Chapter Eighteen - How did this happen, how could this happen, How did the empire fall?

A new chapter had begun in the tale of our bold adventurers. As they fought and conquered the terrible entity known as Vasuthant, the armies of Darnon were at move. The date was 29th of May, 1373 DR when the mercenaries of Darnon began their pillage in the farmlands surrounding Berdusk. At that date, the war began. But our heroes didn't know about the southern events just yet. The village of Triel was devastated from the battle with that unholy entity, so our braves had to ride all night long to Scornubel. There they managed to catch few hours of rest, until the sentry of High Lady Rhessajan Ambermantle woke them up and summoned them to a meeting. There the High Lady, ruler of Scornubel, told our fellowship about the events, and suddenly our freedom fighters realized how compromised their urge for Free Darnon really was.

General Ochrefield
Father of Cidella Pepperpath

Lady Ambermantle calmed our braves and told that the supply wagons that they requested earlier were ready to go, and that the draft for thousand able warrior had been completed. Even Melkor was quite surprised as General Almatheus Ochrefield stepped forth from the shadows and declared that he would lead the troops alongside of our heroes. General Ochrefield had been exiled from Berdusk as a harbinger of ill-omens just days before the city was besieged, even though he only tried to warn the city council from the danger.

Late that afternoon, the battalion was on the move. The troops were also to escort the supplies to Asbravn, and only a quarter having a horses, the journey was going to take a while. While moving through the Reaching Woods, our heroes pondered on the strategics of coming war. General Ochrefield adviced them to collect the troops in Asbravn, and strike to the back of the besieging Darnonese army. Despite their careful plannings, they had to adapt for ill news, as a messenger from Asbravn rode to them. The freshly liberated city was facing new menace as the main force of darnonese Blackhelms had begun their march from Iriaebor, stopping only when Asbravn would be mere cinders. Troubled from the news, our valiant heroes decided to ride to the city as soon as possible, leaving General Ochrefield to advance with the Scornubelian battallion. Trustworthy aid Lot and Hero the dog would also stay with the troops, guarding the supplies and secretly watching over the Cube of Tybor that was hidden into the supplies.

Riding their steeds to death, our heroes of Free Darnon reached Asbravn by dusk, barely getting inside among the last remaining peasants before the gates were closed for good. Dortherion welcomed our adventurers, clearly relieved by seeing them, as they were the only hope Asbravn currently had. At that time the marching Blackhelms were at the horizon, and by nightfall the city was besieged. Dortherion estimated that the enemy numbered four or five thousand, as they only had one and a half - two thousand men. As the night grew darker, and hundreds of torches surrounded the city, a small diplomatic convoy of Blackhelms rode to the gate. There their spokesman, Orbald Vornhel, the mouth of the king, wished to discuss about the terms of Free Darnons surrendering.

King Osander II's terms for the surrendering of the rebels were that every notable person of the rebellion would have to be handed over (except Douglas who was presumed to be dead due his constant changes of appearance) and punished. Also, Prince Saldor was to be released immediately, the King to be nominated as the sole ruler of Darnon and the rebellion to be disolved. Our heroes laughed at these ridiculous claims and kicked the kings mouth back to the dog pack surrounding the city. And this act began the bloodshed.

During the night, the catapults and trebuchets  pounded the city, causing much damage and death. Without Jareds cunning use of summoning magics, the devastation would have been much worse, but his air elementals crippled the throwing machines for several hours.

The bombardment stopped as the new dawn peaked. The enemy forced half a dozen captives (peasants and p.o.w) to step foward, and unless our heroes would free Prince Saldor, the captives would be put to the sword. Even though some empathies for the prisoners were heard among the Asbravnians, freeing the prince was out of question, and to prevent possible torture, Melkor shot a fireball on the prisoners and their captors, killing soldiers and civilians alike. This awakened the beast, as the besieging army began their first true assault on the city.

