Chapter Eleven - Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe!

Session was held 26th of March at the Altar of Games

As the dust settled and our brave heroes were proven victors of the struggle at the volcano, a long and gruelling journey back begun. The Untheric refugees rewarded them with gold items scavenged from the temple and in return our heroes teached them how to use the amulet to black guardian statues of the Ziggurat's entrance. Eventually they returned to the portal and left the unforgiving climate of Unther, wishing farewell to their newly forged allies.

From the western end of the portal they found themselves once again surrounded by pitch-black darkness. But they did not cower in front of the catacombs, nor anythings else found in the Ossuary of Wyrmwood, and by defying ghosts of the late Cultist of the Dragon and other perils they ascended from the unhallowed halls into the "cover" of the Forest of Wyrms. All along a creepy aura of evil radiated from the Cube, but only Jared was able to sense it. As their delusions grew stronger and the forest around them almost became alive, a ominous voice whispered from the tree tops "Give me the Cube..". And at the very moment a horrendous green dragon launched it's attack on our unlucky heroes.

A terrible battle was fought, but by divine strikes performed by Douglas and Arius, the ancient beast fell as it's head was sundered from it's serpent-like body. Our party decided to take it's head as a trophy and they continued their journey towards the village of Triel, where Lot and the steeds were waiting for them.

As our champions of valor traveled across the plain between the forest and the village, a wagon catched up with them. Man called Proden and his daughter Mim had been scavenging metal from the Forest of Wyrms and offered to travel with the party. Loading the Cube of Tybor on wagons increased their overall movement and the village was reached in record breaking time.

Village People

Triel was a small village, only couple dozen buildings enclosed within a wooden walls. Nonetheless the village had three large granaries, holding more than enough of supplies for such a small village. They camped into the Singing Straw Inn where innkeeper Gor of Heartland guided them to Lot the squire. Poor Lot had been drinking heavily over the course of our heroes absence, and talking shit even more. And so he explained how the mayor of Triel, Elvar the Grainlord waited for the heroes to arrive as he believed them to be a diplomatic entourage from Darnon. And also how he had arranged a deal with local villager, Bobur Bardabbas, concerning a old house he owned. Melkor was content with Lot's independent chores, as a cellar of a house they owned themselves would suit perfectly for the studies needed in revealing the true significance of the Cube of Tybor.

A bargain was later made, and the party bought their first real estate. A canny carpenter known as mister Harmaakelo (he was an elf, a fact noticed and shunned by the party) promised to repair the weathered building. Later same day, as the day turned into evening, our fellowship gathered to the Grainlords mansion. Hashim was left to the newly purchased house to guard the Cube, and he was glad to do so, as "Sir" Lot's imaginative stories were bit too much for him. And what a feast it was. Elvar the Grainlord served a full course of delicacies. He also asked the "delegate" if it would be possible for Triel to join the upcoming empire of Darnon, and other silly questions as he was still fooled by the stories told by drunken Lot.

As the courses and dishes were served, the Grainlord insisted the heroes to try his "flush", and so he served to them his collection of the finest spirits from all-around the Faerun. Much later after plentyfull of tasting, Arius decided to make a leave, and as the others stayed tasting some more, he staggered towards their house. On his way he met the girl Mim, and after long strange moment Mim ran away. Puzzled by behavior of the girl, he continued onwards, but a great shock awaited him. At the house he witnessed terrible scene of struggle. Inside the house four mercenaries laid dead, gutted by strikes of a scimitar. But in the middle of the horrendous set laid Hashim, striken down by overhelming force. Now the Kothian Mercenary rested in peace, and Arius closed his eyes. Suddenly he remembered the Cube, and an another shock awaited him as the Cube was gone!

RIP - HASHIM THE KOTHIAN

Arius launched to alert the others, and they splitted to investigate the gate and the house of Proden (who's daughter Arius saw just before the gruesome discovery) in order to find the assaulters. They soon found out that Prodens wagons had been stolen and the man and his daughter had been slain in the progress. Gatekeeper Karrahald told them that a wagon had left the village few moments ago, albeit he had received a bribe in order to keep it secret.

