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Post by Demogorgon on Apr 5, 2011 11:50:48 GMT -5
New Beginning's in Dark WoodThe party awoke to the smell of wet wood and tiny ants crawling over their face and arms. As they tried to sit up and brush the insects off their body, they noticed that they were surrounded in a pale green light. Each member of the party found themselves stuck inside a large hollow tree. Strangely, everyone in the party couldn’t remember much. The last thing they recalled was going to sleep one night. Each time they tried to remember they were stricken with a painful headache that almost caused them to faint. In addition, the headache was precipitated by a strange pain emanating on the right side of their necks. When they peered out through the crack in the hollow, they could see a forest with trees stretching high up into the night sky. The clearing before them was full of long blades of grass and all manner of flowers and other plant life. At the center of the clearing, floating above the tall grass was a pair of glowing green eyes. Above the eyes hovered a huge set of antlers that resembled those of a large stag. Like the eyes, the antlers were bathed in a mysterious green light. Whatever the creature was, it clearly lacked a corporeal form. When they attempted to take a closer look, the creature noticed them, and in the blink of an eye, it silently darted off into the forest. With the creature gone, the green light was replaced by moonlight which began to reflect off the strange shimmering flowers in the clearing. Thrrdon quickly made a beeline for the exit of the clearing, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he looked up and saw a small green dragon blocking the exit waiting for him. The dragon dove down at the Bakali and tried to take a bite out of him. The others became dazed and confused by the Shimmerweed Plants that grew in the clearing. Eventually the party managed to destroy a few of the plants and focus their attacks on the green dragon. In the end, the party was victorious, but not without Thrrdon falling victim to the dragons poison. Compassionately, the elven strangers helped revive the fallen lizard man. Ylric wanted to capture the dragon, but the Bakali where far too hungry and savage for such concepts. The lizard men began to claim trophies from the creature. They severed the dragons head by using their spear as a knife and did the same with its arms and other body parts. The elves could only guess that this was a custom in Bakali culture and therefore said little to prevent such actions. Perception* The party found the bones of several small humanoids and other animals such as wolves and bears. No equipment was found near any of the humanoid bones. Nature* Ylric realized that dragon was using the clearing as a means to capture and eat prey. * Ylric recognized the clearing as a Trilithon Gate. Which is a portal created by many ancient druids. Such portals are usually scattered throughout sacred forests and are usually very well hidden if not impossible to find. History* Upon reflection, Ylric told the party about a Great Forester named Gregor who ruled near a forest called Dark Wood. He rode a large white stag and was said to be a kind but fierce opponent of the Thenolites. There is even a castle named after him, Castle Gregor, but it is now occupied by the army of Thenol. As the ranger, Ylric decided to take the lead and attempt to find their way out of the forest. Before they left the clearing, the party noticed the strange green glow that they had seen when they first appeared in the forest. Attempting to get closer to the green light, Ylric expertly led the party through the woods and they quickly found themselves at the top of a forested valley. They also discovered another path through the woods that looked a little more traveled then the overgrown trail they had been following. The trail made its way around the valley. The party could see green glow on the other side of the valley, but the party decided to follow the trail and take the long way around the valley. Valcona's PilgrimageAfter a few moments, Ylric noticed several boot tracks on the trail. He could ascertain that there were four sets of boot tracks and two of them appeared to be carrying something heavy. After following the tracks for a while, the party could smell smoke, perhaps that of a small campfire. They all decided to sneak up on the camp. Although everyone in the party was trying to hide, they arrived in a clearing to see four robed men and an elven woman standing and waiting for them (no one rolled higher than a 4). The elven woman was clad in leathers with a dark green cloak hanging from her shoulders. Her face was painted with green stripes and her elven heritage was noted by the pointed ears protruding from her long blonde hair. The elf was very beautiful and had a pleasant smile on her face. Behind her, standing beside a large tree, were four other figures dressed in dark grey robes. The hoods of their cloaks were trimmed with runic symbols and each of them carried a simple wooden staff. On the ground, beside a small camp fire, was a stretcher upon which rested a body that was tightly rapped in white cloth. After acknowledging the groups presence with a calm smile, the elf rested her right hand on the pommel of her short sword which was tucked away in a sheath attached to her belt. After a short introduction Valcona told the group that she was on a pilgrimage to the sacred grove to lay her husband to rest. She informed them that he was slain while defending the village Bleq from a goblin attack. Valcona told the party that the men with her were priests from the village and they were with her to help complete the ceremony. When asked why the woman wanted to travel at night, she told the group that she wanted to cremate him at night during the conjunction of the moons. When asked about the priest’s attire, she told the party that their village was poor and the priest had to make due with what they could find. Exactly what that meant was unknown and she didn’t elaborate. When asked about the white Stag, Valcona revealed that she knew of a forester that once rode a great white stag. Bluff* Vaeren took the opportunity to lie to the elf, telling her that they were regulars from the Thenolite army. The elven woman believed him, but was a bit skeptical when he made reference to Bishop Trandamere (the ruler of Thenol). Regardless, she quickly made it clear to them that she in no way opposed the bishop. If she was afraid of the consequences for openly opposing the Bishop or genuinely being truthful, it was hard to tell. Perception* Ylric noticed that the woman had a second sheath around her belt that was empty. * Vaeren noticed that she did not have a wedding band. * Ylric caught a few of the robed figures staring at their necks, at the very location that everyone in the group felt pain. Thievery* Ylric snuck up on the body and tried to take a sneak peak inside the wrappings. He was successful at looking inside without anyone seeing him, but he didn’t notice a wedding band or anything unusual. Religion* In Thenol, the dead are often raised and made part of the Thenolite Army, burning them is a way to prevent loved ones from being animated. It is a practice that is forbidden by the Church of Hiteh. * Technically, there is no reason why she should have to keep any such band on her finger if her husband was dead. Usually people are not so quick to remove their rings, at least not until well after the funeral. Noticing that the party was a bit apprehensive she offered the group a reward for their services and she even dangled a sack of coins in front of them. Vaeren was quick to point out that her story wasn’t consistent. How could she have coins and then say that her village was poor. She explained that she was also paying the priests for their services, but never answered the question directly. The two Bakali, having a hard time understanding Elven, focused their attention to a rabbit cooking over the fire over any mention of valuables. Their main concern was food, and rightfully so, since everyone in the party was famished. Angry WolvesNeedless to say, the party didn’t trust the woman or her retinue, but they tagged along about ten feet behind them. Thunder storms quickly approached and it started to rain heavily. At Valcona’s request, the party made haste through the woods and began to follow the trail once again. As they were traversing the muddy trail, the party noticed that they were surrounded by wolves. Just then a large wolf entered the trail and blocked the group’s progress. Several smaller wolves attacked the party from all sides. The wolves were not starving but they were vicious and crazed, which was clearly very unusual. The party was victorious, but one of the robed humans fell and had his throat ripped out. Although the party managed stabilize him, he remained unable to talk or breathe very well. After the battle, the Bakali took more body parts as trophies and made wolf meat rations
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Post by Demogorgon on Apr 13, 2011 12:31:48 GMT -5
After the battle with the wolves, the party encountered a human bard who appeared to be rather out of place in the middle of Dark Wood forest. Having already known Ylric; however, it didn’t take long for the bard to join the group on their quest to escort Valcona and her companions to the shrine. The bard immediately tried his best to help the man with his injuries by using his song of healing. The man recovered and Valcona thanked the party for their help. The party continued through the forest despite the night and the heavy thunderstorms. Eventually they came to a fork in the trail in the middle of which sat the corpse of a large bear. It appeared that he had been killed by slashing weapons, perhaps swords. Amazingly Ylric (the expert tracker) discovered two sets of tracks that had not been disturbed by the rain. One set of tracks led down the left side of the trail and another set returned in the opposite direction. It was clear to Ylric that the second set of tracks was made by one person running away. Valcona told the group that the shrine was down the left passage. The party regrouped and continued their journey through dark wood. After about another 20 minutes of walking in the mud, Valcona asked the group to stop. She informed the party that the shrine was only a few feet away and asked the group to guard the area as she and her companions prepared for the ritual. The party approached the clearing and discovered a small ancient shrine. The structure wasn’t dedicated to any god in particular, but it appeared to be a sacred area in the forest, perhaps one typically frequented by druids. The party could also see an old stone well that sat at the edge of the shrine. Next to the well lay the body of a man who was dressed in greens and browns. The four robed figures entered the clearing and carried the body to the top of the shrine and placed it inside of a circle. Valcona walked towards the well and took a closer look at the body. Ylric did the same, but just before he could turn the body over, the two Bakali near the entrance shouted in alarm as several shadowy animals attacked the party. A battle began with 3 Shadow Wolves, a Shadow Bear, a Shadow Boar, and a Water Elemental. During the battle the four robed figures removed the cloth that covered the body to reveal a man dressed in black robes. As the storm clouds broke, the light from the Night of the Eye (conjunction of all three moons) illuminated the circle at the top of the shrine. Surprisingly, the black robed man stood up. Although his face was well hidden under the cowl of his robes, he did appear to be alive and wasn’t any obvious type of undead creature. He held in his hands a large book which he set out in front of him. After waving his hand the book began to float in the air and its pages slowly started to turn on their own. Immediately the ground around the shrine shook and various bits of debris, dirt, and small stones levitated several feet from the ground. The black robed man took time to observe the party and then nodded to the four grey robed men. He then uttered an incantation and in the blink of an eye vanished from sight. The four men pulled out long curved daggers from their belts. As each looked up into the night sky at the constellation of the Goat’s Skull, they extended their hand and unquestioningly plummeted the daggers deep into their hearts. Each of them silently fell to the ground in pools of their own blood. Just then, the green glowing form of the Stag appeared from behind the shrine and charged at the book with its large antlers. Surprisingly, it was stopped by an invisible barrier that protected the book. Despite this, the insubstantial creature continued to bash its antlers against the barrier out of frustration. Vaeren also tried to step into the circle, but he was prevented in a similar manner. The invoker even tried to blast the book with lightning, but it merely bounced off the magical barrier. Vaeren moved around to the side to take a closer look at the pages. From his vantage point, Vaeren clearly made out the diagram of a large tower. He concluded that the book was preparing to build the tower depicted using magic. Seeing that her efforts at deceiving the party had been a success, Valcona moved over the corpse near the well and pulled out her matching short sword from the dead mans stomach. She wiped the blood off the sword and slid it in her empty scabbard. She placed her hands on her hips in a manner that denoted her sense of superiority and let out a laugh. The elf leapt into the forest, and like an elf, she quickly ran through the heavy foliage without hindrance. The bard attempted to communicate with the Stag in his native tongue and explain that they were tricked into aiding the woman and her companions. The stag nodded toward the bard in a manner that suggested complete understanding. Immediately the shadowy animals that remained stopped attacking. After the battle the party rested until dawn. In the morning the ghostly form of the stag remained. Ylric asked the Stag if it could guide them to the great forester. The stag nodded and began to float through the trees in a northern direction. Loot Found* 100 Steel pieces * 4 intricately carved sacrificial daggers dedicated to the God Chemosh. The daggers are none magical, but worth 25 gp each. Note (found on robed man)* We have discovered the site. Where high was low and low was high; Where yesterday, today, and tomorrow formed a perfect circle; and where the three moons periodically form the points of a perfect triangle whose exact center would fall directly over the Tower. History
* As a team of wizards planted a stone of threes at a Tower site, they initiated a series of spells to raise the Tower's foundations from the bones of the earth and create a magical field where the Tower's surrounding forest would grow. These forests sprang into existence overnight, complete with their protective magical qualities. The buildings Magical foundations were complete in a week. The process of creating the foundation and forest consumed the stone of threes. With these two elements in place, the wizards completed the structure with a combination of physical labor and magical effort. However, it took decades to actually finish a Tower. The forest protected the wizards and their assistants while final construction proceeded. The wizards used only five of the seven stones of threes to create Towers. One stone fell into the hands of the dwarves of Thorbardin sometime between 2150 and 2000PC, when the dwarves stopped a group of wizards from building a Tower on their land. Only the dwarves' account of the dispute survived the Cataclysm, and then only in the form of a myth featuring exaggerated tales of dwarven heroism and prowess. Not even the dwarves know exactly what happened to the stone, but divinations cast during the kingpriest of Istar's siege on sorcery (which commenced in 19pc) revealed that the stone had been destroyed. The seventh stone was lost during the Cataclysm, and its whereabouts remain a mystery. Arcana* The bard quickly recognized the attire of the man as belonging to black robed wizards of high sorcery. The robes, however, were of a design more common to those of centuries past then to black robed wizards of modern day Ansalon. * You know that the tower that is being constructed won't be completed without the Stone of Threes. You believe that the book is preparing the site for the ritual that will ultimately require a group of wizards and the Stone of Threes. This makes you suspect that the lost Stone of Threes may have been found. * Vaeren and Bono detected a wizard mark on everyone’s necks that was in the shape of an hour glass. * Bono revealed that the hour glass symbol may be related to Raistlin, a wizard from Ansalon. Bono knows that Raistlin was cursed by Par-Salian, the head of the Mages Conclave on Krynn, with hourglass eyes that cause him to see Time as it affects all things. Perhaps the party was also cursed in the same way, but you don't know if it was Raistlin, Par-Salian, or some one else. Religion * The constellation of the goat’s skull is the symbol of the god Chemosh (Lord of Death, Lord of bones) who is not normally worshiped in Taladas. * You suspect that the black robe you encountered returned to life briefly during the Night of the Eye and that the sacrifices of the fanatics were to please the god Chemosh, but for how long is not known.