The magics of Melkor and Jared slayed dozens and the attack was destined to fail. But a small task force of extreme efficiency managed to crawl into the city via ancient catacomb tunnels, and the broke Saldor out of the dungeons. It was really close that the enemy would have succeed in freeing the prince, but Arius and Douglas were conscious of the situation, and together they prevented the escape.

Many died during the first assault that lasted for the day. It was painstakingly obvious that as the enemy would have regroup and launch another one, the city would most likely fall. Fate of Asbravn was in the Scornubels battallion that was on it's way, and in the abilities of our brave heroes, who were the spine of defense. The coming night was restless, the bombardment continued and strange movement was noticed among the enemy ranks. When the morning came, a horrible sight awaited. The enemy had piled the corpses and carcasses of the fallen into two gargantuan piles of grotesque nature. And, worst of all, they had opened the burial mounds that served as the resting place for those who had died during the liberation of Asbravn few weeks ago, and added these heroic dead to the piles. Although intimidated by the corpse piles, Melkor also noticed that the Banners of the King himself had arrived, and even from the distance, a ominous red cloaked figure was seen standing next to King Osander II.

But then all evil broke loose. The piles of bodies began to move, as giant arms and legs were formed from the bones of the dead. Melkor identified the profane monstrosities as necronauts, one of the most sinister creations known to man. The abomination shambled towards the city walls with unnatural speed, and crushed against it like giant battering rams. Terrible was the fury of those greater evils, and as fast as they killed brave men on the wall, they added the fresh corpses to itselves, strengthening the undead vigor. As our heroes fought against one of these necronauts, Dortherion, Cidella, Count Anthrop, Karman Fatta and Dacatrin the sorceress tried to hold back another one.

Even though the creations of unimaginable evil were tough as hell, our heroes managed to destroy the first one. And as they did, they saw a glimpse of hope, as the Scornubelian battalion charged to the flank and rear of the enemy. Arius that his moment had came, and he rushed through the battlefield, his eyes locked to the King Osander II who was having his stand against General Ochrefields troops. Kings bodyguards were some of the finest warriors in the realm, and only with the help of the other heroes, Arius manage to break through and face the king. By this moment, Melkor had noticed that the  red cloaked man next to the King was not Alzarseth the Red, but just a mere look alike cleric that was to secure the king. The false Red was soon struck down and Arius swung his blade, Ilbrandir, towards the king, and look!

The King of Darnon, Osander the Second was struck down.

The defeated King lied on the battlefield with a mortal wound, but before his death, he spoke to his victor, and he said:
"Ariendur, come closer.. Yes, you look much like your mother. And now I see, and now I repent.
I could have kept you as my son... but your mother.. The betrayal was too much..
But betrayal lurked also in the words of the Red Wizard. Slay that apostate.. Save Berdusk.."

The King coughed blood and continued:
"Ariendur, now as I see you there.. You are like the son I always wished for..
Your deeds are already like the deeds of a King.. But a right for the crown you have not!
You are just a bastard of a queen bitch! Do you understand! You live in a lie!"

The Kings face distort in pain and terror:
"That man! That face! Queens Mentor
Aeliathe! How could you..."

And with those words, the King of Darnon took his last breath. Arius turned around to see what had struck such a terror to a dying man, and for his horror, he saw Melkor, his mentor. 

Arius cried in shock as he realized that Melkor was his real father!

Eventually the battle ceased. The death of the King had struck a final blow to the moral of the Blackhelms and many fled. The necronauts were destroyed, but only by the sacrifice of Karman Fatta. The bold mercenary will be remembered. Asbravn was safe. At dusk, the heroes gathered around a campfire to discuss about their next move. Melkor insisted that they would have to act against the besieging army outside Berdusk, as the Red Wizard was there. The old schemers was sure that sending the king here was just a diversion planned by Alzarseth to win more time, for what, that Melkor didn't know. The others agreed with Melkor that the rest of the army of Free Darnon had to move quickly towards Berdusk, but one of them said nothing.