A thunderous pursuit begun, as our heroes steeds stroke lighting as they rode the road towards Scornubel. After a while a cartpath departed from the road, and as rain soaked the ground, the trail of the escapees was easily followed. The trail ended into a sawmill owned by certain mister Harmaakelo, and as our noble avengers found the muddy wagon inside the mill in the company of Harmaakelo and his assistant who were carrying a certain cube, it was quite clear who were behind the treachery. As they were 'bout to deal justice upon the murderous thiefs, a huge creature landed behind them. The creature demanded the Cube from Harmaakelo, and as the elven carpenter was paralyzed from terror, the monstrosity launched a furious attack on them all. In the midst of the battle Melkor was able to identify it as a yocholoth, more accurately as a Nycaloth. The Outsider was fierce, and even though they slayed the abomination, it managed to rend Jared into bits. The poor cleric lost his both arms as the four-clawed monster torn them off as easily as one snaps a twig.

As the monster was bout to be conquered, Melkor noticed that the elf had carried the cube with his assistant futher inside the sawmill. He rushed after them, only to witness how the fools were bout to cut the cube in a large circular saw powered by mills waterwheel. Before Melkor could stop them the Cube exploded with massive blast of energy, knocking Melkor down and shaking the whole building. As Melkor managed to get back to his feet he saw a huge hole, at least 15ft deep and 30ft wide. In the bottom of the hole lied the Cube of Tybor.

As Melkor begun to walk towards the Cube, and Arius joined him as Douglas healed Jared who was terribly maimed by the otherworldly creature. Suddenly a voice tolled from the mystical Cube: "Netherene...." and as Melkor and Arius engaged the Cube more closer, the air itself around our fascinated heroes electrified and the hollow voice rumbled:

"NETHERENE.... MELKOR!"

Chapter Ten - Within the Ossuary a Heart of a Mountain Was Found

Session was held 26th of February at the Altar of Games


Our mighty heroes had plundered into the Ossuary of Wyrmwood, and deep within they found what they were looking for, a portal to the Cauldron of Wyrm. After carefully studying the symbols and runes carved to the edges of the circular portal, Melkor declared that they could step in. And soon whole crew found themselves from far away place, a cliff on the mountainside of the Smoking Mountains that are located in the ancient empire of Unther.

From that faraway cliff they found a stone door that introduced them to series of chambers and corridors that once were a Untherian Ziggurat, temple dedicated to the God-Kings of Unther. They even stumbled into a hall that was full of colossal statues presenting those dead gods which were once worshipped by the Untheric people. There were the deities Assuran, Ramman, Girru, Enlil, Inanna, Nergal, Ishtar, Marduk, Nanna-Sin and Gilgeam who was the last of the gods. After gazing the dead splendour of these Elder Ones they proceed on their quest for the Cube of Tybor, but they were suprised by malicious undead beign known as BoneLord and its two Serpentir minions. Defeating this skeletal bonecrafter required some effort but they continued as victors. After discovering supplies from the old strorage basement of the temple, our party gathered some strenght at the safety of those age-old rations.Melkor considered that the old temple was abandonned decades or centuries ago but the Cult of the Dragon had enstablished a stronghold there as part of their operations in the Cauldron of Wyrm.

"Beams of Extreme Agony"

After restorative hours of rest our fearless adventurers plunged forth deeper into the temple. There they saw libaries, private rooms pf the Wearers of Purple, great halls dedicated for the study of draco anatomica and a cyclopean entrance hall dominated by two crosscut pyramids which both acted as footholds for two intimidating statues made of ebony stone. Doubts were raised as the statues both looked into same spot where the pyramids angles met, the only place to step into the stairs leading downwards and foward on their quest. The nefarious intuition sure was well-grounded as the statues shot beams of extreme agony to poor Arius who was yet again eager to take the first step. Arius survived the damage done by that trap of ancient and magical design. Puzzled by the terrible trap, Melkor invented a way of passing safely, for himself at least and like a lighting bolt the wizard flew through the hazardous spot unharmed by the beams of death. Douglas counted on his dexterity as a rogue, but he suffered horrendously as the red lasers of those black statues cut his flesh and bone. Only then Melkor discovered a link between a small amulet found earlier and the trap and passed through the spot unharmed, wearing the amulet in his neck. And by exploiting this knowledge the rest passed through the beams of extreme agony.

