The adventures of our brave fellowship finally came to and end in the summer 2012. The campaign was a huge success, greatly because the DM with partial aid from Melkors player, planned the main plot all the way back then when the heroes were just 1 level greenhorns. That kept the adventure nicely together without sliding into dumb sidequests or into general mindset of indolence. But what did we get from our four main characters?
Warning! Contains spoilers!
Arius was taken to the adventure by sudden and the young boy was soon informed about his magnificent future as the rightful king of Darnon. Sadly much of his efforts were sort of in vain as Melkor revealed his true agendas. Arius felt like a puppet, but because of his honor, he fought for Darnon until the end. In the end he united with his father, Melkor, and looked forward in to ruling the kingdom of Darnon. The relationship of Arius and Melkor was one of the key plotlines planned before the campaign even started. It came up good, and for the players the revelation of their true bond was as shocking as the famous scene in Star Wars.
Melkor was the mastermind behind all their efforts. He did everything for his own agendas of capturing the Eye of Karsus, a powerful Netherese artifact. Cold, calculating and cruel, he was a quite a character, he even had his own theme music!
Although Melkor had his good side, it was well hidden all the way to the end, when he saved (some say accidentally!) the last darnonese soldiers alongside with his son and friends. At least in the ending he gave up his cold facade and embraced his son for the first real time. As said, Melkor the loremaster was essential character for the DM to push the adventure forward. Melkors player received many secret notes depicting the future moves of the wizard, a quite cunning way to emphasize his ?26? intelligent score!! and the knowledge that his prestige class Loremaster gave him.
Jared was the cleric that destroyed undeads like thin glass vases. Jared was always bit in a auxiliary role, although he had his moments. When Jared was killed by the giant undead maggot in the battle of Durunmer, his player had great doubts about resurrecting him. We managed to make a deal where Jared actually died and his body and soul was taken by a colossal demon entity known as Gor Marrak (which I had introduced, then forgotten, but which made some "sense" why the cleric was possessed) which avatar/servant manifested in the final battle. Losing Jared saddened the happy ending a bit, but was in line with sacrifices that had to be made in order to save Darnon. A statue was later raised for Jareds memory in Iriaebor, and the brave cleric was heightened as the Patron Saint Jared of Iriaebor.
Douglas was the good guy behind it all. Always there, always ready, maybe bit uneffective against undeads and constructs, the rogue did his share of turning people and creatures into "luskanese bagpipes". He was known for his legendary sarcasm and wit, and he was probably the only one that never had any hidden plots behind him. Well he had his personal encounter with the torture chambers of Asbravn. Douglas should have deserved some more personal plotlines, but after all, Melkor hired him to aid rescuing Arius, and the thief stuck with the others in order to gain more wealth. His death and "faceswap" episode made us consider the pros & cons of raising the dead, and for the new campaign we decided to introduce a new system to replace the raise dead-magicks.
But now we are ready to depart from the Kingdom of Darnon, the greatest adventure of our gaming career. Personally as a Dungeon Master, the campaign has been a rewarding one. It sure has been a blessing and a pain, seeing the players actually excited by the adventures and plots, but also the planning processes have been the most demanding yet, almost exhausting. And then is this blog, demanding even more efforts. But the blog collects my thoughts about the late adventure and helps me to plan the new one, so I guess we're slightly on the positive side with this one. I had considered leaving the chair of Dungeon Master for a while, letting one of the players to game few adventures of something totally different, but as the campaign ended, everybody was so excited in creating a new one, as was i, so I guess no pause for me, the adventure calls! And this time it calls in the north, be my guest and take a peek at the "To the North"-campaign blog!
Now this is the farewell! Yours truly, Jakubias the Dungeon Master
Arius woke up. He was lying in a bed, and Cidela Pepperpath was sitting on his side. Suddenly Arius focused as the girl kissed him. "What happened?" He asked. Cidela told him how the demon that once were Jared, struck him down, but at the same moment, the battlefield began to drift in to shadows. Cidela had thought that her own end had come, but then from the shadows, something manifested out of the thick shadows. It was a city and a fortress, that was and was not. And then the ethereal gates of the city of shadows opened, and an army of shades marched towards the battlefield, and in the vanguard, walking alongside the Shade King, was Melkor. The shades fought hard and disbanded not until the last of Alzarseths mercenaries was slain and the demon banished back to the Abyss.
Cidela and the rest of the Darnonese army gathered the wounded and now they are in the grand halls of High Lady Cylyria Dragonbreast. Much of the city of Berdusk was saved as the berduskian wizards managed to create a protective ward to withstand the red orb. Arius was puzzled but glad that they had survived from what was nigh impossible. Then he saw Douglas who was sleeping on a sidecouch, but the rogue woke quickly and welcomed his friend back to the living. Cidela told Arius that this morning, Melkor came back, but the wizard refused to talk to others, conserving his words for Arius. Young King asked Cidela about Jared and the girl explained the little that she had managed to discover.
According to Berduskian sages, Jared suffered some sort a soulcurse where a malign entity took control of his soul and body. It was suspected that Jared changed back in Durunmer where undead maggot killed him. This theory is backed up by his journal, gathered from his belongings. Last note goes like this:
"7th of August, 1372
It truly is a joy to write again. May Lathander bless my new hands! I will write a better recitation as soon as I have more time, as now we are in haste to the village of Durunmer, since a unholy terror has risen from the ruins of Dakhet Mar. But it is to be mentioned that our pagan comrade, Hashim the Kothian was slain in a evil ambush. I will miss him. But now I must rush, praised be Lathander, unlike the last few days, today I truly feel that we will be victorious!"
In loving memory of Jared
Saddened by their loss, Cidela helped Arius to get back up, and walked him to the main hall. It had became a makeshift hospital for the injured. Among the tired yet relieved soldiers and civilians they saw Dortherion, badly maimed but still kicking. Lot was there too, petting Hero the dog. General Almatheus Ochrefield was there too, but he had given his fullest during the battle and now he was dying. And to his sickness there was no cure.