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Post by Demogorgon on Apr 21, 2011 10:30:17 GMT -5
Morning at the ShrineThe party slept peacefully during the night at the shrine. In the morning, Vaelen was no place to be found. If he left in the middle of the night or simply disappeared, it was impossible to determine. In addition, the ghostly form of the Stag disappeared shortly after Ylric had asked for directions. The magical book remained floating at the top of the shrine. As another page turned more stone blocks levitated in the air and shifted about. The book continued unabated to magically prepare the area for the towers construction. The bodies of the four grey robed men were also no place to be found. Oddly, their bloody robes and basic equipment remained in the same place they had fallen. Shortly before the party had the chance to regroup and begin their journey (in the direction that the Stag had shown them), an elf made his presence known. He called him self DartingClaw. He explained that he was a druid and that he had arrived in the forest via the same grove as everyone in the party did. Needless to say, it didn’t take long for the party to accept him in their ranks. The druid and the ranger lead the group through the forest and it was clear that the party was in good hands. With their combined knowledge of nature the risk of becoming lost was almost none. Tracks in Dark Wood.After trekking through the thick forest for about an hour, Ylric’s keen eyes spotted a boot track next to a large rock. It appeared that someone had sat on the rock recently to rest. The track was made by someone with a slender to medium sized foot. After searching a bit more the ranger picked up the persons trail and based on the spacing of the tracks Ylric concluded that the person was running. The tracks appeared to have been made shortly after last nights rain and had since hardened in the morning sun. Ylric also realized that whoever made the tracks was deliberately trying to hide them. Many in the party concluded that the tracks could be those of Valcona. In addition, Ylric noted that the creator of the tracks stopped to rest rather frequently. He concluded that Valcona wasn’t very good at long distance running or feats of endurance. A few in the party had a good laugh at this discovery, but when the party tried to run to catch up with her, Ylric was the first one to fall back and catch his breath. It became obvious to the party that while running they ran the risk of being separated in the forest. They attempted to run through the forest for another half hour and with everyone’s help they discovered a small game trail. Immediately, Ylric noticed the tracks of dozens webbed feet that had recently crossed the trail. DartingClaw was sure that these types of creatures, who were most likely lizardfolk, were not native to these forests. Typically such creatures were found in swampy regions such as the Blackwater Glade. At this time, Thrrdon could taste the stench of death on his forked tongue from the air and began to search the area. As he suspected he found the rotting corpse of a human covered in all manner of carrion. The corpse was that of a man dressed in simple browns and greens. He carried a leather satchel that contained a journal and around his neck was a holy symbol of Chislev. Chislev is known to the Elf Clans as Quoyai to the Bakali as Siarrlas the Scaled One. The holy symbol was magical and could also used by a druid as a totem (Symbol of Resilience +1). After reading the journal, which was written in Thenolian, the party discovered that it contained a summary of important discoveries regarding a great druid that lived 500 years ago. Further examination of the corpse revealed that the man died from a small blade in the back. Journal EntryThe evil creatures are now ready to press north into civilized lands as they muster their forces in the forest. The small town of Bleq lies in the path of this army. Rumor has it that a powerful human wizard commands this devastating force from a hidden base in the heart of the Spear Ridge Mountains. This would certainly explain the quick, efficient tactics employed by the normally unorganized creatures from Blackwater Glade. Reports state that the creatures are well-armed and that some even possess magic. If true, this spells certain doom for the populated northern lands. As a result, preparations for war have begun in earnest, including fortifying walls, stockpiling food, and drilling the militias. Meanwhile, Bleq contacted the elder sages at the Tower of the Heavens. The sages, by far the oldest inhabitants of the region, combed their archives in an effort to discover a solution. After days of peering over texts, librams, and ancient tomes, the sages are convinced that a prophecy is about to come to pass. They have discovered a diary that belonged to Leander, a human hierophant druid who was the protector of this region over 500 years ago. One day he simply disappeared from the land. His diary states he entered Druid’s Sleep, a form of hibernation similar to that which some animals experience during winter. The sages say that Leander is alive, hidden in a secure resting place, still asleep. The final words in Leander’s diary form the basis of the prophecy. “When the black tide sweeps the land from the east, look to the sky for answers. If the time is right, send a worthy band to awaken me, and the forest communities shall unite.” Following this cryptic passage were several accurate sketches of constellations. The historians have watched the stars and determined that the time Leander spoke of is about to pass. Leander wrote that he left a map and several items useful in discovering his resting place with a close friend, a treant named Evergreen. One of these items is the key needed to enter Leander’s resting place. However, the scriptures describe it only as a “key that is not a key.” A search of the archives for information on the treant proved nearly fruitless. The only lead is that Evergreen resides behind an “unwooden door” in an enchanted glade secluded somewhere in Dark Wood. Dryad in DistressThe party then heard a rough feminine voice cry in Ancient Elvish, “Please ... help me” Immediately the party became suspicious and many of them heroically hid behind the trees. After walking down the path a bit more the party discovered the source of the voice. Leaning against a gnarled trunk was a female with elvish features and delicately tanned skin. She was clad in a loose fitting emerald tunic that appeared soaked with blood. She had long hair that was the color of young leaves on a sapling. She took an uncertain step onto the path, apparently to greet them. As her large hazel eyes met them, she staggered and grabbed her side before collapsing. The bard immediately tried his best to communicate with the woman, but despite sharing no common languages, the bard still managed to console the female. She was dying and appeared to be injured by a blade or a spear weapon. Her face was very pale and she begged the party to take her to her tree. The bard inquired if she was a nymph, but she corrected him that she was a Dryad. She told the group that her oak tree had been cut down by the lizardfolk and that she was dying. Bono the bard used every spell he could think of and even played a healing song to heal her injuries. The magic healed her, but she was still sick and in dire need of returning to her tree. She thanked the bard and told the group that her name was Mistle. The party then walked the female to her tree, which was about 70 yards away in the middle of a thick patch of woods. Upon arrival, the party saw a large oak tree that had recently been cut down. The Dryad crawled over to the tree and reached inside to pull out a sheet of bark (a ritual of Plant Growth) and an acorn. She told the group that she needed their help to perform the ritual on the acorn. Her plan was to grow a sapling using the acorn and attempt to bond with it. Since the acorn was from her oak tree, DartingClaw and Bono thought that her plan might just work. DartingClaw, Ylric, and Zissren all partook in the ritual. DartingClaw had a hard time controlling the powerful magic’s contained in the scroll, but with the help and guidance of Ylric and Zissren the young sapling sprouted forth from the ground. Immediately the Dryad disappeared and merged with the tree. After about 5 min she reappeared and in much better health. As a reward, she gave the group a pouch that contained six tear-drop shaped ambers each worth 250gp, a magical oak leaf that had healing magic (one for each party member), and ritual pages made from bark that contained Speak with Nature, and Call Wilderness Guide. The ritual pages could be used as a ritual book or they could be cast as a Ritual Scroll (using them as a scroll will consume the bark pages). She told the group that she knew of Evergreen the ancient Treant and that he lived in the enchanted glade. She had never seen him since Evergreen rarely leaves his lair and Mistle can’t venture far from her tree. She was able to give directions to his enchanted glade. She told the party to continue down the trail and cross the river. She then described an oak tree on the northern side of the river. The tree is shaped like a letter “Y” (a single trunk split to form a double trunk). Behind this tree is a hidden path that leads to the glade. When confronted about the events at the shrine, she was genuinely concerned, but had no idea how to help. She told the group that dark wood is dangerous place. She added that sometimes when animals in the forest are slain their sprits return to haunt the forest. When asked about Gregor The Great Forester. she told the PCs that he hasn’t been seen in the forest for