Return to the Throne

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!

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 Five: Cross the Kingdom in search for adventures!

Session was held 10th-12th september at the Gustaf's Hideout

After plundering the Sparlklestone mines Melkor decided that it was time to pursue his own agendas for a while. As our heroes ravaged the supper that Tremeld Sinivihta served them in the Foresthouse Inn, Melkor revealed that their next destination would be the city of Asbravn, Darnons biggest city after the capital Iriaebor. They would cross the Hasturs Crossing and travel to the town of Darkshallow, and after resting there for a night, they would continue to Asbravn.

Before taking the path to Asbravn, our fellowship decided to update their pseudonyms. And thus Melkor became Lemor, Arius became Suira the Slayer, Douglas chose the name of Keldorn and Jared wished to be Valygar Blackbag. And together they would be called the Luskan Renegades, group of fearless mercenaries from Luskan.

To Darkshallow!
June 5th or 5th of Kythorn in Faerunian calendar our proud posse left for their quest. Their able steeds galloped to the Crossing of Hastur where they helped to farmers, Krent and Urvald to cross the stream with their donkey. After this valiant act they continued to east, towards the town of Darkshallows. It was almost an evening and it was grievously clear that they wouldn't make it to the town this day. To crown all, they saw riders in eastern horizon. Luckily for our "Luskanian mercenaries", the riders weren't the notorious Riders of the Black Cliff, popularly known as Skull Riders. They were Lieutenant Conder and his men, soldiers from the city of Asbravn on their way to the western borders. Little did Lieutenant Conder know when he started to question our heroes about their origins, that those few questions with bit too sharp tongue would turn to demise for him and his men.

It was 'bout noon next day when our merry brotherhood reached the town. If a little town can be a dead place, Darkshallow was even worse. Everything was grey and way beyond the best before-date. Old wooden church with unmarked belfry governed the center of the town, while housing gave room for the fishermens huts in the waterfront of lake Darkshallow. After questioning the barsmaid Adele in the Red Apple Inn it became clear that the new priest Father Lonhard with his men had become a hammer of tyranny and oppression, murdering three fishermen without a trial on a charge of devil worshipping acts of treachery. Old fisherman Keoff Nattarley knew few details more and advised our heroes to inquire man called Mulroon, Father Lonhards right hand, fat & drunk mercenary often seen rumbling in the Red Apple.

Terrible setback!

Day became night and our heroes cunningly digged the facts out of Mulroon while he was drinking heavily. Three executed boys were innocent and father Lonhard had framed them up for his own motives. Along theu inquiry, Arius and Douglas challanged Mulroon to a drinking game, resulting in small bar fight which ended when Douglas kicked Mulroons knee-cap to smithereens. While Melkor and Jared were sober next morning, Arius and Douglas were far from it. Troubled by massive hangover, they fought themselves up as Adele came knocking in, warning our heroes from a lynching mob waiting outside the Inn. Our fearless party decided to face the villains as there were no other exit than the front door, even though the dusty windowpanes of the Inn didn't clearly show what they were up against.

On the yard there were father Lonhard and his four men. Accusing our heroes of devilish treason, Lonhard launched an sudden attack against them, summoning a fiendish dire wolf (horrible beast from the Monster Manual) to aid his dark cause. Battle ravaged terribly, wounding our heroes badly, but leaving the enemy dead and maimed. Only Lonhard managed to escape, even though Melkor launched a lightning bolt against the evil cleric. Following the priest to the church, the fellowship ascended steep stairway into a small chapel or chamber which revealed a secret tunnel into a small underground pond most likely linked into the lake itself. There was father Lonhard fording into the body of water, while a altar of stone stand on the edge, and on the altar there were three skulls, still covered in recently dried blood. Melkor finished the crazened cleric with yet again precise bolt of lightning, but the battle was far from being over. From the pond arose a slimy being later identified as Uchuulon (search from the Stormwreck guidebook), a horrible a crustacean aberration with loads of slime and tentacles. The creature suprised everyone with it's speed and before Arius even managed to lift his shield the unearthly beast punctured it, piercing it's deadly crab-like claws into poor prince's stomach, raveling his guts and pulling the life out of him (The DM Jakubias rolled 20 + 20 + success, scoring a instant kill, which he celebrated shortly). This atrocious act shocked everyone, as Arius's mangled corpse fell to the floor.

Altought horrified by the creatures blow, rest of our heroes quickly resumed in action, dragging Arius away from the creature, grabbing Lonhards golden medallion that Douglas had spotted earlier and escaping through the tunnel. The monstrosity was hampered by the cramped tunnel so our heroes had time to set the whole church in fire, burning away the devil and the slaughtered corpses of their enemies.

