pool where a tentacled beast attacked. Acting in concert the beast was swiftly despatched without serious harm to anyone. Johanna surprised Jedon and the others with her steely nerves under pressure and her prowess with throwing daggers. However despite a few clues she is no closer to finding her brother. Frustrated with the slow progress Arinna stormed off into the drains on her own.
Eventually, after many dead ends and slime filled tunnels, the companions arrived at a strange chamber dominated by a large glowing onyx monolith. Surrounding the stone were several shrivelled corpses, amongst them, still alive, was Durgan, Johanna's brother. As the woman rushed forward to comfort the gibbering man a hideous creature appeared. Covered with fur and emitting an evil chill the creature attacked with claws and teeth. Johanna was downed instantly, Chang and Jedon would have followed if it were not for Dohrum's healing powers. D'mond attacked with her new found cutlass and slowly started to damage the creature while Jedon could only fend off attacks with his blades. The battle was evenly matched until the sound of a flute could be heard. Stirred by this the companions pressed the attack and defeated the creature.
After the battle and the healing of the wounded Zan and the others studied the pillar. Zan with a sombre voice declared that the glowing marking on the pillar could be that of the most feared creatures in the underground realms.
The Illithid - Mind Flayers were loose in the city of Safeharbour!
Ambyrmont 6th 1014
A door from the lab led into what appeared to be a comfortable sitting room. Seated in a well stuffed chair, illuminated in the golden glow of a gaudy lantern on a table sat Enoch.
Dohrum broke the spell, "We came to talk to you. We heard your speech before and are very keen to hear more about these true masters"
"Yes, we're here to talk. That balcony address was interesting, but left out all the details! Aren't you flattered that we came?" Chang added with a grin.
Enoch stood up and paced around the room, not quite meeting the gaze of his guests, "Yes, yes I am sure but can't you see I'm busy, sermons to write. Did you not head the warnings? Death awaits you if you disturb my work!" Enoch continued speaking as he paced around the room. "Who are you? What do you want?"
Sensing that this was an illusion Dohrum covered the lantern with his cloak and urged the real Enoch to step into the open.
Suddenly Dohrum's cloak fluttered up like a large bat from the lantern and flew through the open door into the night and once more the room was flooded with even brighter light from the lantern on the table.In through the open door from the balcony strode a more imposing version of the figure that had been talking to you, "So you saw through my little illusion, did you? Well I did warn you, several times. The city guard frowns upon those that break and enter the abodes of law abiding citizens. Now will you leave or will I have to make you? Or should I summon Captain Lucian and his squad of troopers?"
He snapped his fingers and the other 'Enoch' vanished.He turned to D'mond and Arinna before speaking in a civilised, yet hurt tone, "You at least I expect to go, you believed in me and trusted my word earlier. What has happened to change your minds now? Can't a man set wards upon his house to stop vagrants and vagabonds from entering and causing mischief? I heard the mess you made downstairs, those statues were expensive. It seems to me that I am left alone to Shine Bright before the Darkness while the whole world goes to rack and ruin." As he spoke, the lantern flared brighter than before and bathed the room in a warm, golden light that seemed to add power to his speech.
Tired of arguing Thanduil climbed a narrow stair, while Enoch cast a handful of yellowed knucklebones to the floor from which skeletons with glowing eyes arose, Chang lept for Enoch but the mage vanished from Chang's grip to reappear in a loft where he had a tense conversation with Thanduil while the others tried to climb the stairs. Enoch broke off his conversation at intervals to cast spells of summoning to slow the others down while he tried to persuade the elf mage of the righteousness of his cause. When the others burst into the room the angry Enoch cast a powerful spell at Zan but Arinna dived in front of the aging bard and was disintegrated. Shocked by this the others piled in and killed Enoch whose face showed the same flashes of blue tattoos under stress as Janine.
Gathering up Enoch's corpse for later investigation as well as the mage's books they made to escape but Jedon had noticed that the City Watch had arrived and had set torches to the ruined building that was tarting to burn. Dohrum cast a Bridge of Sound across to the roof of a nearby building allowing them to avoid detection. They made their way to the Temple of Solarios where Victor suggested the brothers there may be able to help.
The large temple of Solarios has a dedicated hospital wing and Brother Korhad, an aging paladin, helped them with the storage of the body while a senior cleric Brother Parvale and Loremaster Zabel answered some of the companions questions. Brother Parvale suggested that they spent the night in the guest lodgings rather than risk travelling back to The Swan. Tired and emotional from the events of the day they accepted the offer of food and lodging.
Ambyrmont 7th 1014