Arius stared into nothingness as he began to understand that his claim for the crown was gone. The old wizard was his father and he was just his mothers bastard with no legitimacy. He didn't know how to push onwards as now or never he felt that he was just a young man, whose whole life was a lie, and whose sword was stained with the blood in a unjustified treason.

He was nothing more than a

SON OF A BITCH

Chapter Nine - Portal-Travelling in the Footsteps of a Ancient Cult

Session was held 29th of January 2011 at the Altar of Games

It had been slightly over a week ago when Melkor the Wise got his hands on the Cultes Netherenes, eccentric tome that together with ponderous research in the libaryvaults of Oghma's Temple revealed much to the wizard. With a bombastic display of prestidigitation he shared his mad scheme to the rest of the fellowship, and the acceptance was mixed. Scepticism was quaranteed as he announced that they would travel to a volcano via ancient portal in order to obtain the Cube of Tybor, an mysterious aertifact which significance was unknown. After supressing all the laughter of disbelief they gathered their ranks and rallied to the Twilight Hall, a Temple of Deneir in Berdusk that also hold the unspoken headquarters of Those Who Harp, the Harpers.

Later on, they arrived to the Twilight Hall where cleric Danius Lumbertide received them and listened to their request. Mister Lumbertides stance was indifferent to their cause, but then Melkor saw his old friend among the people of the temple. General Almatheus Ochrefield served in the army of Darnon twenty years ago until he was exiled as the wave of terror engulfed the kingdom, and he knew Melkor well and promoted their cause to Lumbertide. And when they revealed that Arius had the right for the crown of Darnon, the cleric rushed the party to a rendezvous with High Lady Cylyria Dragonbreast, the leader of the Twilight Hall branch. High Lady Dragonbreast promised their support in the quest for the Cube of Tybor in order to liberate Darnon, and they gave Melkor the missing pieces of the puzzle.

And so, the mad scheme goes like this: First of all, after equipping themselves with rations and new magic items received via late adventure's loot they would ride the western bank of river Reaming to the north, where they would cross the river Reaching and stop to Scornubel. This would take five days. After well slept night in the already familiar city, they would ride to north, passing the Trielta Hills from west until they would reach the treeborder of the Forest of Wyrms. From there they would continue on foot, until the Ossuary of Wyrmwood, old site of Cult of the Dragon, now possibly forlorned. From there they would found the portal to the Smoking Mountains in the Empire of Unther far far away in east, where they would seek the extinct volcano known as the Cauldron of the Wyrm. And inside that Hell on Earth they should find Harafalg the Giant in whose possession the Cube of Tybor is. As simple as that.

Nice plans, and now the practice
After receiving futher guidance in form of cartography, our heroes returned to Dancing Tulip to prepare for the upcoming journey. Two days later, 11th of July 1372DR they launched the expedition according to the plans. From their newly acquired friends Hashim and Lot followed them on their journey, as Cidela Pepperpath stayed in Berdusk due her own whims. On the third day of journey, in halfway to Scornubel, severe rainfall hindered their movement into fraction. As they pushed through the grey curtain, three malicius trolls surrounded and jumped on them. A horrendous fight occured against these tough skinned humpbacks, as they regenerated even the most ghastliest cuts. Eventually, after building a pyre over every trollish carcass our heroes managed to take a breather. They even came across with small trollnest which provided them with minor loot.

Soon they were on their way again, all away to the river Reaching where they were suppose to take a ferry across. But the ferryman apologized and instructed them to meet Baron Von Schuberg, a nobleman willing to charge the ferryservices personally. Infuriated they rode to Barons vineyard estate, where they were received on a sunny patio. The opulent baron, Konarld Von Schuberg boasted to our humble heroes how gruelling his work in eminent position in the United Merchants was, and how he needed a time off from it with his family and riches at this summer-estate. Eventually Arius got pissed of and gave the baron the finger, plunging the afternoon into gore-filled slaughter. After liquidating practically everyone except the servants, our vigilantes let the poor peasants working in the vineyard to plunder the estate, while the ferryman took them to the opposite bank.