They continued on and came to an opening in the side of the mountain, covered and decorated by gigantic pillars and engravings of Untheric pantheon. Between the pillars they saw a long stonebridge spanning across the heights, linkind two of the Smoking mountains together. They set foot on that vertiginous structure and cursed its lenght. In the other end they found a small landing, from where a set of stairs ran downwards. Also a small path started it's desperate climb from the level they were but all their attention was bound to a splendid stone of black and red, lifted on a pedestal. Douglas used his best tricks and failed to notice any traps, but as he took the egg-shaped stone, a wall in front of him collapsed unleashing a blood-thirsty PYROHYDRA with eight fiery heads! The battle was terrible, but with preeminent skill in the art of war they turned the multi-headed horror intoa a Luskanese bagpipe, a carcass full of holes.

The Ascension and the Fiery End.

After slaying the beast of legend, our watchful party gathered their belongings and spend some time recovering from the wounds inflicted by the great OctoHead. Then they continued the path upwards, only to meet group of Untherese refugees whom had taken shelter at the mountaintops from the Mulhorandi invaders. After clarifying our partys intentions they welcomed them to their camp. The Untherese told about serpent-like people who had raided their camp and asked if the heroic troupe could ventrue futher on the trail and get rid of these hideous menrobbers. The merry band of adventurers agreed but stayed at the camp for few nights just in case if a new raid should occur. It never did and the fellowship begun the last part of their ascension, unaware that one day the bards of Faerun would sing tales from its legend.

The path curled along the mountainsides, and after long and perilous journey they came to a massive opening in the side of the mountain, from where a river of lava, that came from the depths of the mountain, turned to a gargantuan lavafall that thundered down to the Black Ash Plain thousands of feets below as a malicious rain of stones. A narrow stone bridge crossed the lavafall and took the party inside the opening. There a ropebridge crossed the fiery stream again back to the side they came from and from there a another stonebridge crossed once more to the opposite. And there they saw a strange canvas spanned over large "doorway" to another colossal chamber. But even from the first stone bridge they saw that the canvas was something terrible, and as it spoke to them they understood it to be a human streched across the opening. It demanded their flesh and summoned three nasty salamanders, snake like creatures of fire with humanlike uppertorso.

Few minutes and destroyed ropebridge later the salamanders were banished and the unholy human canvas torn open and our heroes proceed to the conclusion of their quest through the canvas. There they saw a vast chamber of colossal proportions, bordered by small streams of lava that united into the river that ran down to the Black Ash Plain. At their feet in front of the stone bridge was a colossal skeleton of long dead dragon, covering the area where the streams flowed into the same ravine. In the back of the chamber was a pool of lava from where the streams begun, and in front of the pool was a huge formation of black stone and high off the floor of the majestetic heartchamber of the volcano, on the black formation rested the Cube of Tybor!

Arius and Douglas climbed down the dragons spine to reach the chambers floor while Jared stepped through the air with his airwalk spell. Melkor and Hashim stayed at the stronebridge, and from afar they saw how a terrible wraith rose from the floor of the chamber, cursing the adventurers. It was the last ghost of the Cultists who seeked the Cube and perished, but Jared scorched its incorporeal remains with his greater turn undead ablility. But then all hell broke loose, as the black stone formation rumbled with great voice, identified itself as Harafalg the Giant and sweared that the robbers would never get the Cube of Tybor. Then the mountain begun to shake as the formation shattered as the fire giant broke free from his slumber. So great was his strenght that the lavapool behind him ruptured and begun flooding the chamber with its molten content.

There, jumping and balancing on lavastones floating in the powerful flow our heroes fought a bitter battle against a ancient power that was considered legend by the most. In this epic scene of local armageddon they triumphed possibly the greatest triumph ever, and got to possess the fabled Cube of Tybor.

Ecstatic from their victory and the fantastic visions of raw power of the nature, our heroes forgot the one major thing that had been bothering them through-out their quest for the Cube...