many years. The last time anyone in the forest saw him was when he marched off towards the Castle riding his White stag. She said that the great forester used to talk about Leander the Druid (who lived over 500 years ago). She told the group that Leander is Gregor’s Ancestor. According to Gregor, the druid would one day return and set things right in the forest. Thereafter the forest would be known as Brighten Wood once again. Bullywug Invasion ForceThe winding game trail curved back to the north and cut its way through the thick undergrowth of the forest. After several hundred yards, the trail opened to a medium-sized clearing. The far end of the clearing was composed of smooth rocks of various sizes and shapes. Beyond was a placid river edged with high growth forest. The murky water silently rolls to the east, but the depth was impossible to determine. On the opposite bank another clearing was apparent. It appeared to be a natural ford. The party decided to tie two ropes together in an attempt to span the river. Despite discovering that the river was only 3 feet deep at its narrowest point, the party attempted to cross the river one at a time using the rope. Just as Zissren and DartingClaw crossed the river they were attacked by three bullywugs riding giant lizards that leapt out from their hiding places at the forests edge. Eight more bullywugs attacked the party from under the murky water with their claws and several more emerged from the northern woods and attempted to keep the party divided. To make matters worse, a bullywug shaman emerged from hiding behind the party on the southern bank of the river. He attacked with his wand of magic missiles (which seemed rather out of place) and caused the ground from underneath Bono and Ylric to grow vines. The vines lashed out and attempted to grasp their feet, but the bard and ranger were too quick and avoided being immobilized. With the party divided, it was clear that the bullywugs were fighting as a highly trained unit. It was clear that someone had trained these creatures in warfare as bullywugs were not normally known for such tactics. The battle continues…. Loot found5 Magical Oak Leaves (one for each party member). - Cure Light Wounds - minor action. 6 Tear Drop shaped Ambers (250 gp each). Symbol of Resilience +1 (can be used as a totem) Bark Pages that contain Speak with Nature and Call Wilderness Guide rituals. The ritual pages can be used as a ritual book or as ritual scrolls (using them as a scroll will consume the bark pages). XP to be handed out next weekNavigating the Woods Recovering the Journal Saving the Dryad's life
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Post by Demogorgon on Apr 26, 2011 12:39:13 GMT -5
The battle continued with DartingClaw claiming the Giant Lizard as a mount. His heroic attempt to turn the tide of battle was short lived, however, as the Bullywug Shaman croaked a ball of fire from his mouth at the druid and his new lizard pet. The blast knocked the druid unconscious and he slid off his mount and landed on his back at waters edge dying. Thurrdon then charged through the water at the shaman killing him by skewering the creature with his trident. Zissren took the opportunity to intimidate the remaining bullywug’s into surrendering. With most of their number slain, including their leader, the angry Bakali struck fear into their hearts and caused them to drop their bows and run. The remaining bullywug immediately surrendered. With help from the party the druid regained consciousness and was saved from death. In the end, the party defeated 26 bullywugs, a shaman, and 3 giant lizards (two of which they captured and used as mounts – both female). Interrogation in Pantomime.The party spent the next few hours interrogating the creature using hand jesters and pantomime. The bullywug wasn’t very intelligent, but he did have his moments of insight and provided the party with several interesting details. The bullywug told the party that his people left the blackwater glade many days ago. Apparently, he has been guarding the river ford for the past several weeks since arriving to the forest. Ylric confirmed this fact from all the tracks that he found around the river. When asked who their leader is, the bullywug described a robed figure dressed in grey robes. The bard theorized that perhaps there was a renegade wizard from Ansalon. When the bullywug mentioned the name Shivnar, it confirmed his suspicions since the name sounded like a human name that was common in the city of Tarsis in Ansalon. When asked about the wand and who may have given the wand to the shaman. The bullywug described the same robed figure. Upon examination of the wand the bard realized that items such as these are forbidden by the wizards of high sorcery in Ansalon. Such items allow non arcane spell casters access to arcane magic. Typically, renegades would create such items in mockery of the order. Other than that it was very difficult to get anymore information out of the creature. The party then debated releasing the creature, killing him, or taking him captive. The party abandoned the idea of keeping him captive, when they realized that the frog man stunk. Many in the party entertained the thought of killing him, but no one had the guts to do it when they realized it was an act of evil. The bard eventually got his way and the party released the creature. Upon release, the bullywug made a dash for the river and dove under the water. Searching for the Hidden TrailThe party then searched for the tree that was shaped like the letter ‘Y’. With Ylric’s guidance he led the party to an area of the forest that contained hundreds of oak trees. They searched the area as best they could, but most of them aimlessly wandered around and found nothing of interest. DartingClaw suggested that they use one of the rituals that the Dryad had provided them, but the party preferred to continue searching. After another hour of searching DartingClaw reflected on his knowledge of nature and concluded that the path might be near a more dense section of the forest. With that in mind he led the group deep into the forest. Eventually after another hour of searching the party spotted a huge oak tree in the shape of the letter ‘Y’. Behind the tree and several thorn bushes was an old trail that had not been used in many years. The Enchanted GladeThe druid turned himself into a squirrel and traveled down the path hiding. Little did he know that a large weasel was in the area and considered the squirrel a tempting appetizer. Luckily, DartingClaw was smart enough to hide as he traversed the trail and he successfully snuck past the creature. The small path meandered until it led to a breath-takingly beautiful glade dominated by varying shades of green. To the east was a high outcropping of rock adorned with large leafy plants, from which a small but rapid waterfall tumbled. The water collected in a crystalline pool that fed a stream. The stream snaked its way through the glade, exiting on the southwest side. The ground was carpeted with soft grass and spongy moss. Many purple, yellow, and white wildflowers dotted the lawn. A sweet mellow scent, combined with the babbling of the falls and stream made it a very pleasant place. The druid entered the grove in squirrel form and searched the area. As a squirrel everything seemed enormous to him and he failed to pay much attention to the huge Venus Mantrap plants that flanked each side of the waterfall. By the time he took a closer look and realized that he was in grave danger, he was enthralled by the pollen in the air. DartingClaw mindlessly jumped on one of the plant’s leafy pods. Sensing that, the plant closed its leafy pod on the squirrel. Fortunately for the druid, as a squirrel, he was too small to be immobilized by the plant. His luck was short lived, however, as the leafy pod filled with acidic secretions. This immediately caused the druid to break out of his trance. DartingClaw promptly shape changed back into an elf and summoned a giant toad from inside the plant. The giant toad was large and strong enough to cause the leafy pod to burst open. The druid was ejected out of the pod and on to the ground, but the poor frog wasn’t as fortunate, as it was immediately submerged in huge amounts of acid that dissolved it in seconds. The druid then ran out of the glade through the hidden trail screaming as the acid continued to melt his flesh and clothing. Eventually he made it back to the party in dire need of their healing magic. After recovering, the party healed the druid and took a short rest. When the party realized that the plants could not move and were stationary, they became over confident and quickly made their way back to the glade. Despite the druid’s warnings and assumptions, the party all stood at the edge of the glade waiting for the ranger to dispose of the plants. Ylric opened fire at the plant from a distance with flaming arrows that he had previously prepared. The ranger badly injured the Mantrap and it began to burn. At the same time, everyone in the group could smell the pollen that permutated the entire glade. Everyone except Thrrdun became enthralled by the plant and wanted nothing more then to lie down inside one of its leafy pods. Thrrdun was quick to act and he charged into the glade, grabbed his friend Zissren, and then pulled him into the pool. The Bakali dove under the water, which provided Zissren with the chance to snap out of the charming effects of the pollen. Although DartingClaw had wisely tied himself to a tree and covered his mouth with cloth, he still managed to become enthralled by the pollen and immediately untied himself from the tree. The bard and the ranger continued to mindlessly walk to their doom unabated.
