Chapter Seven - Like a cutting blade they cross the Kingdom, again!

Session was held 20th of November 2010 at the Altar of Games

After the unleashing of sword Ilbrandir's true legacy powers, Arius, Douglas, Jared and Karaz the dwarf climbed down the long ladders that went from the Witchkings workroom to the mountain top. Finally they ascended back to the workroom where Melkor was waiting for them. The old sage looked troubled but he congratulated young Arius from gaining the swords true power, but after the formalities the wizard stepped up and revealed what he had learned from the mind projection of the Witchking.

Melkor the loremaster told the others that they would soon leave for Berdusk, a free city southwest from here, near the bulwark borderlands of Darnon. They decided to leave at once but Karaz the old dwarven friend of Melkor told them that he would stay in Asbravn for a while, maybe doing some money as a smith. But their return to the plains was put in halt instantly after leaving the Witchkings tower. Sharply croaking winged creature plummeted downwards shrieking how the heroes would "pay for their meddlings" throwing sharp and fiery spikes from itself. And as our heroes prepared to battle against this flying devil, crackling sound behind them bringed forth unexpected doom. Three gargoyles which were waiting over the towers giant doorway charged on our heroes backs, slaying the unfortunate Douglas outright (the DM once again threw a instant death, 20+20+success), ripping away the poor rogue's ribs, thus exposing cavities that Melkor didn't even know to exists. Rest of our heroes fought hard against these stony creatures, and finally won the expectionally violent combat.

They found that the gargoyles carried strange amulets bearing a unknown wizards personal symbol. Melkor was unable to identify who was the mage and they forgot the matter as they began to mourn their fallen comrade. In the mids of their grief, Jared had a insight from his god Lathander that there was a way to bring back Douglas, altought he would never be a same man again. They buried Douglas under heavy stones, but took few pieces of his remains and his personal belongings with them, in order to carry out Lathanders plan.

To repair the unrepairable

After two days of unbearable hiking, they were back at the gates of Asbravn. The gatewatch did not suspect them as they were too busy in catching a halfling murderer and thus checking under every cloak and skirt. Jared pronounced that he needed several rare oils and unguents in order to bring back Douglas, and so they decided to ventrue to the house of old cleric Sembor who gave his life in bringing back Arius just few weeks ago. And yes, they smelled the few weeks when they arrived to the clerics house. Horrid stench of decay lurked in the basement where they left the cleric, and now Jared had to ascend to the holy man's final rest and search for the ingredients. Our beloved priest succeed and cast the spell of Reincarnate granted by Lathander as his domain spell. Under a carefully set linen the oils and remains of Douglas started to realign and after an hour of transformation, a new man rose from the floor, threw away the cloth and behold! He looked nothing like Douglas anymore!

After recovering from the initial shock caused by the new form of Douglas, the others explained it all to the poor reincarnate. Douglas was shakened at least but proved to be a good sport by gathering his things and they were on the move again! After re-equipping themselves with ranged projectiles amongst all the other things, Karaz the dwarf wished them farewell as they rode out of the city in order to plunge into the southwestern parts of their beloved realm in peril.

Their stride through the lush plains of Darnon went well, but eventually the adventure came forth to our magnificient four. A man, venerable in age, walk towards them, crying his eyes out, his mouth covered in dry blood. It soon became apparent that the tongue of the poor geezer was cut off, so all he could say was plain mutter. Melkor demanded him to calm down and gave to him a inkpen and a piece of parchment. The senior, named Oldaar wrote how group of men, propably a cult of some sort that he could not define (mainly because he was from west, passing through the kingdom) had kidnapped his granddaugher Brennia and headed south. The heroes were convinced, there was a damsel in distress!

Damsel in distress!

They rode against the night, stopping only to ask guidance from few locals. Eventually they managed to track down the slavering party to a group of old buildings, propably a farmstead nearing the state of crumbling. There those villanous captors celebrated around two large campfires, few of them set in guard around the buildings. By their keen eyes they spotted five guards carrying long spears, falchions on their belt and sporting long, groomed mustaches. Melkor identified these men as Kothian Mercenaries. There was also two knights in company of a old cleric, propably the leader of the gang. The knights were most likely Initiates of the Order of the Black Cliff. Our master deceivers crafted a battleplan where Melkor and Arius would stay in the cover of darkness while Jared and Douglas would march into the camp disguising themselves as travellers. Gramps Oldaar and Hero the Dog would stay guarding the horses mile or so away.