And as they reach the other end of the hall, Melkors walks in. The old wizard apologizes for his late actions, and admits that now afterwards he sees several ways to improve his methods. Melkor explains that when he reached for the artifact, he felt a connection to the realm of shades. He summoned the shade armies for their aid, but that costed him the Eye of Karsus, as the Shadeking Hardhune took it from him. After the battle, the Shadeking spoke to him and told that if he ever wishes to study the artifact, he would have to abandon his life among the others and join to shades in their realm at the Plane of Shadow.
As Arius began to understand why Melkor did what he did, and even though he had not fully forgiven him yet, he was touched by Melkors possible leave and asked what did the wizard choose to do? Melkor stared him for a while and said "I bid you farewell Arius.."
And he turned and began to walk towards the doorway. Arius couldn't find any words to stop his father from leaving, but at the doorway Melkor stopped. The wizard saw a young berduskian boy with golden hair, fencing a old bookcase with wooden sword and shield. Something changed inside the wizard, who turned and walked back to Arius "I guess I'll watch over you for couple more years, I owe you that, son." Cheers were heard as the wizard and the young king finally hugged (which was Melkors first hug since his beloved Queen Aeliathe, love of his life) as a gesture of remission and newly found relationship.
A message arrived from Uddard Blackcaster who informed that the free people pf Darnon were longing after their king. Our brave heroes walked into a balcony and gazed beyond the smoking ruins of Berdusk and beyond the green fields of Berdusk, there lied the Kingdom of Darnon, for which they had sacrificed and fought. Cidela asked from Arius:
"The Tyrant is dead, evil wizard has been slain, the kingdom is yours, what are you going to do now?"
"I could be with you.." Arius replied.
Cidela blushed, and couldn't give Arius a coherent answer just yet. The embarrassed couple was saved by Lot who walked in with Hero the Dog, bringing Arius the Crown of Darnon.
And there, standing with his trusted friends, the young boy who just over a year ago had gone for the market to run some casual errands, placed the crown on his head, and look, he was
King Ariendur the Valiant
Defeater of Tyranny, Savior of the Free People of Darnon.
And together with his dear friends, they saw many wondrous adventures, but those are different tales that deserve to be told, but not now, since now is the time to bid you and our glorious heroes farewell!
Session was held 30th of June at the Altar of Games
Melkor made Arius very upset. Poor kid.
As the great peril loomed over the Kingdom of Darnon, Arius prepared himself for a speech that was meant to raise the last remaining men for the final battle. Melkor had declared that they would should move with haste towards the city of Berdusk that was currently besieged by the Red Wizard Alzarseth. Melkor pointed out that encountering Alzarseth was crucial if they wished for Darnon's best, as the Red Wizard gathered strength with every passing hour.
But Arius found himself troubled by the late events. Melkor had always been close to him as a mentor and foster father, but now as it had turned out that the Black Wizard actually was his father, he had great problems accepting the truth. Even more so as his legitimacy for the Crown of Darnon had been forever lost. Although he still struggled with his thoughts, Arius heartened the remaining soldiers to join him for the final march. A march that was destined to end in suffering of many without a promise of victory.
The Final March
The preparations for the Last Stand of Justice were made roughly in one day. During their planning meet with the last remaining rebellion leaders they agreed that General Almatheus Ochrefield, Dortherion, Count Anthrop and Constantin Almert would join them for the last march. Uddard Blackcaster was nominated to act as regent while our heroes would be making war elsewhere, and he promised to give his fullest to prevent the conquered cities descending into turmoil. Cidela Pepperpath and Lot were stationed to guard the Cube of Tybor during the march and while Melkor would do his magicks.
During the meet Ochrefield stated they managed to raise around thousand soldiers for the march, many of them ex-Blackhelms who had deserted from King Osanders army.
While planning for the tactics, Blackcaster brought up alarming news. It had turned up that the carcass of Merthoflagrion, the red dragon that was slain few weeks ago in the Battle for Asbravn, had vanished into thin air. Blackcaster assured the rest that there was no reason to worry and that natural explanation for the disappearance of the huge rotting serpent was to be found.
Next morning the small army of tired freedom fighters began it's march towards Berdusk. Captain Ochrefield calculated that march would take four days to the Great Bulwark, where they could ask Colonel Erebald (well known sympathizer of Free Darnon) and his men to join them. But before that they would have a long forced march ahead of them that would really test the endurance of the men.
Route of the Last March.
The men marched almost two days in a row with minimum rest, but outside the village of Borhus they finally had a little rest among the village houses and maturing crops. After the nightfall when the camp had been built and most were fast asleep, Melkor was still writing to his notebook.
Zelthaum the Eldritch
Suddenly he noticed how his magical amulet began to hover on his chest, and how inside the tent every other item of magical nature did exactly the same. Arius woke up as his sword Ilbrandir began to float away from him, and soon all of our heroes charged out of the tent to see what was causing this magical anomaly. And as a thunder shook the camp, great giant appeared in front of them.He declared to be Zelthaum the Eldritch, claimant to possess the Cube of Tybor. The gigantic man listened no reasoning and the ownership of the Cube had to be dissolved with arms. Zelthaums gargantuan bastard sword was a force to be reckoned and his magical abilities boosted his power further, but as so many times before, our heroes proved to be triumphant. The giant was soon slain, heroes claim for the Cube restored and soon the camp returned to peaceful slumber.