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Post by Demogorgon on May 3, 2011 13:59:48 GMT -5
The battle continued with Ylric mindlessly walking towards the mantrap. Fortunately for him he tripped and fell into the water which knocked him to his senses. Bono also fell head first into the pool of water and almost drowned. At one point Thrrdon became trapped inside one of the mantraps, but he was lucky as the plant was destroyed by DartingClaw before the pod filled up with acid. From the water, the party attacked the plants and eventually destroyed both of them. They were wise to hide under the water and avoid the pollen sprays that plants were constantly emitting. ArcanaAfter the battle Bono told the group that the nectar from these plants is very valuable and is used in the creation of love potions. Bono estimated that the nectar might fetch 250 gp per pint to the right buyer. Ylric dumped his oil flasks and created a bunch of torches in an attempt not to waste his oil. He managed to collect 4 pints of the nectar with the druids help. Magic in the RockBehind the waterfall was a 150 foot tunnel. The druid and the ranger searched the tunnel for traps and Bono scanned the area for magic. He discovered a powerful source of magic emanating from inside the large rocks at the top of the waterfall. DartingClaw climbed up to take a closer look and noticed that the water was pouring out of the rocks themselves. Ylric drank from the water and discovered that the water was very pure and fresh. The party decided not to investigate the rocks further and continued on down the tunnel behind the water fall. The Inner GladeAs the party exited the damp, musty corridor through a curtain of water, they entered a majestic glade. This one was similar to the previous glade, with a stream flowing through the center of it. As they pulled their soggy feet out of the stream, they noticed another rocky outcropping to the north. There was also a cave leading into inky darkness. The glade was surrounded by unusually dense forest and there were no trails leading into this glade. The glade appeared deserted except for two majestic oak trees that flanked the cave entrance. The party entered the cave, but was surprised by a large 4 foot high mushroom that began to shriek very loudly. The noise was deafening and it stunned a few of the party members. Ylric blasted the creature with an arrow killing the fungi instantly. NatureDartinclaw told the party that mushrooms such as these were prized by purple worms and shambling mounds. ArcanaBono told the group that the spores of these creatures are used in the creation of potions of plant control. The party gathered a dozen spores (worth 10 gp each) and proceeded into the cave. Evergreen - Ruler of Dark Wood. The stale smelling, dark corridor veered to the right, back left, and finally spilled into a light-filled chamber. The ceiling was lit by several glowing globes strategically placed to produce maximum light. A towering, ancient treant stood to the rear, next to a small pool of shallow water. Behind the treant rested a large chest and a small coffer. To the right of the chests, several small dusty casks were piled along the back wall. A large wooden table also rests against the back wall, and it too was covered with a thick layer of dust. Two benches rested near the table. A high-backed chair was displayed at the head. Other casks lied against the east wall, apparently in disuse. When they entered the chamber, they saw a large work bench covered with flasks and decanters to their immediate left. It was cluttered with alchemical equipment and ingredients. Finally, on the wall to the right hung a weapon rack. It held a maul, a trident, a greatbow, a spear, and a dagger. In addition, each weapon was tightly wrapped in thorny vines The treant stared silently as the party approached, his amber leaves reminiscent of an autumn tree. He stood a full sixteen feet-tall, and his powerful gnarled limbs end in delicate long fingers. Evergreen greeted the party kindly and offered them a seat. He apologized for the dirt and dust and told the group that he no longer receives many guests. Evergreen also offered them drinks of water from the pool and wine from the casks. Ylric found out the hard way that the wine had long since spoiled, and was now vile tasting vinegar. For the most part, Evergreen didn’t seem too concerned with what the party did or said while in the chamber. Even rudeness and a subsequent apology were of no consequence to him. When asked about the prophecy and told about the recent events in the forest Evergreen had no clue what they were talking about. Bono surmised that the treant was being honest and was not under any outside influence. The treant politely told them that their story was interesting and that he always enjoyed a good tale. It was clear that Evergreen spoke to the party as if they were small children just playing around in his cave. He then suggested that the party had the wrong treant. When politely pressed further by bono, Evergreen became frantic and told them that he honestly didn’t know what they were talking about. He told the group that he never heard of a druid named Leander. He made it clear that he was the ruler of Dark Wood and if marauding bands of bullywug’s and wizards were overrunning his land, he’d know about it. He then began to babble on under his breath about rest and sleep and turned to face his alchemical bench. Evergreen then started to frantically search around for an herb he continuously referred to as Kayloe. Nature Ylric recalled tales about an herb called Kayloe and remembered that it was used by the shaman of his clan to cure a man of insanity. Even when the party offered their assistance, the treant became angry and yelled at them, “Now I’ve answered your questions. It isn’t my problem if you don’t care for the answers. Leave me at once so that I can get some rest!” He then became very aggressive and in no time at all he flew into a berserk rage and charged out of the cavern. DartingClaw followed him outside to witness the treant turn around and command the two oak trees at the cavern entrance to attack. The treant then ran off into the thick forest. The oak trees animated and began attacking the druid. Thankfully, the party was not surprised and joined the fight from inside the cave. Zissren decided to stay back and take a closer look at all the interesting objects inside the chest. The battle with the animated trees continues…
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Post by Demogorgon on May 13, 2011 10:41:42 GMT -5
The animated trees continued their assault on the party. One of the trees ignited in flames as one of Ylric’s arrows penetrated deep into its trunk. The tree was struck down by one fell swoop of Zissrens Maul. Fortunately, the flaming tree fell down towards the middle of the clearing and didn’t ignite the forest. The second tree was defeated but it fell directly on top of Thrrdon and Zissren. The tree pinned them down and knocked the wind out of them. Ylric and Darting claw tried their best to lift the tree but failed with their first attempt. Bono realized that he wouldn’t be of much help with his pipe-cleaner arms and decided to play a song of inspiration. The group attempted to lift the tree again and amazingly they managed to move the tree just enough for the two Bakali to escape. After catching their breath the party returned to the cave and began searching around. After disabling a powerful magical trap on the coffer the party discovered the following items in the cave. A map detailing the location of Leander’s resting place in the Spear Ridge Mountains. 85 Iron Keys, 12 Brass, 3 Bronze, 1 Copper, 22 Silver (2 gp ea), 8 Gold (25 gp ea), 4 Platinum (75 gp ea), 12 Stone, and 1 Adamantite (100 gp). Magical Silver Harp Engraved in Druid Symbols representing the union of the forest communities (properties – unknown) Wand (Of Light) with the word "Llanibrice" carved into it. 25 Charges. (Another renegade item that anyone can use) Two Yards of Fine Silk (85g) Bottle of Elven Wine (125g) Clay Vial - Universal Solvent 6 uses Elixir of Flying (Ylric) Potion of Healing 14 Small Rubies (50gp ea) 66 gp Mahogany box (60 gp) Magical Elven Helm (properties unknown) The weapons rack proved impenetrable and they discovered that the vines were as strong as steel and were coated with a deadly paralysis poison. DartingClaw had no idea what the vines could be (rolled a 1), but Zissren was certain that the vines were not natural. Bono suspected that they were the result of a powerful druidic ritual. In addition, whenever someone reached for the weapons the vines tightened their grips on the weapon. Written on the weapons rack in Auric, “For those who would one day return to unite the forest communities” The party decided that it was not the right time to take the weapons. They hoped that at some point in the future they would discover away to retrieve them. Bono tried playing the harp but it had no effect on the vines. DartingClaw realized that they might be able to create a potion of plant control with the spores they collected from the shrieker. He suspected that such a potion might work on the vines. Unfortunately, no one in the group knew how to brew potions. The party left the cave and after a short discussion decided to leave the ingredients for Evergreens Cure insanity potion on the table. They searched around for the missing ingredient called Kayloe, but didn’t find any. DartingClaw and Ylric knew that Kayloe was a rare herb that grew high in the mountains. Enemies on the Rocky TrailThe group then recovered their Giant Lizard mounts and set out on the trail late in the afternoon. After an hour of following the map they discovered a small rocky region near the foot of the mountains. They could smell a cooking fire and approached as a group. When the party arrived they saw three large bullywugs huddled around a small fire. The party took no chances and decided to immediately attack the creatures hoping to gain surprise. Zissren charged them while riding his giant lizard that he had previously named Buttercup. Little did they know several other creatures were waiting in hiding for the party and were using the Bullywugs as bait. Sure enough as the party launched their assault, a Ferek Draconian wielding two jagged short swords charged out from behind a rocky outcropping at the Bakali and stabbed Buttercup twice. Bono cast a spell at the draconian and sent him flying through the air. As he flew, Zissren exacted revenge (for hurting buttercup) on the Draconian and slammed the creature with his maul. The blow almost killed the beast and he fell flat on his back. DartingClaw blasted the Bullywug’s with a cold spell which pushed one of them into the fire. Another bullywug’ was almost frozen solid and he reeled in pain while clutching his stomach. A second Ferak Draconian charged Yrlic and stabbed the elf twice in the torso staggering him. The pain was so terrible that Ylric could hardly walk. Thrrdon took no chances and grabbed the Ferak Draconian. He effortlessly lifted the creature off its feet up to eye level and slammed him against the rocky outcropping. The draconian fell limp to the ground and the Bakali warrior triumphantly towered over him. The creature tried to stand and attack Thrrdon, but it panicked and slammed its head on the rocks. A Baaz draconian charged at Zissren and missed him with his longsword. Zissren wasted no time and with a few expertly placed blows to the head and torso, he killed the creature. Unexpectedly, as the creature died, it turned to stone and trapped Zissren's maul under its arm. Zissren found that he was disarmed and realized that he would have to spend some time pulling his weapon free. Bono then used his healing magic on Ylric and sent another Bullywug flying through the cooking fire. His victorious expression instantly turned to one of concern as he heard someone or something trying to sneak up behind him. The battle rages on…
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Post by Demogorgon on May 30, 2011 14:10:08 GMT -5