The magnificent band soon reached Scornubel where they found themselves from the Jumping Jugs tavern, once again. They relaxed for a while until a familiar face crept in. It was Mordiggian, main usurer of the United Merchants/Murderers. He questioned the PCs from the murder of Baron Von Schuberg who held a high title in the ranks of United Merchants and demanded them to solve the murder and also to eliminate the resistance once and for all, or they would face the deadly charges from the bloody assault. The merrymakers promised to bring forth the killers but after well rested night in the tavern they slipped out of the city, and doing so they burned their bridges to Scornubel for awhile.

The Ossuary of Wyrmwood

The adventure continued and they spurred their steeds towards the Trielta Hills. After three long days of thunderous gallop they reached the treeborder of the Forest of Wyrms. Lot the squire promised to take the steeds to the town of Triel, where he would caress them meanwhile the heroes would plunder some volcanos. And so they diverged and our fellowship seasoned with the swordmanship of Hashim penetrated the ancient forest. Carefully following the maps given by Harpers they managed to avoid any encounters with the terrible dragons nesting in those woods. Eventually they discovered the site which was the entrance to the Ossuary, or once were as now it resembled more like a hole in the ground. Anyhow, they descended down to the abandoned upper levels, and advanced carefully, witnessing signs of battle and decay everywhere. Eventually they found a pristine door, which served as a entrance to lower levels that Harpers never managed to cleanse. Well crafted iron door featured a prominent dragonhead made of gold, and the dragonhead spoke to the party. It riddled our heroes and as they solved the magical gatekeepers silly rhymes they managed to pass it.

Once again they walked through countless of corridors and chambers, abandoned yet untouched by gruesome battle. Once again, a door featuring a dragonhead idol blocked their way. This time it didn't show any signs of opening and Douglas the trapexpert managed to find a trap from it, yet he didn't have the skills to discharge it. And so came Jared, the servant of the Morninglord and with quick words he conjured a hole in the wall besides the door, revealing the corridor behind the trapped door. Unluckily for him, he also eradicated the containers holding the acid that was supposed to splash out from the dragons mouth if the trap would have been triggered. Jared was able to withstand the corrosive backlash.

And so they entered to the final chamber of the ossuary. It was a huge vault, holding a small underground lake within. And against this lake rose a steep cliff, starting ascending from the doorway. And on the top of the cliff was a circural structure, roughly ten feet in diameter, acting like a window to strange realms. As they closed in to the portal they saw it displaying reddish mountaintops of the faraway empire of Unther. As Melkor begun to study the apparatus in order to achieve a safe journey, others kept guard, and not in vain, as a unknown force of soldiers showed up in the doorway.

The small regiment begun asceding the cliff, and a leader of these bloodhounds shouted the final warnings to our heroes, Consisting of Kothians, Skoggarrim and Darnonese soldiers, they were in a perfect form for Melkor to cast his fireball on them, and so did the wizard. Struck down by the blaze and offguard, Douglas rushed to the regiment to cleave out these mercenaries with his forbidding sneak attack. Oh how he wished that he wouldn't been so hasty, as from nowhere charged a man clad in black fullplate. This man, a Skull Rider, Knight of the Order of the Black Cliff wielded a bastard sword spewing forth ice and frost. Battle against these bounty hunters was fierce, as they even had a mage behind their ranks. The Skull Rider, the antagonist, fought hard, as his servitude to the Bitter Lord gave him powers unimaginable, but as good guys so often do, our heroes crushed the force ment to be the lash of the king in his hunt for the stray heir. Upon dying, the skull rider cursed our heroes and declared that his father, captain Irongrave would avenge his death.

Fatigued by this grim feuding, our glorious band of adventurers caught a breath as they gazed in to the portal that show'd them volcanic vistas of high black mountains spewing forth thick black collums of smoke.