The One who Returned
At dawn, the camp was dismantled and the march continued. Sun didn't illuminate their path anymore as a dark gloom had fallen over Darnon. The black clouds over Berdusk had grown even thicker, and the dense veil of darkness was spreading over the lands with ever growing speed. It was clear that Alzarseths magic was the cause of this unholy gloaming that hung heavily over the land. The army moved with haste towards the border Bulwark, and two days later they reached Hope's End, a refugee village outside the Morihig border station. The village was empty, sacked by the conquering army of Alzarseth. But death reeked also at the border station. Colonel Erebald, who was expected to join them, hang gutted, upside down with his close officers at the camps gate. Douglas donned his ring of invisibility (freshly acquired from Asbravnian merchant) and went for a quick recon mission. The thief soon returned and informed the others that the border station had been overrun by undead warriors. Jared was encouraged by these news and promised to get rid of the menace with his positive energy bursts granted by his deity Lathander. Talk about being positive, the crazed cleric walked all alone in the middle of the soldiers of unlife. An undead officer in black full-plate ordered them to turn because the border was closed, but the priest launched his positive burst that tore the skeleton army apart, but only partially, as many of the creatures rose again.
Death Knight Irongrave and his zombie-dragon steed.
By releasing the burst, Jared also evoked the high commander of the depot of living dead. Great doors of the wall gatehouse fell, as a gargantuan beast crawled in. And look, the beast was Merthoflagrion, once slain red dragon that had risen again. The zombie dragon had a rider, donned in black full-plate, wearing a cracked helm with huge deer antlers, and the rider was the greatest of the Skull Riders, Captain Irongrave. He was slain in the battle of Treeward, but now the captain was bestowed with unholy powers and risen as a Death Knight. As a response to clerics energy burst, Irongrave grunted "Here only you can die" andlaunched a volley of unholy fire towards Jared, knocking the priest down. Then the dragon vaulted to the sky and swiped behind our heroes, frying many soldiers with it's fiery breath. Furious battle ensued as the Death Knight dealt punishment from the Beyond. As Jared regained his consciousness and was ready to continue the battle, he unleashed another burst of energy, decimating the weakened Death Knight and his terrible minions. Without these superpowers of our heroic cleric, many of the men would have died in the claws of the skeleton horde, now they could sigh and wait for day or two longer for the Kothian blades to slay them.
The army marched through the border gate and gasped as they saw malevolent powers growing in the berduskian sky. A great red sphere glowed it's death on the doomed city and it was now crystal clear that there was n more time to be wasted. With a forced march our heroes and their army struggled onwards, but soon general Ochrefield had to call for a quick rest. They headed to a farm called "The Verdants" where the men gathered fresh water and crops for fast nourishment. But encounter followed as the main building was already occupied. A great warrior launched forward, killing two soldiers. He told the heroes to back off, but when questioned, the man, called Strong-Dong, revealed that he was serving a master. And the master answered when he was called forth.
Here Strong-Dong and Man-with-a-pointy-hat both marvel
how well the Man shot his arrow into Ebonmars ribs.
A wretched shadow of a man walked out of the building, and soon our heroes recognized that familiar scumbag, he was Lord Lullicius Ebonmar. The fat coward had escaped from Berdusk just before the siege, and was hiding here with few of his menservants. It didn't take long from our fellowship to negotiate Strong-Dong to leave his slavemaster and join for the glorious battle. That obese bastard tried to sneak out of the situation but by heroes command, a man with a pointy hat & feather stopped his escape with a well aimed arrow. The pointy hatted man was complimented for his bravery in action. The owners of the Verdant-farm were found and released from the basement, and they gave their sincerest gratitude for our heroes. During the night the farmer Matteus Verdant finished his issues with Lord Ebonmar who was left to die on the yard. As morning came even more hazily than the others before, resting troops found Ebonmar hanged into nearest tree. Many wondered how that chapped farmer had strenght to lift that fat carcass high up in the air. After this scene the last camp was dismantled and the march for final judgement began.
The Last Strike
The red glowing orb over Berdusk and it's besiegers.
The Last Army of Free Darnon progressed with rather hasty pace, even though they were marching to their evident deaths. As the last hills and meadows of berduskian farmlands were left behind, the army reached a last little hill before the city, and on the top of that our fellowship finally saw how dire the whole situation actually was. The city was completely surrounded by besieging force. Dark black clouds hung heavily over the city, and in the middle of the clouds a gigantic red orb pulsated, sucking red energy from the city and the besieging forces to itself. And from that red eye, a small line of that same red energy streamed into a small mountaintop, which glowed with bright light. There on that artificial peak (that wasn't there before, foul magic of the red wizard once again) Alzarseth did his magics in order to destroy Berdusk.
Only one unit of enemy troops was not under the same lure that doomed Berdusk. These men guarded the small peak where the archmage was conjuring death and demise for thousands. Our valiant crusaders decided to head straight towards the peak in hope of intercepting the conjuring. The enemy let them proceed quite a distance until three-men sentry rode towards them. Their leader, Shadhum Khozo, the leader of Kothian mercenaries, announced that his master is currently occupied and cannot attend their business whatever it was. But mercenary captains speech was interrupted by the red mage himself telepathically saying "Shadhum, I do have time"
And with this sentence, dust began to move in a circle of hundred feet radius. And from that circle rose half-dozen enormous metal blades that reached the sky, still circling with blinding speed, enclosing our heroes into deadly cylinder. And inside that cylinder was Alzarseth the Red. As predicted, the mage was wearing deep red robe, his face looked powerful, and his eyes stared under pitch-black brows.
This is the speech Alzarseth held when addressing our heroes:
"We meet at last! The King is dead, long live the King!
Congratulations Ariendur, there's finally a man on the throne who righteously deserves it!
And you must be Douglas of Berdusk. It seems that you've lost your face?
The priest of Lathander, Jared. We shall talk about the matters of faith later when all this is over, for then whe truly have time for it.
Oh but Melkor the Black, Confidant of Queen Aeliathe, The Wise Man of West, Descendant of the Great Ancient Wizards of Netheril. Far have you traveled from your books, and even farther from the havens of rationality are your thoughts, how do you believe that you'll ever reach your goals when even your closest ones do not know about your endeavors?
Melkor, let me explain to your little friends..
Don't you remember? You arrived to Iriaebor long time ago, visions of long gone artifact in your eyes. You had managed to dig up that the arch-wizard of the city could possess an item of tremendous power and you decided to investigate this lead. Yes, the Eye of Karsus was mine back then already, even though I had not yet unleashed it's true powers.