The battle continued with Valcona emerging from behind a rocky outcropping in an attempt to backstab Bono. Distracted by her hatred, the woman accidentally caught her foot on a rock. As she stumbled forward Valcona was forced to brace herself, but not before her cloak flipped over her head. Having heard the woman, Bono turned and easily avoided a short sword intended for his heart. The bard jumped and proclaimed, “You can’t hurt me for I am ‘The Genius’, full of glory and renown.” Valcona’s predicament continued to turn for the worse when Thrrdon charged her with his trident, stabbing her in the stomach causing her to bleed profusely. Not to be outdone, Ylric launched an arrow from his greatbow that shattered her kneecap. And if that wasn’t enough, DartingClaw blasted her with a chilling wind spell that froze her face and eyes, causing her to become blinded. Thrrdon finished her off by leisurely smacking the woman across the back of her head with the blunt end of his trident, knocking her out cold. At the other side of the camp, Zissren abandoned his maul that was stuck inside the petrified Baaz Draconian and pulled out his long spear. He made short work of two of the Bullywug Warriors. The thrid Bullywug Warrior died from one of Ylric’s well placed arrows. The last Baaz Draconian challenged Thrrdon to single combat. Thrrdon was quick to accept the challenge. Surprisingly, the Draconian spoke Bakali and informed Thrrdon that his race would soon become extinct. After that comment Thrrdon skewered the creature through the heart with is trident, which caused it to turn to stone. During the battle Ylric killed a Ferak Draconian from a distance with his bow causing it to explode in a cloud of acidic rust. DartingClaw killed the other Ferak Draconian by ripping its leg off with his maw, but was severely injured when the creature exploded. The acid melted the flesh from darting claws face (-12 Cha). Bono tried his best to heal him with magic, but the wound would have to heal naturally over time. Everyone in the party tried their best to bandage DartingClaws face. . IntimidationAfter the battle ended the party decided to interrogate Valcona. They tied her up to one of the Giant Lizards and looted her. The party found 23 gold coins on the corpses and removed Valcona’s steel elven blades (non-magical). They also found a pouch that contained 145 gp and 5 steel pieces (all Thenolian mint) She refused to cooperate with the party’s interrogation and expected the party to kill her. She told them that The Queen of Darkness (Erestem) would give her a thousand deaths each worse then any the Bakali could deal. In an attempt to intimidate her, some in the party suggested that she could be used for mating. Bono however restored to less violent tactics and tried to solicit information from her. Over the next few hours, he used all manner of compliments and indirect tactics to cause her to reveal information. Valcona provided some information, but she outright refused to divulge any information about the Tower or the Black Robe. She informed the group that the forest was crawling with an army and that every pathway, clearing, and glade was occupied. She gleefully explained that the party would not escape the forest alive and that if they did kill her they were assured destruction. In addition, she taunted the Bakali by saying that they are tools to be used. She then proudly boasted that she and several others (who she refused to name) entered the Blackwater Glade and enslaved the Bullywugs along with several Bakali. The captured Bakali were to be sent to New Aruim (the capital of Thenol). Most were to be sold as slaves. The army would soon march north and their first target would be Castle Gregor and the town of Bleq. The party then decided to rest until morning. During the night Zissren spotted the green glow of the Stag off in the distance. After he woke the party they noticed several shadowy animals surrounding their encampment. Shadowy bears, wolves, birds, and even a boar. When they realized that the shadowy animals were guarding their encampment they party went back to sleep. A Mountain HikeThe group woke up in the early morning, broke camp, and made their way towards the Spear Ridge Mountains. The stag and the shadowy animals were no place to be seen. Following their map, the party arrived at the mountain’s edge and discovered a path leading up to the entrance of a cave. The cave was about a mile up the mountain side. The party debated taking the path or climbing up the opposite side using rope. They eventually decided that it would take too long especially with Bono hardly capable of lifting his own weight. After walking up the trail for a few minutes, Thrrdon could smell the stench of death on his tongue. Searching around the party found a bullywug warrior with his head completely smashed to a pulp. Ylric search around a bit and discovered a large boulder that had some of the bullywug’s blood on it. The party decided not to take rests in order to make their way up the trail as quickly as possible. The party was making good progress, but Buttercup just couldn’t keep up with the group. The party was forced to take a 15 min break before continuing on. Fortunately, the party didn’t encounter anything along the way and after another hour arrived at the top of the trail with the entrance to the cave only a few feet away. It was at this time that DartingClaw decided to turn into a squirrel and investigate Valcona's privates. Despite the pain from her broken knee, Valcona squeezed her thighs together and almost crushed the squirrel to death. The squirrel then bit Valcona in the knee before scurrying off. The Angry Friendly GiantThe party decided to cautiously investigate the cave. To their surprise, the cave appeared inhabited; a small curl of smoke rose from a fire pit in the center of the chamber. On the back wall hung a tapestry that depicted a serene forest scene. In front of it rested a table and chair about three times larger than a human-sized set. To the immediate left was a large bed constructed from thick wooden timbers. A square nightstand of sturdy oak, also of unusually large size, sat on one side of the bed. Hanging above the bed was a huge longbow. On the opposite side of the cave, there was a pantry. Neatly stacked in the pantry were several crates and casks. Next to it was a full bookcase, then a pile of a dozen or so large boulders. Ylric wondered if a Hill giant lived in the cave, but he realized that the furniture was a bit too large for even hill giant. DartingClaw hid among the pile of boulders, Yrlic tossed the Longbow in the fire pit, and Bono searched through the book shelf. While the party searched the cave the two Bakali remained outside to watch the mounts and keep an eye out. Bono discovered that bookcase contained about 50 books on such topics as cooking, hunting, elves, politics, and stone giant culture. Just then the Bakali spotted a stone giant making his way up the path. He was carrying a huge wooden cask on his shoulder and had a huge greatsword strapped to his back. The giant was grey in color and had a bald head. He was clearly about 18 feet tall. Some in the party decided to hide in the cave. With no place to run but down the sheer cliff of the mountain, Bono realized that he had no choice but to greet the creature and hope for the best. The giant arrived and when he spotted the party he slammed the cask of water down on the ground and reached for his greatsword. Bono tried his best to introduce himself, but when the giant saw his longbow burning in the fire, a giant lizard on his bed - along side a tied up elven female, he became very angry. The giant demanded to know what the heck was going on and charged into his cave. He told the party to get out and demanded compensation for his bow. Luckily Bono knew how to speak Auric and attempted to calm the stone giant down. After frantically negotiating payment from party treasure, the giant accepted one of the party's tear drop shaped ambers. The bard managed to calm the giant and he finally sat down and placed his greatsword on the table. He then demanded that the party bring him the water and sit down to talk. Bono was quick to engage the giant in all manner of pleasantries and banter. After introducing the party the giant told Bono that his name was Granite and that he was 427 years old. He lived alone in the mountains since The Great Destruction destroyed his clan. The bard found that the giant was very educated and enjoyed talking about philosophy and politics. The giant had many questions for the party, many of which revolved around the current political situation in the region. Unfortunately the party had little information to offer the giant. The party asked Granite if the knew where to find the herb Kayloe and the Giant informed them that it grows just before the snow line up high on the mountain. The bard explained why the party came to his cave and showed the giant their map. After looking at the map Granite confirmed that they had found the correct cave. He then revealed a strange silver bordered black panel behind the tapestry at the back of his cave. He told the group that he had discovered the door about 64 years ago, but couldn’t figure out how to open it. Bono detected strong magic radiating from the door and wondered if it matches anything on the silver harp. He then recalled that the Journal mentioned something about a key that is not a key. Suddenly, the Bakali decided to leave the group and head down the mountain. They cut Valcona from the mount droping her to the ground. Valcona pretended to be knocked out cold and when the Bakali turned their backs on her she managed to escape her bonds and attempted to climb down the mountain side. Yrlic noticed her and fired his greatbow at her. She tried to grab on to Yrlic in an attempt to pull him off the mountain, but she wasn’t quick enough. With Ylric firing arrows into her and DartingClaw gnawing at her with his teeth she had little chance to escape. She even tried to expertly slide down the mountain, but she failed to find any handholds. Dartingclaw then bit her, shook her in his teeth, and flung her off the edge of the cliff. As she fell she made a bloody mess of the rocks and broke every bone in her body. The giant didn’t pay much attention to what was going on outside and was far too enthralled by the conversation he was having with the bard. Bono explained the situation with Valcona and informed the giant of the problems they encountered in the forest. After everyone returned to the cave, they discovered Bono and the giant continuing their conversation about the great playwrights of the modern era; needless to say the giant was still rather enthralled. He then offered everyone some of his dried meat and water. The Key that is not a KeyThe party turned their attention back to the silver trimmed onyx panel. The party was perplexed at what to do. Bono believed that he had to play a love song, but that didn’t work. It wasn’t until Zissren grabbed the harp and smashed it against the door that the party made any progress. When the harp touched the door the silver edge glowed and notes appeared on the onyx door. After bono played the notes on the harp, a secret door opened to a corridor about 8 feet high. Another set of notes then appeared on the door. The party entered the corridor and discovered a single oak door at the end of the passage. Zissren began to slam his maul on the oak door until he smashed a hole through it. After breaking the door down it was obvious to the others in the party that the door wasn’t locked. The door (now broken) opened into a large hall with picturesque mosaics on each wall. The mosaics showed scenes of a peaceful forest, inhabited by gentle forest creatures. At the far end of the shadowy hall was a set of intricately carved oak double doors. The doors were flanked by a pair of dwarven statues, each roughly four-feet tall. At the base of each statue was a small bronze plaque with stylistic engraved writing covering the surface Bono told the group that the language was Fianawar dwarvish. Unfortunately, he could only understand a small percentage of it. The statue on the left read: Dirkin Stoneshape; master engineer. His genius was the cornerstone with which this complex was designed. The statue on the right (partially deciphered) read: Agrij Agranni, chief of Clan…
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Post by Demogorgon on Jun 2, 2011 9:58:22 GMT -5
Stone Guardians Zissren decided to thump on the double doors with his maul. The moment he touched the doors the Dwarven statues animated and attacked him. A dangerous melee ensued with the stone golems. One golem broke Thrrdon’s left hand and the others knocked him unconscious. Thrrdon almost died as he bleed from his injuries, but the party managed to stabilize him with Bono’s magical oak leaf. They placed Thrrdon’s hand in a makeshift splint, but realized that his broken hand would take time to heal or require powerful healing magic.
False Door The party bashed the door down and continued down the hallway. They arrived at a T junction and decided to take the left hand passage. They proceeded down the passage and decided not to enter a wooden door in the northern wall. The 5’ wide passage snaked around until they discovered another door. The door opened into a particularly dusty, dark corridor. It lead to the north and ended in another oak-bound door. The door was inscribed with flowing floral designs. The center was dominated by a majestic oak tree, while wildflowers adorned the rest of the door’s surface.
Ylric searched for traps, but couldn’t find any. He ordered Bono to scan the area for magic, but he also failed to notice anything unusual (rolled a 1). Ylric then decided to open the door, but to his surprise he discovered a wall directly behind it. The moment the ranger opened the door a portcullis dropped down dividing the party in the hallway. Thrrdon tried to lift the portcullis, but in so doing set off a glyph that was placed on the bars. A blast of electricity engulfed those around the portal. After tossing the wooden door at the portcullis they realized that the trap wasn’t active anymore. The party lifted the portcullis, exited the trapped corridor, and continued on their way.
Leander's Magical Door The dusty corridor veered to the left and ended at an arched door composed entirely of iron. The door was covered from top to bottom with intricate curved designs that simulated a tangled forest. After a brief study of the etchings, the word “Leander” was found, hidden in a semi-circle at the top of the door. Five wood carvings were attached to the middle of the door, each the size of a man’s fist. From left to right, the wood carvings were: a pouncing wolf, a maple tree, a hunter, aiming a bow, a rain cloud partially eclipsing the sun, and a bounding deer. The door had a no knob or lock mechanism.
The party discovered that the panels could be removed and reordered. They placed the panels in the order of a food chain and immediately heard the door click open. The door opened with ease revealing another hallway.