Everything thing went according the plan, and our proud "travellers" managed to arouse the campers so, that they exposed their true agendas as northern sect of the Church of the Bitter Lord, advancing towards Iriaebor while harvesting fresh "ceremonial vessels" as they called their young captives. As swords were drawn and spears thrust, Melkor the Battlemage summoned a vicious ice storm on their enemies, leaving their enemies crippled and frozen. The battle ensued, and the cult followers received reinforcements as two more initiates rode to battle, but all that was in vain as our heroes once again triumphed over their enemies. One of the Kothians managed to slay three of the captives but the others were saved, including Oldaars granddaughter Brennia. One of the ex-captives was called Cidela Pepperpath, maybe young in age but proven as a warrior. The other were a young man, almost a boy and a farmgirl from Asbravn.

Oldaar thanked the heroes, and everyone was touched by the reunion of the gramps and his granddaughter. Meanwhile, Jared was forced to heal one of the seriously wounded Kothians as he begged for mercy and redemption. Nothing is better for a servant of Lathander than saving a evil soul back to the good side, it beats even killing the bad guys! The rescued young man told his name to be Lot, he was a squire looking for a new master to serve, and even though Arius was just barely older than him, the boy asked for to be a squire for him. Arius eventually agreed and Lot told that when Arius would purchase a real lance, he would be called Lance-Lot! Despite the grim setting, a spontaneous laughter echoed far and loud!

Chapter Four: Back to Darnon, brothers partisans!

Session was held 7th of August 2010 at the Altar of Games

Our heroes, Arius the half-elf prince, Melkor the wizard who masters the lore of lore itself, Douglas Wenham the cunning thief of awesome dexterity and Jared West the heathen priest of Lathander, were finally on something big. Hermit monk called Alvar had thanked them from their service with a map describing an ancient mining village deep in the Reaching Woods. Village was called Sparklestoneand it was supposed to be full of valuable jewels, according to the legends and writings of Alvar monasterys brotherhood.

Destined to follow the hermits squirrelskin map of a cryptic cipher our brave heroes returned to Scornubel to refresh their rations and sharpen their blades of bloodshed. Melkor also did some delicate purchasing to supply his material components required in casting of his omnipotent magic and spend two days and nights locked in his chamber at the Tallabor Inn scribing spells to his spellbook whilst the others of the party drank the rest of the money they had in the Jumping Jugs-tavern.

Poor as hell with a morbid hangover, our incredible posse mounted on their powerfull steeds and rode like thunder until they reached the Reaching. Impassable while mounted, they continued by walking their horses, encouraged by the fact that they were invisible to the evil eyes on the road. But suddenly the forest grew dark and faster than one judges a witch to the pyre, all evil was upon them. Something gigantic grew in front of them, a shape of a monster huge in size, roaring "Huu-Moor"! Could it be, the ghost or spirit of Urgallox, the owlbear menace they killed couple of levels ago. But as fast as it came, it was gone. Only a laughing, hawk-nosed and goateed little geezer walk forth from the bushes, grinning familiarly and saying that the legendary beast sends it regards from the Nine-Hells. It was Petreskobal, the scamming imp. It had came behalf of an entity which name described in mortal tongues would be something like Gor´Marrak the Eater of Nations. The Imp questioned Jared with a riddle, "what hangs from the branch but gives no harvest". Succesfully answering "hanged man" Jared saved his soul for couple years maybe, as Petreskobal said that the Eater of Nations was bit hard to restrain, then swerving away to the bushes. Puzzled by the recent turn his life has taken, Jared and the others decided to research this matter later in town or city of somesort, but now it was for the mine tunnels!

As they proceed closer and closer to the village, they met a little puppy. Arius bonded with the small canine instantly, and sweared to keep the small dog. The puppy proved to be useful as it led our heroes to the village they were looking for. Everything in this small village, build inside the roots and mounds of huge and ancient trees, was dead and decaying. It had to been laying deserted for years. But before our adventurers got to get comfortable, they were surrounded by the living dead! These small, gnome-size zombies dragged their feet slowly towards our magnificent party, which did not panic, but waited for perfect moment to strike themself free from the ever-thightening noose of the little undead. But as Douglas thrusted his rapier in an opening in ones face, they all were terrifyed by the shriek it released. Then all the other "zombies" rushed to help the wounded one, and it was soon clear that what the heroes had witnessed was a not-so-cunning hoax. Gnome elder, called Belfor Shimmering, swiped the make up from his face and excused the mess.

The Gnomes explained that they had lived hidden, surviving on berries, roots and fungi, for past 150 years, all long from when the Great Black Spinner had laid its web on the old mine. Only Fozla Marnig, old and only surviving miner, could remember something from the tunnels, and he was badly demented. After questioning the gramps they had little knowledge of the tunnels, but they got some weird power-mushrooms, clearly highly toxic and propably lethal, but recommended by the old gnome. Later on they managed to convince Belfor to give a ancient masterkey-coder, crafted by Carl Glittergod (gnomish head-deity)himself, to our heroes. Belfor insisted that they would close every door and seal behind them to keep the evil away, and that they had to discover another way out, as it would be clearly too dangerous for the withered village if the team would return the same way.