Melkor and Arius back when everything was well.
You conspired with the beautiful Queen, but did you do it for love, I dare not to know. You managed to discover a lot, but much was yet to be discovered, when something unexpected happened. The Queen succumbed as did her first-born, prince Ariendur. But the people of Darnon didn't know that the boy was actually alive and safe, as the Queen foresaw her own death and gave the baby to you Melkor. Little prince was kept hidden in your servitude until now, as I couldn't suspect you back then when I order the Queen and her bastard to death! Yes, I gave that order as the weakling King Osander could not do it. Power is a cruel game my friend.
See, deaths of the Queen and the prince were good excuses for radical shifts in the power balance of the kingdom, because all these years that you call as grim years of tyranny and fear, were only running in for the terror machinery that will lift me to greater power. The Cult of the Bitter Lord has proven itself as crucial aid for my endeavor and without the Queens death and the national mourning that followed it, I couldn't been able to introduce it for the masses, not to mention spreading it.
But what comes to you Melkor, after receiving the boy, a sinister plan began to grow it's roots in your mind. I am even little envious how cunning your plan was. You raised the boy to obedient young man, and you never told him about his true origins. But when the boy turned eighteen, you betrayed him for the Order of the Black Cliff, who had been searching for him all these years. Then you rescued him from the dungeons and told all these tales and lies how he would be the legitimate king of Darnon and how the young prince would act as the sword of righteousness and release the kingdom from tyranny. And the boy believed and your route for power opened. People of Darnon dismissed the tyrant and welcomed Arius with great cheer as their new rightful King. Your success has been great and you almost managed to mess my own personal schemes. But Melkor, your destination is still ahead of you, but now you have managed to create your own machinery for power, which shield might be more polished than mine, but the insides are as covered in smut as mine. And now that long forgotten artifact is at your grasp, The Eye of Karsus. You have been pursuing it all this time, heedless of anything else... As I said, power is a cruel game.
But now I must continue my own agendas. Extracting the souls from a whole city and from the army besieging it, in order to raise myself to godhood, is not a task done with ease. I am flattered that you've come to share my day of ultimate triumph. Thank you.
And with these words the wizard vanished and the great metal blades that formed the cylinder descended back to earth. Melkor grinded his teeth in anger, as the others looked at the wizard in disbelief, how could he betray them in this horrible manner. Arius especially was completely blown out. His blank expression was wiped when the earth below them began to tremble. As they backed up, the ground fell into abyssal pit more than hundred foot wide. And from the red depths of the pit rose a terrible many clawed and eyed abomination later identified as Elder Odopi.
And thus began the final battle for Darnon.
Manifestation of Tybor
Arius, Jared and Douglas struck against the bizarre aberration of hell, while Melkor concentrated his energy in awakening Tybor from his Cube. The Odopi trampled over many and struck forcefully with it's crooked claws. It grappled Arius and swallowed him. There Arius remained for almost the rest of the battle, fighting the nightmarish innards for his freedom. The creature struck Jared down, mangling the priest badly, but just then Melkor managed to release Tybor. With great white light, the ancient wizard manifested over his Cube, glazing furiously to the top of the peak where Alzarseth did his spells. Then Tybor released a burst of force that knocked the Red Wizard down, ending his dire spells. By that instant the red glaring orb on the sky of Berdusk began to fall. And just before reaching the rooftops it exploded with great white light. Force of the explosion tore down towers and walls, knocked the besieging army down and when it reached our battling army, reeled many. Soon the battle ensued, and the manifestation of Tybor withered slowly away. For a moment the Red Wizard was gone, but then he returned with terrible wrath.
Arius managed to force himself out of the Elder Odopi, just in time to help Douglas who had been left completely alone as Jared had succumbed to terrible agony. The young prince saw Alzarseth standing on a hill, but the wizards appearance had changed from the previous. The Archwizard was a twisted visage of it's former self, and it was quite apparent that the Red Wizard was a lich, terrible undead spellcaster of tremendous power.
Alzarseth the Red
The maddened Red Wizard began his battle by casting the feared Meteor Swarm upon our heroes. While dodging the terrible blaze, Arius was puzzled by Melkors apparent absence. The Black Wizard had put his eye on the Eye of Karsus, a powerful artifact that he had desired for so long. Now it laid unused on the ground as Alzarseth had thrown it away in his whims as he failed to re-activate it, thanks to Tybors strong dispelling charge. And so, Melkor abandoned his friends and pursued his own goals instead, a move that sealed our fellowships destiny.
As the traitorous loremaster disappeared into a dimensional door, Jared, who had already been struggling, was slain by Alzarseths meteors. None could have seen what happened next. The death of the faithful priest evoked a terrible spirit that had been lurking inside the priest since his first demise in Battle of Durunmer. Now the cleric corpse transformed into a shape of terrible demon that growled:
In some sources Arius is portrayed with a horned helm,
but like true heroes, he fought bareheaded.
"I am the Harbinger of Gor-Marrak the Eater of Nations! Alzarseth, your time has come!
And in instant the demon began to slay the men around it, progressing towards the Red Wizard who flew his spells on it. One of the spells was Horrid Wilting that killed brave Constantin Almert. Arius also rushed towards the wizard, as he wanted to deal with him personally. Some said later that his plunge towards the hill was archetype portray of recklessness, as he rushed through prismatic spray-spell to face archmage lich and a terrible demon of horrific hellish power. But the daredevil hero did it, and for a moment he battled alongside with the demon. Alzarseth could not withstand such an attack for long, and our young king struck his glorious sword through the lich, slaying the Evil that had tormented Darnon for decades! Off-balanced by the shock that followed the Red Wizards destruction, the demon took the advantage, and even though Douglas did his best to support Arius in battle against the creature that once had been their friend, the demon struck Arius down with it's mighty heaves.