The Puzzle Wall After traversing the corridor the party entered a chamber. The chamber was bare, save for a single wooden door centered on the east wall. The entire north wall was dominated by a strange bronze mural. There were fourteen bronze plates set on the wall, five horizontally and three vertically. The bottom center square was bare wall. On each bronze plate were scribed a few large letters. After sliding the plates around (like a slide puzzle) the party saw that the passage read: “To awaken my slumber you must have my staff”
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Post by Demogorgon on Jun 27, 2011 14:07:28 GMT -5
The party left the room and decided to leave the door alone until they recovered the staff. Weapons StoreroomThe group backtracked through the winding corridor to the first wooden door they had previously encountered. Zissren pulverized the partially rotten door with his maul shattering it into hundred’s of pieces. In side the group discovered a storage chamber that was packed full of weapons and shields. In total, they found 120 longswords, 200 spears, 100 short swords, 20 daggers, 30 crossbows, 250 bolts, 200 arrows, 5 lances, 50 shields. The weapons were all made of dwarven quality and were built to last. Resting on the table was a large two handed sword. Bono detected strong magic from the weapon. Just then Zissren went to touch the sword but it animated and leaped into the air to attack him. Zissren grabbed the sword, as it swung around to attack him. The barbarian was far too strong and prevented it from doing much of anything. Bono decided to disable the magic that surrounded the sword and was successful at weakening it, but not before Thrrdon slammed the sword against the stone wall shattering it into hundreds of pieces. As a consolation prize, the party retrieved the adamantine pommel that was set with a rube (worth 500 gp). Zissren figured that he might have been able to control the sword had it not been for Bono’s interference. Bono figured that some sort of trigger spell cast long ago animated the sword when it was touched by Zissren. Wine StoreroomThe party continued down the hallway and opened a second wooden door. Inside they discovered another storage room, this one containing about 152 wine barrels. Most of the barrels were empty. In addition, it appeared as if the room had scene frequent use over the years as some areas of the room were dustier than others. The party continued on and the corridor snaked around a bit more until it ended at an oak door with a large gold lock set in the left side of the door. Bono detected magic on the door and immediately told Zissren that the magic was dangerous. At this point Bono had enough of the lizard man breaking down all the doors had to say something to prevent him from doing it again. Then after taking the time to examine the door a bit more he realized that a magic mouth spell was active on the door and that it would activate the moment someone touched it. When the door was touched a mouth appeared and stated, “Go back to find the door where there wasn’t one before”. As the party debated their course of action, but Zissren took off and made his way back down the corridor. He immediately discovered a hallway that wasn’t there before. Secret CorridorThe party entered the dark corridor together. Before the door was an uncovered pit, the timbers of its cover were rotted away to just a few jagged splinters hanging over the edge. Beyond the pit was a door similar to the one just entered. The corridor was choked with a thick layer of undisturbed dust. The Air TestThe party jumped across the pit and opened the wooden door. As the door opened, the party was immediately assaulted by powerful gust of wind. The force knocked everyone in the party back and many were forced to hold on to each other at the ledge of the pit. Zissren was strong enough to resist the wind and held his ground, but Thrrdon was pushed into Zissren sending him flying into the pit. The Barbarian landed on three jagged spikes. Darting Claw also fell down the pit and landed on a spike of his own. Ylric suggested to Bono that he cast a mage hand and close the door. The bard activated his innate power as he dangled at the edge of the pit and closed the door. Using his mage hand bono closed the door and stopped the gale of wind preventing it from continuing its assault. Zissren destroyed the spikes in the pit with his maul, Thrrdon created a bridge over the pit using the from the door the wine cellar, and Ylric secured the rope by hammering spikes along the wall. The party made careful precautions before opening the door again, but fortunately when they opened the door the howling of the unnatural gale ceased, revealing a corridor beyond. It ended in yet another door, this one composed of thick oak timbers reinforced with iron. The door appeared unlocked. The Fire TestYlric discovered a fire trap on the door and asked Bono to examine it for magic. Bono failed to disable the magic on the door and luckily he didn’t set it off. Ylric used his thieves’ tools and exploited a weakness in the magical trap. With Ylric’s skills the trap was disabled and the party proceeded to open the door. The Earth TestThe door opened to an unadorned chamber. The floor was covered with deep, soft, blackish soil that stretched from wall to wall. In the soil was a writhing mass of earthworms. An overpowering scent of organic soil waft into the corridor. The air was humid and sticky, causing discomfort. At the south end of the room was a stone basin. At that distance, few details could be discerned, but the party’s light source reflected off the crystalline surface of water in the basin. Darting Claw decided to blast the earth worms with a chilling cold spell, but his spell had no effect. Each worm that was destroyed was immediately replaced. Then, in reaction to the casting of Darting Claw’s spell, a large worm covered earth elemental arose from the center of the chamber. As DartingClaw realized that the elemental would be a difficult foe to defeat, the hulking worm infested creature turned to face its first victim.
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Post by Demogorgon on Jun 28, 2011 10:14:44 GMT -5
The party decided to fight the earth elemental from the corridor, but little did they know the creature could pass through the walls. Sure enough, the elemental phased through the walls and appeared in the middle of the party. The earth creature stomped on the ground and sent everyone in the corridor flying. Thankfully, Thrrdon's makeshift bridge saved Bono from falling into the pit, but not before the thunderous stomps of the elemental knocked the bard abruptly against the cavern wall. The elemental then retreated back to the chamber and waited for the group near the water basin. Zissren unperturbed by the withering mass of worms chased after the earth elemental. When he stepped in the chamber he immediately noticed that something wasn't right about the worms. They just didn't feel right to him when he crushed them under his feet and long tail. He then realized that the worms were in fact an illusion, something that DartingClaw failed to notice or tell him. Zissren continued his assault on the elemental with his maul. Thrrdon followed Zissren's lead and he too noticed the illusion. The battle was joined by DartingClaw and Ylric continued to fire arrows from the corridor. As Bono entered the room to attack he was assaulted by a long watery arm that extended out from the water basin. The long watery arm reached out and engulfed Bono constricting his body as it pulled him closer to the pool. Zissren was also attacked by the creature in a similar way, but he was struck unexpectedly and had the wind knocked out of him. Eventually, the water weird and the earth elemental fell to the party's assault. The Water TestZissren became very concerned when he realized that the water creature was a Water Weird. Zissren’s tribe had encountered them before in the Blackwater Glade and he knew that the creature could only be defeated by the casting of a Purify Water ritual. He knew that the water weird would reform rather quickly. The Barbarian warned the party as best he could and his limited communication skills didn’t help much. Regardless, the entire party failed to heed his warnings. Ignoring Zissren, the party searched the room and the water basin. On closer examination, the outside wall of the basin was engraved with fanciful patterns. The stone basin contained crystal clear water filled to within a few inches of the rim. A tiny shaft of water trickled out of a carved fish mouth set into the back wall. The water tumbled into the basin which had a small drain. The drain was covered by a bronze grate, green and corroded with age. On the bottom of the pool rested a long golden skeleton key. Thrrdon was the first to spot the golden key at the bottom of the basin and dove in to retrieve it. Unfortunately, the key was glued to the bottom of the basin and wouldn’t budge. Thrrdon took out his crowbar and chipped away at the stone around the key. In no time, the water weird reformed and attacked the party. Ylric blasted the creature from existence with his bow, which afforded Thrrdon more time to chip away at the stone. With the last bit of stone to chip away the water creature reformed for a third time. Fortunately, the creature was quickly dispatched by the party and Thrrdon finally managed to haul a large chunk of stone up from the bottom. The party took the stone back to the door with the golden lock. Thrrdon smashed the stone against the cavern wall until only small chips of rock and glue remained. Suddenly, as if blessed by Siarrlas the Scaled One, Zissren remembered the universal solvent the party had found in Evergreens lair. He wondered if the solvent would work on the glue stuck to the key. Bono confirmed that the solvent would work and poured one use of the solvent on the key. Sure enough the key was cleared of all debris and residue. The Staff RoomBono detected that a magical lock was around the door, but didn't detect any magical traps. The party inserted the gold key in the lock. On inserting the gold key and giving it a half turn clockwise, an audible click issued from the lock. The door silently slid open of its own accord. The room beyond was quite large with a high ceiling. Centered in the room is a life-sized bronze statue of an aging human male leaning on a staff. He wore druidic garb and had a short, trimmed beard. There were also sixteen life-sized, full color statues of sylvan creatures along three walls. There were six to the north, four to the west opposite the door, and six more along the south wall. All were incredibly lifelike and posed in various positions. A full color bas-relief mural depicting a serene forest setting covered all four walls. There were no obvious exits from the room. The creatures along the walls are as follows: a) satyr, b) wild elf, c) black bear, d) centaur, e) giant eagle, f) wood giant, g) forest gnome, h) pixie, i) wolf, j) owlbear, k) pegasus, l) unicorn, m) giant weasel, n) leopard, o) giant skunk, p) nymph. The bard detected powerful transmutation magic on all the statues except the human statue. Bono could sense the presence of enchantment magic emanating from the staff the human statue was holding. Unfortunately bono could not determine the type of spell that was active on the statues or the staff. The magic on the statues was far too powerful and complicated of an aura for him to correctly analyze. Bono contemplated invoking a mage hand from the doorway to retrieve the staff, but he became perplexed and was worried that the bronze staff would be too heavy for his spell to work. Zissren, not wanting to waste anymore time, walked into the chamber and touched the staff. Immediately the statue of the owlbear glowed. The creature came to life, ruffled its feathers, and let out very a loud shriek. The feathery beast moved to attack the party with its large talon like paws.