As the heroes watched yet another religious building reducing to ashes the few villagers thanked them from their heroic act and oathed to help them whenever they would need assistance. Rest of the day our shattered fellows gathered themselves up and mourned their fallen comrade. Melkor knew that in order to pursue his own goals, the revival of Arius would crucial, so they mustered old cart from the townsfolk and begun their slow journey towards Asbravn, Arius laying cold in the cart.


To Asbravn
Next day, after succesfull campnight beside the road, our fellows were getting closer to the city, they rescued a injured man from small group of marauding commoners. Man was Nemerd Stonetower, an official in the city of Asbravn, in his way to Darkshallow for statistics and drafting. He demanded to be escorted to Asbravn, and promised speak the heroes in no matter what time it would be when they would reach the gates. The man stood behind his words, and even recommended a tavern/inn called Whispering Maiden near the gates. From there the heroes began their quest of finding out a person suitable to improve the general condition of poor Arius. Cuven the Whispering Maidens innkeeper knew old man called Sembor, who once long time before the current state of tyranny and intolerance, operated as a powerfull cleric. And so our heroes met the old priest and convinced him to help Arius.

Upon the resurrection of Arius, old man Sembor demanded to hear the boys full name, and as Melkor pronounced the boy to be Ariendur Grivald, the long lost prince of Darnon, the old geezer was petrified. So honoured by the chance to save the prince and maybe save the whole kingdom, the old cleric began chanting powerfull mantras for his deity Lathander, who shone his brilliant light upon the body of Arius who soon rose alive yet again but still confused by the terrible depths of faithless death. This act drained the last og Sembor, who fell on his chair, propably knowing that his deed would later change the future of the kingdom.

The fellowship was whole again, and there was no better way to bring Arius back in business than going on as usual. And so Melkor began searching the house of Four Winds, a possible site holding valuable writings which could reveal secrets that Melkor was looking for. Instead of finding a huge library, Melkor found out that the house was turned to a guard post. Luckily a man called Walther Purpletide, former apprentice of Ulverus the Sage, the master of lore who once lived in the house of Four Winds. Purpletide told Melkor that the texts he was after were carried into ancient dungons below Asbravn, shortly before Ulverus was captured and convicted for life in prison as a traitor. And so Melkor knew the next step of his quest.


Meanwhile Jared and Arius were searching for new shield for Arius to replace the pierced one. But this search soon escalated into a sidequest where they were searching for the urn of Brella Kempwoods husband. A burglar who stole the urn, called Mulk, was found in Rustys, old rundown boozer, but he escaped to the roofs, resulting in spectacular rooftop chase scene. But as always, the heroes caught the villain, and they received tons of gratitude from Brella, who even gave her husbands young dog called Hero to Arius, who promised to raise the dog to be a ferocious beast but also a loyal friend.

In search for the ancient texts

Next morning Walther showed up ready to take the reunited heroes to old waterdrill, situated near the keep of Asbravn. After dealing with two guardsmen patrolling the waterdrill, our heroes managed to ascend in to the well, and found a collapsed section of wall revealing the old dungeons. There they moved through the ruins consisting of ancient houses and streets, partially buried in rubble and soil over the long centuries. They found three old metal sheets, size of a small book, covered in strange writings. Melkor promised to study it's secrets later. They also encountered horrible carrion crawlers with their paralyizing tentacles. Business as usual, the critters were soonm slaughtered with ways untold. After the crawlers, the heroes were also encountered a rapture locust swarm, horrible creature that hypnotized and filled it's victim with euphoria as it was eaten alive by the swarm. The swarm also was utterly destroyed. And soon after the swarm, as the company reached the safe deposit of Ulverus the Sage's books, they realized that the swarm had destoyed the books.

After long minutes of searching, they were lucky to discover a metal chest holdin Ulverus's journal infused with drivel about the apocalypse soon coming because of the actions of Red Wizard Alzarseth who was in high standings in the King Osander II court in Iriaebor. In the chest there also was a small but potent book, Tome of Worldy Memory which Melkor identified to be useful whenever a knowldege about anything was needed. And then Melkor found what he was looking for, a withered book which soon deteriorated into his hands, but a important page survived, which he preserved in his pocket, not showing it's content to the others, insisting that it would play key factor with Arius and his sword.

As the merry band surfaced and moved to the Whispering Maiden, their thoughts were set into the Sunset Mountains, the next waypoint on their incredible adventures, where Arius's sword would find it's true powers. But what secrets Melkor kept hidden from the others...

Chapter One: Sudden departures & unexpected futures

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..