Arius fell, and while laying there in the middle of the battlefield, he felt his end coming. He saw how Douglas screamed as he tried to save his friend, but Arius couldn't hear him no more. Memories of wondrous adventures full of joy and friendship, rushed to his mind, but then the shadows began to roll over him. Everything grew darker and darker, and as Arius felt he was succumbing to the eternal darkness he knew that this is it, his end....
Session was held 4th of January 2012 at the Altar of Games
Constantly warping darkness and void surrounded Melkor. He had been suspended in this state of nothingness for ages, or so it felt. Actually it had been mere seconds ago when the purple worm of Alzarseth died and sucked everyone into the void in it's death throes. But suddenly Melkor heard a sound, a distant voice,calling..
Lord of Vision
Xul-Molor in his alien cell.
Melkor regained his consciousness and found himself trapped in a small cell with the rest of the fellowship. Old and crazed man stood in front of him. His clothes were tattered, face unkept, but yet he showed marks of exceptionally high intelligence. Man introduced himself as Xul-Molor, a planar walker and astral traveller, magically trapped into this small cell. As the rest of the party slowly woke up, Xul-Molor explained that they had been lost in time and space, but he saved them from that harsh destiny with his astral beacon. Most of his planar magic had been suppressed by his captor, but he was able to uphold the beacon. The old star traveller told how he was trapped into a astral web and later auctioned to his current captor, Kularqoroth the Seer. Now that he had summoned the heroes from the void, he would finally be able to escape. He explained how they would have to find his belongings as they are needed for planar travel, and firstly they would have to knock the alien-like cell door and call for Yig the Jailer.
Promise of freedom was enough for our heroes, and they soon began executing Xul-Molor's plan. Yig answered the call and as the mighty off-shoot of a demon and a grimlock opened the cell door, soon-to-be-prince Arius plunged on it. They exchanged some blows and eventually the monstrous guard was dead. With Yigs keyring, our brave heroes searched through the rest of the jail-section and witnessed terrible scenes of torture and forced magical mutations. They found only one captive alive and sane, but he charged towards the exit, only to meet his end in the mandibles of terrible UMBER HULK! Our escapees landed their avenging strikes on the huge monstrosity, but it summoned an ally, an another one, precisely as terrible. These creatures gazed confusion into Arius but luck was on our heroes side, once again. They continued to push onward, and after short leaps over abyssal chasms they reached their goal, the lair of Kularqoroth the Seer.
Kularqoroth
As they forced themselves to Kularqoroths hidden chamber, they realized that they were facing a beholder! The buoyant aberration proved to be an elusive little bugger as it floated beyond swords reach, firing it's deadly eye rays, targeting everyone.
Even Melkor had to use more advanced tactics with his spells, first running out of the antimagic cone projected by beholders central eye, and then firing his own spells at the monster. Finally the bulb was dead, and Xul-Molor was able to recover his delicate apparatuses of planar travel. But before they could escape from the grande chamber, one urgent case of healing magic had to be applied on Douglas, who had turned to stone by Kularqoroths devilish eye ray.
Douglas, looking like he was meant to look.
Luck was on their side once again as Xul-Molor proved to be one nifty magician, and he healed Douglas with his amazing spells. This act of gratitude had some intriguing side-effects as our dexterous rogue had his old appearance back, lost almost a year ago in a process of resurrection! No longer did Douglas look like a charismatic Rashemenian swashbuckler, now he was plain old Berduskian scumbag! In an instant they also understood the consequences of this transformation, as they would have a lot's of explanation to do to all their allies and contacts who knew only the old Douglas. The possibilities of anonymity were also acknowledged, as none of their enemies would know the search for him now. Douglas did not reveal whether he was glad to have his old looks back or not, but the others didn't have the time to ask, as Melkor rushed them to travel through the planes once again!
Battle for Asbravn
aka
How Melkor cleansed the city of Asbravn
Xul-Molor urged everyone to form a circle, and with quick words of arcane meanings he took them to a trip back to Darnon. The strange wizard brought them to Asbravn, to the chamber where the pair of Soldengraads Rippler had been, where they should have gone upon stepping to the mirror. With swift words of farewell the astral traveller wished luck on their side, and hoped to see them again someday and disappeared, leaving our heroes alone in a closed chamber with half-dozen guards. Well, the guards were nothing that they could not overcome, as within the first seconds of their appearance, Arius launched his sword through the abdomen of one unaware guard sergeant, splitting the poor man in half. As the first blood was drawn, the battle soon escalated into a full scale carnage.
Dacatrin the Sorceress
Lead by Arius and his legendary legacy sword, Ilbrandir,
our liberators slayed their way to the grand hall of the Keep of Asbravn. There they were delayed by volley of arrows, two Asbravnian noblemen Counts Polewright and Gorlund lead by Brother of the Black Cliff called Anthrop. They were backed by sorceress Dacatrin. Her magicks were almost even with Melkor, as she cast chain lighting and reverse gravity upon our brave party. As the battle ensued and blood was spilled, Lord Protector Gustaf Mornburg, who had been observing the outcome escaped, forcing our heroes after him. The sorceress was eventually defeated by Melkors magic, but she managed to escape. The two poor noblemen serving their lord perished in combat, but brother Anthrop managed to fight off the keen blade of Arius, and proposed an agreement. Thus he was known as Anthrop the Oathbreaker, and he even managed to haggle the title of count for himself by pledging loyalty for his new lords. Well, as the kingdom grows, one needs regents at the time of absence.