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Post by Demogorgon on Jul 18, 2011 0:55:09 GMT -5
Thrrdon charged at the Owlbear with his trident and grabbed the creature. The beast responded by clawing Thrrdon several times and holding him in a bear hug. The mutated Owlbear attempted to squeeze the life out of the Bakali Warrior. Bono responded quickly and staggered the beast with a bardic spell. The bard’s magic allowed Thrrdon to escape the grasp of the Owlbear. At one point the beast released two clouds of thick feathers that took on a life of their own and attacked the party. The battle was eventually won with Thrrdon dragging the creature around the room and dealing the final blow. Many in the party took trophies from the beast. In a manner that would make any Bakali warrior envious, Ylric engaged in the activity by claiming the creature’s heavy beak, which he promptly stowed away in his backpack. Leander's Staff of the WoodlandsThe party took the staff and Bono could ascertain that the staff was an artifact and contained several druidic spells. However, it appeared that only a druid could activate the magic within. When Darting Claw took hold of the staff he confirmed Bono’s assertions and told the group that it was a Staff of the Woodlands. Unfortunately, each power required a secret word to be activated. The party then made haste to the chamber that contained the remaining wooden door that had yet to be opened. They searched for traps at the door and found none. Zissren then lead the group through a natural cavern for a few feet. Encounter with a Leprechaun The corridor angled to the south and then turned back to the north before spilling into a large natural cavern. The party was greeted by trees and the soft chirping of birds. Above, where a ceiling of stone should have been, was a bright blue sky, with a few puffy white clouds gliding gently by, as the sun peeked tenderly from behind the billowy clouds. The group could hear wind blowing through the trees, rustling their leaves, and the soft bubbling of a brook. A small path began in front of the party and cut into the forest to the right. The exact dimensions of the cavern were unknown and they could not even begin to guess its size as the background blended into more forest. A short distance ahead, the path forked at a large tree. From out of nowhere, a diminutive form popped into sight, perched on the tree. Standing a mere two feet-tall and dressed entirely in green, the creature tipped his green stocking hat directly toward the party. “Top o’ the afternoon!” he squeaked in a thickly accented voice. He had a pointed nose and a particularly long beard that would be envied by any dwarf. However, his beard was not so full as to hide his laughing ruddy cheeks. The Leprechaun was very friendly and was quite surprised to see the party. After short introductions, he engaged the group in a friendly conversation. The Leprechaun was elated when he found out that a bard such as bono was in the group. Thomas O’Malley requested that Bono play many songs for him and recite all the poems he knew. To the dismay of the less patient in the group the two had a great time. The party was nice enough to give the leprechaun their 125gp bottle of elven wine. Thomas caressed the bottle, as a loving mother would cuddle a newborn and after a diplomatic effort on Bono’s part, the leprechaun revealed that he was tasked by Leander to guard his resting place. He informed the group that they would need to use Leander’s staff and activate the Find the Path ritual. The Leprechaun revealed that he knew the secret word required to activate the staff, but informed the party that they would have to solve a riddle. The leprechaun closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He lost some of his accent as he recited, “Trees and royalty need me to succeed, families need me for their culture, and words need me for formation. What am I?” The party sat around trying to solve the riddle. Darting Claw figured out that the answer to the riddle was “Roots” and promptly used it to activate the ritual on the staff. The Sleeping DruidAfter Darting Claw invoked the magic of the staff a soft green glow illuminated an obvious footpath. The glowing trail meandered to the left and then back to the right. Finally, it led to a small wooden bridge that spanned a serene bubbling brook. The churning water contained several fish of myriad colors darting between rocks and submerged logs. The glowing path continued past the brook. A few more moments creep by as the group strode forward. Finally a clearing opened, revealing a pair of white marble columns flanking a dais also made of marble. On the third step was a solid block of marble on which rested the body of an aged man. The ancient figure wore earth brown druidic robes and peacefully rested with his gnarled hands folded on his chest. His face was wrinkled with lines of kindness. A large angular nose dominated his visage. He had a flowing white beard and his lips were pursed in a content smile. Darting Claw placed the staff in Leander’s hand and the ancient druid immediately awoke from centuries of slumber. He slowly sat up and turned to look at the group. For many moments he tried to speak, but his voice was very faint and weak. After coughing a few times the throat cleared up and he asked the party to introduce themselves. The druid was a very frail and sickly looking old man and he required much help to stand for the first time. After wobbling around for a few moments he eventually remembered how to walk again, but constantly clung to his staff. Finally, in exasperation, he tossed his beard over his shoulder to make walking easier. The party offered him food and drink and informed the druid of their encounter with Evergreen and his apparent insanity. Leander immediately became very concerned and was worried that Evergreen had not taken root. The druid told the party that he provided the treant with a means to prevent the onset of insanity, but he did not expect the treant to remain un-rooted for so long. The druid shed a tear for the treant as he realized that he only had memories of Evergreen as a tiny sapling. After gaining his composure and hobbling around a bit more, the old man instructed the party to gather all the weapons from the storage room and bring them outside of the complex. Shortly after, the druid returned with all of the sylvan creatures from the stasis chamber. Needless to say, Granite the stone giant was completely shocked to see so many creatures exit out of the passage at the back of his mountain top cave. He had to wait several moments as each sylvan creature exited his cave one at a time. As this fantastic sight occurred, Granite looked down at the Bard with a questioning glare and wondered if he had some how summoned the circus to his lair. Eventually, the creatures all bounded off down the mountain trail and some, like the Pegasus, took flight. When Leander entered Granite’s cave, he was very happy and giggling from all the jokes that his Leprechaun friend Thomas was telling him. The leprechaun blinked back and forth from one shoulder to the next while smoking is pipe and sipping on the bottle of elven wine. The party was pleased to see that their Lizard mounts were still in the stone giants cavern. It was clear that they had been well fed and cared for. The Dark TideThe party helped the old druid exit the stone giant’s a lair. The giant, the party, and the great druid all looked out across the landscape. From the mountain top vantage point, everyone could see the faint outline of the castle Gregor to the west, most of Dark Wood forest before them, and the Evole river to the east. The old druid seemed a bit lost as he struggled to gather his bearings. It was clear to many in the party that the druid did not recognize much of what he saw. Much of the region had changed with the Great Destruction; however, Leander was happy to see that forest (which he referred to as Brighten Wood) was still alive and well. Several of the more perceptive members of the party spotted at least a dozen dark shapes flying over the eastern section of Dark Wood forest. The creatures appeared to be dragons of various sizes. The color of the dragons was not clear and they were too far away to notice any visible features that might identify them. Ylric believed that the dragons were most likely green or black, both of which are very common in the region. Looking towards the east, the party could make out what appeared to be a very large army marching north on the road near the Evole river. The party also noticed that a smaller unit had separated from the main group and was entering the eastern edge of Dark Wood. After the party scanned the area a bit more they noticed that one of the larger dragons had separated from the main group and began to fly south towards the area of the forest that the party had recently explored. The party noticed that that particular dragon had a rider. Zissren wondered if it was the mother of the green dragon wyrmling that the party butchered to death and made trophies from. Upon seeing the dragons, the Great druid announced that the Dark Tide had arrived just as prophesied.
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Post by Demogorgon on Aug 3, 2011 15:53:23 GMT -5
The party had a long conversation with Leander and the druid revealed much information (see Leander’s revelations thread). Over the mountain.The group then decided to head up the mountain to find the Kayloe Herb. Bono managed to convince Granite to accompany them. At first he was very reluctant and insisted that he had to rebuild his bow, but the giant went along anyway and Bono convinced him his conversation alone would be welcome. (Bono rolled a 20 on his diplomacy check). With Granite’s help, the party traversed the mountain slope for a few hours until they encountered a 100 foot high cliff. The giant expertly scaled the cliff and secured the rope at the top. They all climbed the rope one at a time, but Bono slipped and half way up. He was however fortunate enough to grab on and catch the rope again. The party then decided to have the giant pull the party up to the top and not take any chances. From this vantage point the party could see the snow line. They asked the giant to remain and guard the rope. After walking for a bit they noticed sparse vegetation and began to search around for the Kayloe Herb. After a short time searching, Ylric found a patch of Kayloe Herb that was cut short at its roots. He subsequently found tracks leading up the mountain towards the snow line. The Hag and her PetsThe party followed the tracks, which appeared to be human, and eventually stumbled upon a large circular stone hut. The party immediately heard a loud scream come from within the hut and the group was assaulted by then Yeti. The creatures attacked the party and Bono pointed out that they were all wearing strange amulets. He concluded that the creatures were someone’s pets. Despite the howls of the Yeti and the appearance of an old hag, the battle went well for the adventurers. All the creatures were killed and they forced the old hag to teleport away. The party could then hear an argument from within the stone hut between two female voices. Rather than take any risks and enter the Hut in their injured state, the party decided to make camp 50 feet into the woods near the hut. Ylric set up a trap at the door to alert the group if anything exited the hut, but little did he know that the hag could teleport outside. Ylric took first watch and patrolled the woods, but when Bono’s watch arrived the party was attacked by the hag and the Yeti Zombies. Unfortunately, the bard didn’t patrol the forest as Ylric did, and since he was inside the radius of the campfire he had zero visibility into the surrounding forest at night. In addition, the bard was paying very little attention and he failed to hear the Zombies as they rushed into the woods. In fact it was only until the undead were a few feet away did Bono scream for the party to wake up Before the bard could cast a spell, the hag appeared and polymorphed the bard into a toad. The zombies closed in on the sleeping party, but most of them awoke in time defend themselves. Despite their weakened state, the adventurers defeated the old hag and her Zombies collapsed. Back down the mountainThe party then rested the night without incident and returned to the tower. Ylric picked the lock of the tower door. Inside the hut was a marble floor, a divining pool, a bed, a table, a stone hearth in the shape of the goddess Erestem (aka Takhisis), and a prison cage built into the floor. The party searched the place and found 2 Batches of Kayloe and 4 vials of a strange evil necrotic oil that bono failed to identify. Inside the prison the party found the clothing of a young girl. The bard then informed the group that he could activate the Divination pool or determine the location last viewed. The party told him to first determine the location that was last looked upon. He did just that and immediately the party could see a strange chaotic landscape form in the pool. The bard informed the group that they were looking at a region of the Abyss. The group then decided to have bono close the pool immediately. He closed it quickly and expertly (rolled a 20 Arcana), and just in time too, as a multi-tentacle demonic creature was seen flying up towards them. The party then left the hut and traveled back down the mountain side. The group discovered that Granite was no longer at the top of the cliff but that he left the rope. The party re-secured the rope and climbed down the hundred foot cliff with little incident. They were however forced to abandon one length of hemp rope, which they failed unsecured. They then headed off towards the giants gave. The Risen TowerWhen the party arrived they saw the stone giant looking out over the forest towards the south. He pointed at a large cylindrical structure floating over the tree line, which he said had suddenly appeared. Strangely, debris seemed to be falling up towards the tower’s base from the forest floor. The tower was over 200 feet in height and was unlike anything he had ever seen. The party concluded that this was the tower that they had previously encountered during its initial phases of levitation. Old Greenie The group then attempted to make their way back to the enchanted glade, where Leander said he would meet them. Ylric could hear the sound of a dragon screeching loudly over the forest. The party did their best to hide and Ylric concluded that the dragon was very angry. The party decided to split up and keep away from Zissren who carried the head of a green dragon wyrmling. To make things worse, it was confirmed that the dragon flying above them was in fact an ancient green dragon. The party expertly stayed out of sight and made their way back to the Y tree. Zissren and Thrrdon arrived first and found the hidden trail that snaked its way towards the hidden glade. The glade was open to the sky and the dragon was patrolling it, having previously picked up the scent of the party there. Zissren and thrrdon made a run for the passage behind the waterfall. The dragon was high in the sky and immediately dove for them, but the Bakali were too quick didn’t make to them in time. The Bakali swam quickly and then ran towards Leander’s cave. Fortunately, Leander was watching the cavern entrance and was already alerted to the ancient dragon’s presence. The druid had prepared a spell to collapse the entrance of the cavern if the dragon tried to enter. When the Bakali warriors entered, the ancient druid was rather upset at them for bringing the ancient dragon to his cave, but he quickly calmed his temper when he realized that he had to act fast if he was to save the other party members. He collapsed the entrance to the cavern and instructed his leprechaun friend to find the rest of the party. In no time, O’Malley found the group and helped them escape through a tree portal he created in the ‘Y’ tree with his shillelagh. With the party safe in the cave from the raging dragon outside, Leander sat down to assess the situation. The old druid informed the group that the forest creatures had already told him that Old Greenie was awake in a mad rage and that it had already assaulted the black army in Dark wood forest. He concluded that old greenie would no doubt thwart the army’s efforts to destroy the forest for sometime and referred to the situation as a mixed blessing. The druid then sighed at Zissren, who was holding his green dragon wyrmling trophy; smiled, and then declared that it was all part of the natural order. Gifts from the GoddessWith the dragon raging outside and smashing on the cavern entrance, the druid began to create the potion of plant control from the spores the party had previously collected. He gave the potion to the party and told them to drink from it. As they each took a sip they all discovered that they had the ability to command the thorny vines to retract and release the weapons within. Each party member took a weapon and as they held them they realized that they were holding artifacts that had once been lost during the great cataclysm. Leander explained that the fruit of the vines was valor and heroism and that the vines originated from the realm of the goddess Chislev.