What a fuck was it for?

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 Eight - The Journey towards Berdusk continueth!

Session was held 7th of January 2011ad at the Altar of Games

Onwards to Berdusk!

After demolishing the cruel plans of the Bitter Lords Cult our brave fellowship had to escort the rescued captives to near village Borhus. While on the move, it soon became obvious that girl called Cidela Pepperpath would like travel to Berdusk with them, and they didn't mind. But they did mind a bit when Hashim, the redeemed Kothian Mercenary also expressed his will to join their ranks. And to top this all, the young squire Lot was serious about serving as a squire to our young prince. And so with the help from their newly joined mates, this merry band of partisans of ours dropped the rescued commoners to Borhus and continued towards northwest. The journey to Berdusk in their quest for the Cube of Tybor was 'bout to continue!

During their trek to the southern Reaching Woods they met Zolgar Tuohivirsta and his sons Garzol and Spigot. Old man Zolgar warned the heroic delegate from the great Border Bulwark and also from any attemps to circumvent it via the southern Woods. He warned that the southern Reaching Woods was haunted by the dead builders of the wretched bulwark, buried into the forestry soil. Our heroes weren't frightened at all but instead promised to clear the way for the people of Darnon. Tuohivirsta pronounced the hidden path to be a perfect smuggling route of food and weapons for the Darnonese, once purged from its haunting menace.

After departing Tuohivirsta's camp our fellowship proceed on their expedition, and manouvered directly to north after receiving a visual contact with the notorious bulwark. Even Melkor was astonished from the sheer size of it. As the dusk fell on Darnon they reached the Woods, but were forced to march on as they saw distant torchlights coming towards them along the bulwark. Escaping the possible guard patrol, they moved to the forest with haste. Quite hazardous thing to do in night, especially after receiving warnigs about the restless dead. But they weren't afraid, much. Soon they discovered something intresting. The bulwark ended to the tree line, but a high wall of straight-cut stone continued. As they wall rose to the tree-tops seemingly seamless, Melkor "spellcrafted" it to be a wall of stone, cast permanent by a powerful wizard. They continued to move alongside the wall until it ended to the edge of a dark gorge. Our heroes decided to ascend into the gorge, thereby passing the wall. They were quite sure that the ominous gorge was THE haunted pass and thus plunged in. The bottom was littered with bones and remains of the builders of the Bulwark, a mass grave showing the true state of the kingdom. And soon they found themselves in trouble. From the gorges wall a horrendous creature charged forth, a monstrous crossbreed of foul dirt and remnants of the deceased. Immune to Melkors powerful magicks the creature was almost equally invulnerable to steel, but with the help of the new cohorts they managed to smash the abomination back to plain dirt. From a shattered stone carving inside the monster's so called head, Melkor found the same symbol previously featured in the chapter seven.

They continued until the dawn and managed to break free from the Reaching Woods, finally gazing the free and lush plains of Berdusk. They decided to camp under a old oak for the rest of the new day. June 26th they continued towards Berdusk, resting the following night in Donilla Fellkrepplings farmstead inn. After a plentiful breakfast they ventrued to Berdusk in a full vigor. Douglas, an old berduskian provided them lodging from the Dancing Tulip tavern, and after dropping their gear there they launched towards the local temple of Oghma, a place of guaranteed knowledge. Douglas even discovered an old map of the city from his sleeve, making the orienteering even easier. Meanwhile Cidela Pepperpath promised to show Hashim the city, as she had been in the city before, and Lot decided to nurse the tired steeds in Hollybull's Stables and teach Hero some new tricks.

A priest called Eter Glomshaft guided gladly as our seekers of forgotten lore descended to the temples underground libraries. There, after ponderous hours of research they finally discover a manuscript, written by brother Androgas over two hundred years ago, called "Nature of Shadows" wherein a sidenote of an index revealed hidden secrets. To learn from the Cube of Tybor they should get their hands on the "Cultes Netherenes", a esoteric scripture that priest Glomshaft knew to be in the posession of Berduskian lord Lullicius Ebonmar. And to Ebonmar Manor they strode, and settled a audience with the Lord for tomorrow.