Encouraged by their new yet bit shady ally, the freedom fighters began pursuing Lord Protector Mornburg who had escaped to the roofs and walls of the keep. They experienced minor resistance as they purified their way to the rooftop of the keep. There, in the highest watchtower, The Lord Protector of Asbravn, Gustaf Mornburg performed a short obscure ritual with a solid gold pedestal depicting imagery of occult nature. This ritual proved to be a summoning chant, that activated the pedestal (given and instructed to Mornburg by Alzarseth, or so Melkor later reasoned). Flash of light turned the night sky into thunderstorm, and from the maelstrom a huge red dragon descended, puffing it's fiery breath on our heroes. The dragon, Merthoflagrion, began swooping around the keep, performing deadly flyby attacks. Quickly enraged (so quickly that for a blink of an eye he considered the career of barbarian instead of a prince) Arius climbed to the watchtower and slayed Lord Protector Mornburg. Even though the oppressor of Asbravn was dead, that didn't solve the dragon problem, and the massive creature of immense power had to be vanquished in traditional methods. As even Melkor struggled to do any harm on the glorious archaic being, Arius and Douglas challenged the beast on hand to hand combat.
The red dragon tore horrible open wounds with it's mighty claws, smashed men to ground with it's huge tail, knocked it's opponents down with it's wings. But the bite. The bite almost proved to be too much for Arius. Only by sacrificing his trusty spiked small shield "Pinocchio", he managed to escape his ultimate end in the jaws of Merthoflagrion. The dragon was powerful, but even the strong may fall when they're facing an enemy that is fighting for their freedom. And so did Merthoflagrion, as it tried to escape, a final killing blow was landed, and the dragon plunged down from mid-air, crushing the whole entrance to the keep.
Arius battling Merthoflagrion,
drawn by one of the surviving guardsmen that witnessed the epic battle.
As the soldiers and guards were closing in the keep, Melkor remembered the Standard of the Fallen and ordered Arius to unfold and wield it. So he did, but little did he know what consequences it would have. The power of the banner was even beyond Melkors expectations. It's call was widely heard, and answered, to terror of many. It was so, that as the banner withered into nothingness, the vast armies of the dead answered to it's final call. Summoned by the call of the Fallen King, the occupants of the ancient catacombs under Asbravn, began surfacing, killing and slaying everyone that stood in their way. The living dead didn't attack the one's who cowered in fear, but everyone lifting a weapon against them received a death penalty. Aghast by the terrible mistake they had done, our poor city-conquerors couldn't do anything to prevent the massacre. Jared tried to channel divine energy into the what-was-left of the standard, but his efforts were in vein. Not until the first rays of light reached the streets of the city, the army of the dead was finally put back into the eternal rest. It is said that the cleansing of Asbravn took nearly a fourth of the city's population as casualties, many of them innocent.
Nevertheless, Free Darnon now held two-thirds of the cities of Darnon, although the one that was left, Iriaebor, was nothing like it's two smaller cousins. During the morning as our heroes were inspecting the terrible damages they had done to the city, a messenger arrived with a peculiar note. It had been spotted that the vast mercenary armies camping outside Iriaebor were put on the move, but they weren't coming north towards Asbravn, the armies began their march to west, towards Berdusk. Even Melkor was puzzled by this unexpected turn of events, but more than anything he suspected that the Red Wizard, the One-that-should-not-be-mentioned, Alzarseth, was behind this.
But before any hasty reasoning's were made, our champions of Free Darnon decided to keep a
Session was held 2nd of June at the Altar of Games
The Cube Unfolds It's SecretsArius stared with awe, as he struggled to comprehend how could the magical cube of ancient origin call his stepfather Melkor by name. He forgot that Jared had been wounded grievously as a great outsider beign Nycaloth had ripped poor priests arms off. Harmaakelo's Mill had turned to be a stage for great suffering.
Suddenly Melkor started to translate Cube's ancient language, and even Douglas pricked up his ears while healing poor Jared.
Melkor told how the Cube of Tybor was actually Tybor himself captive inside a magical artifact of his own creation. Tybor had once been the second-in-command in the cabal lead by Valthar the Wise. Together they had dedicaded themselves for the preservation and protection of the Netherese knowledge and magic. Tybor and "One-better-not-to-be-mentioned" were Valthar's two most trusted disciples, but as Valthar perished due extremely venerable age, a competition ensued between the two disciples. But Tybor had already created his magical cube that gave him much power, so the cabal named him as the follower of Valthar, and thus he was given the main-responsibility of protecting Valthars "legacy".
The rivalry between the two turned into bloodshed as the "One-better-not-to-mention" was determined to obtain the legacy. With cunning evildoing the "One" managed to imprison Tybor inside his own cube. The Cube now held Tybor's powers at bay but rest of the cabal still turned the cube for their avail and with the lead of a wizard who later became the Witchking of Blood Mountain, they banished the "One-better-not-to-be-mentioned" to the far-east.
Centuries elapsed and the cabal withered into the sands of time. And so the Cube was forgotten until the heroes managed to discover it from the Cauldron of the Wyrm.
Now as the heroes possess the Cube and it has regained it's awareness, it warns them that it once again senses the grave danger that lurked in these grounds centuries ago. Tybor suspects that the "One-better-not-to-be-mentioned" is near and that he possesses the Legacy of Valthar the Wise. Melkor stops translating but the rest notice from his gestures that knowledge of great importance is shared between the Cube and the wizard.
Cidela Pepperpath, the brave warrioress
But they stop to pay attention to Melkor as the noise of hooves thunder into their ears. There, in the middle of a thunderstorm, a familiar figure cathes with them as Cidela Pepperpath shouts for them. She had rode from Berdusk to fetch the party back to Darnon, as the kingdom is facing a new dire danger. Cidela explained that black clouds gathered over the ruins of Dakhet-Mar and from there a doom would descends upon the village of Durunmer. Our magnificient adventurers promised to answer for this call of heroes, but first they woudld have to return to Triel, where they would bury Hashim and hide the Cube. Cidela was devastated from Hashims fate and the grave wounds of Jared.
On the way to Triel Cidela remebered old tale about the Blue Lady who lurked in the Reaching Woods. The old witch was known for preying upon men but also for it's potent but whimsical healing magic. As Melkor confirmed the tale to true, the group with more legs than arms decided to ride to Darnon through the forest and on their way there they would attend the Blue Lady.