Somewhere there was the Cauldron of the Wyrm, and a giant, sitting on the Cube of Tybor.

Chapter Three: The Reaching Wood-Run Aways and other Wretches

Session was held 22th of May 2010 at the Altar of Games

As previous chapter ended in saving the damsel in distress, our heroes had an option to escort her to Scornubel, caravan city in west, behind the woods. This would provide them with a breath of freedom, as the city was independent and opposed Darnon's tyranny. Hunters warned them from a legendary trixster called Peter The Scammer, as he often cheated and robbed the careless travellers.

Journey begun, and according to Melkor, Scornubel would be a day ahead, but their pace was hindered by uneven and foresty terrain, as they decided to stay away from the marked path. The road could prove fatal to travel as it's patrolled by Kings men and hostile mercenaries. Choosing the wilderness turned to be a great choice, until they met the creep that the hunters were talking about. Peter The Scammer, disguised as a poor elven traveller, tested their nerves with unending questions and requests, and continued this annoyance so far that our merry band almost ended slaughtering his puny soul. It turned out that the Scammer was an imp or other devilish creature, which in exchange for it's existence told our heroes its True name, Petreskobal, and how to summon it every 13th day to answer for a question or two.

Finally the got out of the forest, only to be paused by a streaming river. A ferryboat was at the crossing, but bad luck followed as they noticed the ferry was just seized by a band of bandits. This evil-doers indentified themself as the Toughest Gang of the Western World. After a quick negotiation with sword and projectiles, there were none left from the band to tell how tough they really were.

After the river one could almost see the low stonewalls of Scornubel. After reporting to the Red Shields, local army and guard, they headed for a tavern, and found a suitable table from one called Jumping Jugs. There Irene thanked our heroes and wished them well, hoping for meeting 'em again in the future. Next morning the fellowship ventrued to a bazaar known as Vineyard where they soon learned that the city was monopolized by faction called U.M, United Merchants. But many corners and posts were covered with pamflets and notes telling to put end on corruption, Red Shields to shape up and the UM for the final judgement. Not long did they shop in the bazaar when man called Mordiggian met them and asked the travellers a favor in the name of the UM.

Blink of an eye later our candid heroes were riding north, couple of hours on horseback away from the city, ready to slay a wicked mephistophelian once known as Algorthon hiding in the old ruins of the Pedestritian Monastery, which once lied at the riverbank. Soon they reached their destination and begun to purge the once holy site from it's demonic inhabitants. Little did they know that they were the ones who almost got purged. In the upper chambers of half-collapsed ruins they met a creature later identified as a runehound. This vile aberration almost delivered death for our merry band, but by wits and dexterity they managed to fend off the beast. Ventruing futher inside, they plundered upon a hatch down to the basement, and finally found the evil warlock from the old coal chamber of the monastery. Algorthon proved to be a skinny old monk called Alvar, who was responsible of all the fliers and posters in the city mocking the UM. Alvar managed to negotiate with our heroes so that the heroes would slew couple of ghouls haunting futher down in the monastery catacombs, and bring one of those as the corpse of Alvar back to Mordiggian, and later return to the monastery and blow it to bits, as the runehound no longer guards the groundfloor chambers.

Our heroes agreed with the crazed monk, and returned to Scornubel, carrying the mangled corpse of a ghoul with them, to meet Mordiggian at the Riverbank of the Desperate. Old crook took the bait and "promised" that they would not be harmed as long as they would stay in Scornubel. Without granting any futher reward, the adventurers were furious but followed Alvars plan, and bought a keg-of-fire magic from man called Mahmut Al-Zabred at the bazaar. Later that day they blew the Pedestritian monastery to crumbles, and Melkor was convinced from the kegs that the calimshite-caravaneer had sold them. Alvar was everpleased and promised to keep fighting against the UM, United Murderers as he told what the shortening really ment. The monk also preached of a reward, but while gazing the smoldering ruins, Melkor had doubts that would they ever gather any decent loot...