Errands for Lord Ebonmar

After late brunch our party conjured themselves to Ebonmar Manor. Lords butler, mister Partanc guided them upstairs to a fabulous lounge, where Lord Ebonmar lied on a divan sipping top grade wine. The obese hedonist questioned our party about their goals and was slightly enthusiastic 'bout their desire to view his precious Cultes Netherenes. He suggested a pact wherein the adventurers would bring him two rare manuscripts that he would designate in order to do some research on the esoteric tome. Our proud posse agreed and begun pursuing the first book immediately.

Lullicius Ebonmar desired a rare manuscript known as Crepusculum Archaicus, altought he clarified that the one here in Berdusk was much younger edition of that pre-historic scripture. The edition in Berdusk was more commonly known as the Ferrum-version and in the possession of noble known as Argold Nathmagan. Like roaring thunder thet rolled to Nathmagan Estate, only to find something crooked going on. There a band of bruisers were collecting a debt from the old man Nathmagan, but by doing so they crossed our commendable bunch of vigilantes. But something went horribly wrong as the whole estate turned into a blazing pyre! After rescuing the servants and the old couple Nathmagan our brave fire brigade found out there weren't much to do in order to obtain the book from the inferno. Gutted and crushed, they returned to Dancing Tulip to sank their sorrow when Melkor had a sudden strike of ingenuity. They rushed back to the burned down estate and began searching, moonless night hiding them from the curious. After three hours of rapid clearing they found it, a book made from iron pages! The Ferrum version! They carried the metallic monolith to lord Ebonmar who only scarcely obfuscated his excitement.

Lord Ebonmar, as enthusiastic as he were, soon gathered his thoughts and revealed the identity of the second book in demand. What he wanted was a book only known as M.D.S, a rare peculiarity only known by few. The lecherous hedonist once again knew the exact location of the item in question, he explained how he had desired it for years but the current owner just declined to sell it every single time he tried to arrange a bargain. But now Ebonmar decided to take the book even by force, sending our brave party to the residence of sorceress known as Sulphuress, the owner M.D.S. Sulphuress'es residence was a tiny hut surrounded by high walls. Our fellowship of bookfinders invaded the surrounding streets by night, darkness concealing their methods of crossing the wall. But they couldn't even imagine that once inside the high wall, the rustic old hut was no more. Now they saw through the illusion concealing the true nature of the sorceresses habitat, and befuddled as they were they tried to guess the height of the tower rising in front of them. But then a pack of lions, guards summoned by the Sulphuress attacked them, resulting in fierce combat, in which the brave posse proved to be triumphant. Horridly wounded by the feline beasts, they retreated back to the Dancing Tulip only to try again in the following night.

Refreshed and ready for futher action, they returned to Sulphuress's Tower next evening. It became apparent that the tower had no conventional means of entrance. The only way to enter seemed to be a balcony 40ft high from the ground. Douglas the thief proved his skills with the grappling hook, on soon they soared via a knotted rope all the way to the balcony. There they found a door to round chamber, devoid of any life but still showing signs of everyday living. A spiral staircase took them a floor higher to a burned down room that once were a sorceress's workchamber. In the middle of the chamber was a stone statue facing a charred incantation markings and symbols in the floor. Alongside the walls were carbonized remains of bookshelves, barely holding the ashes of the disintegrated books. After closer examination the statue appeared to be the sorceress herself, petrified during conjuration gone awry. Then Melkor set his eyes on the only surviving book, it's binding made from the softest & peachiest leather imaginable, and in it's cover the letters M.D.S. They opened the tome carefully, because it quite certainly posessed some magical properties as it survived the Sulphuress cataclysm of "mis-spelling". On the first full page of the scripture was a peculiar image, magical symbol of some sort. Before futher conclusions were made the symbol began spewing forth strange mist that suddenly erupted into a dragonic creature attacking the fellowship rabidly! The monster was Scalamagdrion (from FR Magic of Faerun), strange multidimensional dragon bound to certain book. Battle was nothing less than epic, as the spell turning abilities of the pandimensional beast made it invunerable to Melkors potent magicks. But needless to say, our brilliant adventurers left the tower as victors.