But before their quest for Darnon, they had to put everything in order at Triel. Elvar the Grainlord was shaken from the recent events and promised to do his best to compensate the incident for the "diplomatic entourage". He even offered one of his houses to be the new "embassy" and none of the heroes didn't mind. At the late hours, just before the glimpse of dawn, Melkor, Arius and Douglas buried the Cube of Tybor deep into the soil at the basement of the newly acquired "embassy". They decided that Lot would be left to guard the house, but they didn't reveal the Cubes location for the poor squire.
Our brilliant champions managed to rest for few hours, but before leaving Triel they attended the funeral of Hashim, organized by Elvar the Grainlord. While wishing farewell for the redeemed Kothian Mercenary whose blade had proven to be one of the most efficient means of justice, mortified Jared told about delirious dream he saw last night, where Hashim stood behind the Cube of Tybor, leaning to his sword. Jared was convinced that the Cube would be safe as the Kothian would guard it even from the hereafter. While others wept, others stood motionless as the mercenary was laid down to rest. A priest from Triel started a hymn for the deceased and many united to the choir.
Ferocious battle at the Outpost
Kingdom Come!
As Lot was left to Triel, Arius, Melkor, Douglas, Jared and Cidela strode towards Scornubel and beyond. They didn't stop to the wretched city as local group of villains called United Merchants/Murderers had charged them from the murder of Baron Von Schuberg and therefore death would be omnient at the streets of the Caravan City. A familiar ferryman aided them over the river Reaching and they were back inside the borders of Darnon. On their bold gait they didn't notice the signs of danger, and a Darnonese outpost came suddenly after a sharp curve of the road. A ferocius battle ensued, as the Darnonese soldiers and Skogarrim-mercanaries assaulted our heroes. The assault turned into bloodpath as Melkor unleashed his new potent magicks and summoned a great celestial dire bear. The beast shred the assailants into pieces and the outpost soon turned to smoldering ruin.
As they were leaving the site of destruction, two hunters alerted by the ruckus run into the heroes. The joy of reunion was tangible as Constantin Almert and Viril Massar step forth from the forest. The two foresters greeted the heroes and invited them to the lean-to from where they promised to guide the cavalcade to the house of the Blue Lady. After long remedial night of rest, the expedition to the witches swamp begun. The two hunters stayed at the edge of the bog as our brave heroes wade forth to a lonely rustic cottage. Douglas and Arius plundered into the hut, but no witch was seen. Douglas moved outside to investigate, but then the hag attacked, biting and clawing young Arius who was left alone inside the cottage. A combat began and Melkor summoned three great lions to their aid. The bitch was soon slain, and the heroes ripped it's glowing red stoneheart off and gave it to Jared. Strange magicks occured and before their very eyes, Jareds arms regenerated from nothing!
Close-up of Map of Darnon
Strenghtened from the visit at the Blue Ladys hut, our dexterous bandits rode to the Foresthouse were they spend the night. Early at the morning they began to approach the village of Durunmer that was located near the Middleroad Inn where they once visited (see Chapter Two). After days ride they rested for awhile at the Inn in question and quickly continued to Durunmer as the black clouds proceed rapidly towards the poor village. When they arrived to the doomed village, a crowd had gathered before the villages church, reviling the priest of the Bitter Lord who strongly disagreed that he had brought the doom upon the village.As the sky darkened and the black clouds grew, the heroes managed to brief with the village leader but then the foretelling became true as the earth began to shake. As panic spread amongst the villagers, great explosion occured and the church blew up into smithereens. Where the bastion of faith once stood, now rose a terrible monster, a gargantuan maggot of horrendous necromantic power, the Ulgurstasta. (Fiend Folio p, 180)
The mighty and terrible Ulgurstasta
On Ulgurstastas side came dozens of skeletons of various sizes. Luckily Jared was in his might and by the will of Lathander he turned the undead, utterly destroying those foul creatures. Unlike it's minions, the mighty Undead Maggot was unharmed by Lathanders divine powers and begun drumming our valiant defenders of justice. It grapped Arius to it's maw and swallowed the poor prince while it crawled and crumbled village houses beneath it's massive necrotic bulk. Enraged by the devastation, the rest of the villagers bravely attacked the maggot, only to be dismembered by it's 40ft. long razor-sharp tendrils that sprung suddenly from it's pores full of pus. Melkor summoned three dire apes to keep rest of the undeads at bay, so he could focus on the giant maggot, as the abomination was efficiently killing everything on it's path. Meanwhile Arius struggled inside the creatures abdomen as necromantic acid was feeding on his pure life-energy. He managed to cut open the stomach and escape, grievously weakened from his bumby ride. The fight was amongst the most wicked and severe, and eventually the beast was weakened, but it possesed enough unholy power to launch one final attack of retaliation. It regurgitated it's stomach's necromantic content as a mighty breath weapon that eated away the flesh and animated the corpse as a skeleton. Poor Jared was struck by this diabolic attack, and aghast the rest saw how their cleric corroded away and rose again as a mockery of his faith. This terrible fate of the beloved priest spurred the rest into frenetic attack, and together they destroyed the undead maggot.
Mouring their loss, the one's who were left promised to bring Jared back eventough he had often spoken against the black arts of resurrection. Still, the rest felt that he played key-role in the destiny of Darnon and thus the practice was justifiable. While aiding the villagers who were still alive, Melkor dropped a bomb. He told Arius and Douglas that he would go away for a while. Shocked from the wizards scheme, they protested against it. But Melkor told them that he had to do some research before they could use the Cube of Tybor in order to excecute the coup for the crown of Darnon, and therefore he should ride west, while the rest would stay in Darnon to proceed their guerilla warfare, weakening the power of the one's responsible of the tyranny and gaining followers and support amongst the masses. He told Arius, Douglas and Cidela to ride to Berdusk in order to bring Jared back. And then the wizard saddled and as he rode he declared that as he returns he brings the winds of change with him and thus a new chapter in the history of Darnon would begun.