Early in the next morning the expedition begun to ascend to the mines. After Belfor had closed the main gate, they were on their own. Soon they had their minds full of ciphers as every now and then their journey halted on a finely crafted door, which was accessable only by cracking the code carved on it with the master-key coder. On the left you can gaze three of the puzzles. After the first one our brilliant party arrived to a maintance hall where all the gnome mining-gear was repaired and made in times now forgotten. Abandoned hall proved little in revenue and they continued a stairs up from the two possible headings. There they cracked yet again one of the magic doors and step in to the hall of degeneration. Once maybe the hall of crowns, the space was filled with litter and moss. Here and there was little huts, made mainly from litter and rotting feces. Creatures inhabiting these wretched piles were lower in height than the gnomes up there, horribly deformed by years of terrible inbreeding. These once goblinoids in race regarded our adventures as gods, as they opened the ancient portals to the netherworld. Well, actually they stepped in from a plain door but these little mongers gazed on them with awe and wonder never seen before. This event would have been curious in nature, but the fat leader of these puny creeps arrived from it's "mansion" accompanied by the shaman of the tribe. This skinny aberration was possibly the most horrible of them all, and it had covered itself with feces and dead fetuses. It began to tell a tale with it's guttural, piping imitation of a voice, showing old cavepaintings that looked like splashes of essential fluids. Paintings told a tale how these gods would arrive from the portals, but instead of saving the tribe, the tribe was depicted as eating their gods.

After noticing this small detail, Melkor needed little convincing to the others to raze this inbred tribe once and for all. After hacking and whacking, killing and slashing dozens of these mongering abhorrences, our heroes had slayed women and children alike, if those bit smaller ones could be described as such. Douglas managed to recover the dead chiefs sword, a rapier of expert craftmanship. It was most likely a ancient heirloom and token stolen from some unfortunate traveller ages ago, before the tribe was caught in its horrid hall. Behind the chiefs hut they discovered a coded door. After long and exhausting period of deep thinking they managed to break it's secrets and step in to the treasure hall. Unfortunate for our posse, the hall had crumbled into a vast opening, called abyss in the underdark terms, which expanded hundreds of feets into the darkness, up and down and straight ahead. Only dim green lights could be seen somewhere very far from the ledge they were standing.

This forced our heroes to reverse back to the maintance hall and choose the another way. It lead their way through series of mining tunnels, all empty from riches. But then suddenly they saw a wall of web. Breaking through this curiosity they stepped into a web filled tunnels, and experienced a fierce attack from strange spiderfolk called chitine. Defeating these monsters they pursued one escaping, and arrived to the same abyss they saw earlier. But this time a narrow bridge made of webbing expanded over it, to the green dim lights. They decided to cross the bridge, and while dodging few missiles they arrived to a strange city made of hardened web. Here and there where lying dead chitines, fact that astonished our team of virtue. They proceed upwards on this nearly vertical city, and heard ever growing chanting "LO". Soon they where on the top of the empty city, climbing up a bridge to a round hall made of the same webbing. There they witnessed terrible ritual involving dozens of chitines, whirling smoke pillar and a white man-spider size of a horse. The situation soon worsened into slaughter, involving three drows who steped forth behind the curtain. Soon our heroes were pursuing a escaping female drow cleric, as the webbing hall had turn into a pyre. They soon quit the futile chase, as they saw an opening over them, a change to get above grounds.

After long period of terrible climbing all of them were safely above the hell hole. Even Melkor whose hideous climbing turned into a slapstick comedy from time to time. Quickly they returned back to their horses, and told the gnomes what was hiding in their tunnels. These big eyed herbgatherers were facinated but decided not to plunder into the mine, it was past for them. Belfor adviced them to go to Foresthouse, a Inn held by Tremeld Sinivihta, quality service middle of nowhere. So they headed east, and later that day spotted the inn. On the forested yard there was almost twenty men, powerfully build carrying heavy weaponry, all mounted and ready to go. One of these warrior talked to a man who obviously was Sinivihta, but the man noticed our heroes and shouted "Hold tight on your heads, time of destiny is upon us, the Skogarrim are here!" and then he mounted and rode away towards shoutheast with his men. Our group asked Tremeld who was this man, and they learned that he was Olf Redbeard, leader of the northmen called Skogarrim, highly skilled mercenaries. Tremeld also told that he had heard rumors about Kothian mercenaries arriving to Darnon from the south, they also were men of fierce reputation.

They retired to their beds, and before falling asleep Melkor calculated that their plunders from the mine were worth of 12000 gold pieces. Single most valuable item was Douglas's rapier Umbra, and it had proven to be quite potent. Now finally Melkor had the cash to pursue some goals of his own...