Later, as Lullicius Ebonmar greedfully grasped the book written by Marquis De Sade, who in this ghastly tome narrated some of the most heinous acts of violent lechery done to another humanoid beings, he promised Melkor the access to Cultes Netherenes on the following day. Bruised but relieved, the party returned to Dancing Tulip to count their loot, which was plentiful this time, and once there each one of them ordered a full pint of fresh ale. And after the first, they ordered a second as the next morning was forming to be a "hero-morning", but Melkor was restless, he couldn't wait to get his hands on that tome that had better to pay off all this trouble!

Prince Ariendur Action-Paperdoll

Now the wet-dream of many has finally became true, the glorious and multitalented DM Jakubias has hand-crafted a paperdoll of Arius the Prince!
As he was summoned to housewarming party/gathering of the Society of Horrible Gentlemen at Sir Williams Slampad, he decided to keep it cheap and thus manufactured this unique piece art, Arius Paperdoll, as a housewarming gift. Take a look!

Yeah, I know, FANTASTIC!

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 Six - Only a madman would ventrue to the mountains at this time

Session was held 9th of October 2010 at the Altar of Games

It had been six long days since Melkor was last seen outside his room at the Whispering Maiden Inn. Arius, Jared and Douglas were utterly bored, as they had churned down pitcher after pitcher at the tavern while waiting the bookworm wizard to re-appear. Altough Jared finally had some private time to carve a new and glorious holy symbol of Lathander, and he was proud of his achievement. Finally the loremaster came out, and proclaimed that they were going the the Bloodmountain to seek out the Witchking and activate the legacy abilities of Ilbrandir, the mighty powersword of Arius! And in awe and wonder did the rest gaze upon the mad wizard.




After preparing up the rest of the day, they met once again in tavern to drink for their upcoming victory and relish good ol' memories. Melkor questioned Jared and Douglas from their pasts, and while Jared told about his past in Cormyrian little village known as Eveningstar and how he went to the temple of Lathander and became a cleric, Douglas was little in his words. Assumption was that Douglas had dark secrets he wanted to hide, most likely criminal activity of some sort and the talk about one's history soon ceased as ale and wine poured down their thirsty throats.

To the mountains!
Early next morning the adventure began as they left the city of Asbravn in their quest to march to northeast, where the Blood Mountain presumably was. Their journey was hampered by rain, but they managed to keep in schedule and reached the point that Melkor had planned, and camped there over the night. Next morning as the trail became more increasingly perilous thus forcing their steeds to struggle with their gait, they continued until afternoon when sudden bellowing and roaring made them to cease their journey. They peeked over a hill and saw few ogres harassing their captives, and Melkor decided to solve the problem with a tactical fireball. Little did he know that a malevolent goblin mage, Skritsnok had casted resist energy-spell on those brutes and threw a fireball on Melkor instead. Battle against the goblin wizard was fierce, but soon the creatures lied dead on the ground. One surviving captive, half-orc called Baltrus the Hothead thanked our heroes and promised to make things even one day.




The journey continued and next morning the fellowship woke up early to see the first glimpses of rising sun, and as a cartographer had told Melkor back in Asbravn, the first rays of sun turned one mountainpeak red as blood, and so they knew where-to continue their voyage. Hills became mountains and while ascending futher and futher, Melkor was alerted by shouts in dwarven tongue. They run towards the noice, and saw group of orcs impaling men with long wooden stakes! They assaulted those brutal green pricks via invisibility sphere-spell and managed to rescue one dwarf who fought against the orcs long enough. And oh the joy as Melkor regonized the dwarf to be Karaz Thronehammer, adventuring dwarf from Baldur's Gate, with whom he had drank three years in a row almost twenty years ago. Karaz thanked the heroes and promised to accompany the party to the Witchkings lair, as he had nothing better to do either. Later that day they reached huge stairs chiselded to the mountainside, and decided to rest the night at their feet.