Dungeon Master Jakubias succeed at craft check and manufactured a quick illustration about the heroes of the campaign. There's Melkor beign ominous, Jared praying for his god. Douglas charging with his rapierUmbra, and Arius as a tightass prince. Also notice the two malevolent Knights of the Black Cliff on the background.
While watching this picture One may imagine for the adventures yet to come, as the campaign turns to it's latter-half. The plot thickens, action becomes even fiercer and tears of sorrow and joy are shed, as our heroes struggle for the fate of Darnon! Stay Tuned!
An underpaid Faerunian artist doodled these illustrations from our heroes one night at a tavern. They are otherwise quite look-alikes, but Douglas was already so wasted that the artist had to struggle with that drunken rogue.
Session was held 3rd of april 2010 at the Altar of Games
As guests in the camp of the hunters, Melkor promised for Constantin Almert, the sole leader of the merry hunter band, that they would perform suitable favor for the nuisance that they are. Before that they would however journey eastwards, to inn of Haphark Middleroad, to stock up rations and equip themselves with better equipment. After that they would do what mister Almert wishes.
During their voyage to Middleroads Inn they met women called Irene. She was travelling to Scornubel, independent caravan city behind the Reaching Woods. Reason of her journey was her harsh treatment in the city of Hluthvar, where reign the right hand of Lord Protector Mornburg of Asbravn, Captain Irongrave, cruel man in high status in the cult of the Bitter Lord. Our fellowship were sympathized by her. The treck continued, and at last the met mister Middleroad, who was happy to share what he had, as long as our heroes would do a little booze salvaging for him.
And off we go, the good guys left to place called Trallvik Farm, abandoned estate south from Middleroads. There they witnessed the horrors of plunder and decay, as the whole farm had withered to rubble. Nevertheless, they managed to dig up some nasty kobolds, little dog-lizards vicious as hell. After slaying these poor little critters they found the spiced moonshine that Middleroad was asking for and returned to the inn, and did they triumph!
After returning to the hunters camp they participated in a boar hunt, event that nearly cost someones life. Upon returning back to the camp they were suprised by few riders who had discovered the campsite, bloodhounds of the king. Battle was victorious, but it cost the life of the third hunter, Hulford Bronzevest, and in addition one of the mercenary riders managed to escape, and thus ruin their hidden status.
Camp had to be moved, and luckily mister Almert knew old lean-to near, and they moved to its positions, southwest from the orginal camp. During this movement they saved the life of Irene, women they had met couple of days ago. She was attacked by the most horrific monster in the woods, Urgallox, gigantic owlbear of abyssian aspect. And did they triumph! Closely, but they did!
Session was held 27th february 2010 at the altar of games.
Young Arius was running errands for Melkor across the capital city Iriaebor. It was eighth of May, 1372 Dr and the weather breezed of the upcoming summer. Arius was at the central marketplace of the city when all hell broke loose. A pack of Skull Riders rode and surrounded the poor apprentice, who had no glue what was happening. A moment later he realized that he was locked up in a prison cell somewhere in the deep dungeons beneath Iriaebor.
Arius spent days untold in his underground prison, occasionally talking with another man who was imprisoned in the same cell. That man was called Jared and he was a cleric of god Lathander, put behind the bars because of his beliefs in false gods. As desperation grew, Arius heard a sound. He was terrifyed by the thought of jailkeeper Two-Tongue and his cruel flesh-eating whip but then he saw his master, Melkor behind the cell door, searching for proper key from a key ring. Melkor freed Arius who took his inmate-buddy Jared with him. Melkor was not alone, he was accompanied by a dexterous thief called Douglas. All four of them escaped from the dungeons thanks to Melkors unmanly wits, though they had to maim the crooked jailkeeper Two-Tongue unconscious.
They caught their breath at the Copperhorn Inn, where Melkor had bought a room with a pseudonym Kolmer, only to don Arius with studden leather armor and eguip him with a sharp short sword. There Melkor told him that his destiny as prince of Darnon was true, and next they would obtain the sword called Ilbrandir from the tomb of Arius's mother. The sword was a legendary heirloom of her family, ancient craftmanship and ever-sharp, and would determine whether or not Arius truly was the son of the queen. After this they would escape the city and ride northwest, through the village of Borhus all a way until the Crossing of Hastur, from where they would head to the Reaching Woods and find a hunters camp where Melkor had a safe contact.
Thanks to Melkors carefully crafted plans, the trip to the elder catacombs of Iriaebor was a job well done. They met man called Krishnar, a n apprentice of necromantic school, slew him and his undead minions brutally by smashing the wizards face with Melkors trusted staff. Soon they found the tomb they were searching for and opened it without hesitations, only to discover the sword of legacy, the elven mother of Arius, still untouched by time or disease, and with her a swaddled piglet. According to Melkor it was obvious that she was murdered eighteen years ago, thus her unchanged appearance as she still holds grudge for her slayer. Also the fake baby prince was a proof that Arius, or Ariendur as his full royal name goes, was to inherit the kingdom.
Escape from the capital city was a grand succee, as they rode like the wind through the green fields of the countryside. Clerk known as Jehtro Hykel provided them rations for free, as long as they would pay back someday. Gasping the air through their teeth there, an artist immortalized them, starting from the left, Melkor and Arius, Douglas on the back and Jared leaning from the right.
They rode across the crossing to the safety of the vast forest. There they met the hunters Constantin Almert, Viril Massar and Hulford Bronzevest. They were safe for now, but Arius, Jared and Douglas too had alot to question from Melkor about the past few days. Melkor turned most of the questions down, only to inform that they would prepare themselves as soon as possible against the possible pursuers. Arius finally realized how terrible was the actual state of his woeful kingdom.
Arius had no glue how bad the things really were..
While watching this picture One may imagine for the adventures yet to come, as the campaign turns to it's latter-half. The plot thickens, action becomes even fiercer and tears of sorrow and joy are shed, as our heroes struggle for the fate of Darnon! Stay Tuned!