To the Tower!
Next day they begun climbing the stairs, and after three long hours they reached somewhat flat space in the top of the stone stairs, where they saw a huge metal door. And just as they managed to declare the place as the entrance to Witchkings lair, the door opened, and large giant stepped forth and challenged our heroes. After few cruel rounds of violent battle, the giant who managed to claim to be the Witchking, died a horrible death from our heroes hungry blades. And thus they went in to the lair of the Witchking!

The room behinf the door was a messy habitat of a hill giant, but soon a hollow and otherworldy voice speaked to them and encouraged them to ventrue futher, as it was unable to answer their questions on such low level of it's tower. They walked the marblestairs up, and stepped in to a round room, full of sofas and divans, rich curtains, beautifull green plants,parfumed oils slowly burning in their vessels, generating amazing feel of warmth and comfort. They voice commanded them to sit down and rest as it's maidens would soon bring them some food and drink. And soon four beautiful ladies walked forth behind a curtain, tempting our heroes with their naked curves and tasty meals. So tempted they were that one seduced Douglas who in his lust kissed the perfect-looking maiden and dicovered to his malaise the woman to be a succubus, the demon of seduction! The demoness tried to grapple Douglas, but our ever-cunning thief threw the man-eater away from him, forcing the she-demon to teleport back to it's homeplane Abyss, as it was not a demon of battle and fighting the proud adventurers would have been too much of a task for it. The rest of the beautiful maidens vanished too, as they had been cruel illusions made by the demon. Later it came apparent that Melkor the pervert knew all along that the maidens were trick of a succubus but he enjoyed them too much to alert the rest of the gang!

Even tough the illusory warmness of the chamber was gone, the party decided to rest there still a bit, and later ascend to the upper levels. The voice spoke again and warned that his familiar, Ormom, who lived on the upper floor, had grown large over the years as he, the voice, had forgotten his magical everfullilng saucepitcher to the creatures vicinity. And as our heroes climbed yet again more stairs, and reached a frozen door which opened with a strong kick, they saw a huge toad (advanced Ice Toad from Frostfell), white in color with blue boil-like spots, licking the pitcher with it's ridiculously large tongue. Soon the battle ensued as the behemoth snapped Arius to its jaws and swallowed the poor prince into its guts. But thanks to his powerfull fellows, the toad fell on it's back as it lost the fight and Arius hacked his way trough the giant belly with his spiked shield.

The Voice explained that the creature had swallowed his staff of frost, thus causing the monster to transform into this beign of ice, but no such a thing was found from its gizzard. Our brave posse continued their journey and passed the next level with haste as it was nothing but a empty library. But they were stopped on the one above as they stormed into a alchemical laboratory/study where was the voice as a young wizard, doing his experiments. The man smiled and the voice said "oh how young and eager I was" causing the young wizard to transform into nightmarish shape of pure void. The being sucked the air around it, thus the name Voidwraith (from Libris Mortis), making the battle against it at least suffocating. To crown it all, the creature was incorporeal, making it almost impossible to harm, but look, then came Jared and with his new holy symbol called forth the power of Lathander who turned and destoyed the foul creature of the void.

Oh the glory!

And as they climbed one more set of stairs, they reached small room with a luxurous chair and table, and the voice finally told that it was ready to answer their questions. But it told that it was nothing but mere thoughts of once powerfull wizard, infused into the walls of the tower as side-effect from the wizards might. The wizard was long gone, but the voice still provided them as best as it could. It told everyone else but Melkor, to climb long ladders up in order to invocate the powers of Arius's sword, Ilbrandir the Kingsblade, by showing the sword what kingdom it would reign with it's wielder. Melkor as a wizard would cause harm in the place where the ladders took, so he would need to stay in the room. And so the rest climbed for hours, none of them couldn't keep track how long the ladders actually took, but finally the crawled out from a trapdoor and noticed that they were on the top of the Bloodmountain, gazing the setting sun, and downthere somewhere they saw the kingdom of Darnon. And as Arius raised his sword and showed the kingdom for it, a brilliant bright light flashed and when they could once again see, they saw the sword radiant in its power, and lo...

THE PRINCE NOW WIELDETH THE BLADE OF KINGS!!!