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Post by Demogorgon on Aug 18, 2011 10:55:19 GMT -5
With the PC’s safe inside Leanders cave, the old druid told the party that delegates from the sylvan communities would soon arrive. He was hopeful that the community will agree to unite and help defeat the dark tide. He cautioned that such a meeting most likely hasn’t occurred in centuries and many hostilities may have since fractured them. Threat to the Sylvan DelegationAs the party adored their new weapons, a spider crawled up near Leander’s ear. The old druid listened intently to the creature and thereafter informed the party that the tower had risen from the earth. The druid became concerned that the sylvan delegates wouldn’t agree to meet at his cave with the risen tower nearby. They might even be angry that the grove of life was destroyed. The druid requested that the PCs find a way to destroy the tower. He provided them with a Nullstone that had the power to destroy any magical effect it was smashed against. Bono was quite surprised to see the item in the druid’s possession and recognized it as an Irda magical item. The plan was to use the Nullstone on the magical barrier or on the book that was constructing the tower. With a worried look on his face, the druid hobbled over to the small pool of water located at the opposite end of his cave. He performed divination ritual that allowed him scry on the area around the tower. In the pool of water, the party could see the image of a massive 200 foot hole in the ground that was surrounded by dozens of Bullywugs. In addition, several large stone blocks could be seen floating in the air over the pit, many of which appeared to be slowly rising towards the partially constructed lower floor of the tower floating above. The druid and the party waited a few hours for old greenie (the ancient green dragon) to give up and leave the area. Leander reopened the cavern entrance with a single commanded word and instructed Thomas the Leprechaun to check if the coast was clear. Moments later, Thomas returned and confirmed that the area was free of green dragons. Attack on the Risen Tower - Ground LevelThe druid led the party to a tree outside and activated a portal spell. The party entered the tree and reappeared in the middle of the woods. Thanks to Ylric’s keen sense of direction they knew exactly were they were and Ylric expertly led the group to the forested area surrounding the risen tower. The group then heard someone barking orders in a strange Bakali dialect. Whoever it was he was giving orders to the Bullywug’s to get up on the floating stone blocks. From a position in woods, the party surprised them with Yrlic killing several of the creatures with his golden bow before they could act. Upon exiting the woods the party could see an ugly looking Jarak-Sinn Slaver (a relative of the Bakali) riding a giant poisonous frog. He was commanding the Bullywugs who appeared fearful and very confused. Upon seeing their hated rival of the Blackwater Glade, Zissren and Thrrdon rushed the Jarak-Sinn killing several Bullywugs on their way. Thrrdon grabbed the giant frog and with his mighty strength dragged it towards the 200 foot pit. The Jarak-Sinn Slaver jumped off his mount just before Thrrdon hurled the beast into the air over the pit. The giant frog was instantly obliterated when it hit the bottom. Out of revenge, the Jarak-Sinn took the opportunity to charge Thrrdon and slammed his great spiked club into his leg which knocked him into the pit. Thrrdon thought he was dead, but managed to latch on to a small handhold some 10 feet down. Needless to say he hung on for dear life. He tried to climb out but fell down another 10 feet. Fortunately for Thrrdon, Bono played a bardic song that lifted him all the way to the ledge of the pit. The Jarak-Sinn Slaver proved to be a deadly opponent, but eventually Thrrdon and Zissren took him down, but not without suffering several blows from his great spiked club, teeth, and tail. By this time in the battle several Bullywugs were killed by Ylric’s arrows and two Kapak Draconians flew down from the floating tower attacking the party with their poisoned arrows. The battle rages on…
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Post by Demogorgon on Sept 8, 2011 13:47:59 GMT -5
The Party continued to battle with the Kapak Draconians and the remaining Bullywugs. Just then, Bono fell over grasping his neck in pain and magically disappeared. At the same time, a half-elf appeared a few feet away clutching at his neck in pain. He had a massive headache and felt as if he hadn’t slept for days. Sangrias the half-elf stood up and hastily tried to make sense of the situation. He soon realized that he was in the middle of a forest and a huge tower floated in the air 50 feet above him. Near a 200’ pit, he could see two Bakali warriors and an Elf fighting Kapak Draconians and Bullywugs. When Ylric noticed the half-elf he called out for Sangrias to lend aid. Confused, the Half-elf agreed and decided to ask questions later. Attack on the Risen Tower : First LevelAfter the creatures were killed, the party hastily used a rope to climb on top of one of the stone blocks as it ascended to the tower floating above them. When the group arrived at the towers lowest level, they could see that several blocks of stone and debris had gathered in various places to form a partially completed floor and wall. The ceiling above them was complete apart from a 10’ diameter hole in its center. 40 feet of hemp rope dangled from the hole. Near the rope was a brutish adamantine scaled draconian wearing blackened plate armor that threatened a group of Bullywugs with a wickedly curved and bloody falchion. The Bullwugs were panicked and quickly formed a line despite their obvious state of fear. To the right, a Baaz draconian wielding a long sword stood beside a strange purple glowing stone (Stone of Conjuration). The stone hovered above a 5 foot high pedestal on which rested a glowing brazier filled with magical purple flame. To the left, another Baaz draconian stood guard in front of a second brazier. Floating above the brazier was a glowing green stone (Stone of Evocation) that was enveloped in a magical green flame. With no time to rest another battle ensued. The party made short work of the draconians and swiftly sent their leader crashing into the 200 foot pit below them. Sangrias managed to gain control of the two glowing Stones of High Sorcery and ordered the remaining Bullwugs to stop fighting. The Bullywugs did as they were told and did not argue with their new task masters who were obviously very powerful. With the battle over, the party proceeded to interrogate a Cowardly Bullywug they found hiding behind a statue. The three remaining Bullwugs wanted nothing to do with the coward and abandoned him for the rope, which they promptly climbed down unabated by the party. The Cowardly Bullywug spoke draconic expertly and seemed rather intelligent. It was also apparent that the creature could speak Thenolian. When a means of communication was established, the creature told the group that he was part of the army that was occupying Dark Wood and that his unit was sent to secure the tower. He informed the party that his people were enslaved by the Jarak-Sinn who subsequently agreed to serve the Dark Army. In addition, the Bullywug was adamant that their god appeared to them in person and told them to fight for the Dark Army. After Zissren intimidated the creature, the bullywug made it clear that he didn’t know much about the tower. He told the group that his draconian masters abused and tortured them. Just before the party arrived, the Bullwugs were forced climb the rope and enter the tower. They sent four of their most powerful warriors up the rope to scout the tower. The last thing they heard from the warriors was their screams. After that the remaining Bullywug slaves became panicked and refused to climb the rope. Their Draconian masters responded in anger by decapitating the Bullwugs one at a time until they did what they were told. The party became very suspicious when the Bullywug requested that he be allowed to join the party. The creature told Sangrias that it wanted to search for his father. Sangrias believed that the creature was very deceptive, but his heart was moved by the Bullwugs story. Ylric noticed the creature didn’t smell like the other Bullywugs and he speculated that it might be the reason the other Bullywugs didn’t want anything to do with him. Regardless of their suspicions, the party climbed up the rope with the cowardly Bullywug and entered the next level. Attack on the Risen Tower : Second LevelThe party found themselves in the center of a multi-tiered room that resembled a large shadowy pit. All the walls of the pit were different in height and were adorned with a heavily rusted banister. Each wall increased in height like steps in a clockwise fashion around them. The first tier was 10 feet high, the second tier was 20 feet, and the third and largest tier was 30 feet in height. In the center of the ceiling was a cylindrical 10’ wide hole constructed of polished red stone. The only other exit out of the pit like room was a 10 wide corridor set with stairs built into the middle of the right wall. The stairs ascended to the first tier, which like all the tiers of the room was covered in shadows. Blocking access to the stairs were six skeletal black robe wizards and four Bullywug zombies (who were recently animated). As the creatures attacked the party an imposing skeletal wizard carrying a scythe entered the battle. The undead creature was dressed as a Black Robe Wizard of High Sorcery from ages past. Oddly enough the top half of its skull was severed and completely missing.. In addition, two Stones of High Sorcery appeared floating above the party, a yellow Stone of Enchantment and Black stone of Necromancy. When the black stone appeared it emitted a Ray of Enfeeblement at Zissren and weakened him. It appeared that someone was in control of the stones and was casting spells through them. Sangrias managed to take control of both of them, but failed several times before finally securing the black stone with his arcane power. At one point during the battle, the Bullywug Coward surprised the party by casting a magical fire spell. He used it to blast the zombies and Zissren recognized the spell as the same fire magic that mysteriously burned him in the previous encounter. During the battle Ylric knocked the wizard prone with a well placed arrow. The undead black robe fell to the ground and immediately invoked an area of darkness around itself. While keeping his golden bow steady, Ylric released a second arrow that flew into the darkness, bounced off the rusty banister and obliterated several of the creature’s ribs. After subsequent attacks from Zissren and Thrrdon, one of which disarmed him, the Severed Skull Reaper could do very little, but crawl for its scythe and flee by teleporting away. Before the party reached the top tier their Bullywug ally found the Severed Skull Reaper and blasted him with a ball of fire. The fire incinerated the reaper, stealing the party kill. All that remained was a swarm of crawling claws and a floating Brain in a Jar that hovered next to a large throne. When Thrrdon reached the top most tier to attack the claws he was dominated by the Brain in the Jar and was commanded to attack Zissren. The attack did little to stop Zissren from landing a well placed blow with his maul which cracked the magical jar and battered the brain against the inside of the glass.
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Post by Demogorgon on Sept 13, 2011 14:31:00 GMT -5
Enter Cordus The MinotaurOutside the floating tower Cordus the Minotaur had witnessed the battle with the Draconians on the first level 50 feet above him. Urged on by his intelligent spear, a gift from the goddess Jijin (Chislev), the shaman decided to climb the rope to have a closer look at the Party. As he expertly traversing the rope that lead to the second level Cordus could hear the sounds of battle above him. He made haste and eventually managed to reach the second level of the tower. Upon exiting the shaft, Cordus summoned his wolf companion and walked up the stairs to the first tier, all the while stomping on the skulls of the recently destroyed skeletons and zombies. Sangrias was the first to notice the Minotaur and quickly realized that the creature appeared to be far different then most of his militaristic kin from the imperial league. This Minotaur was a savage looking creature from the wild and he carried a spear that was adorned with the markings of the deity Jijin. Sangrias tried to hide behind a bookshelf, but the keen eyes of the Minotaur spotted his shadow and had no trouble finding him. Sangrias and Cordus made their encounter a cordial affair, but when Ylric saw the Minotaur he became very upset and warned Sangrias that Minotaurs of his ilk were not to be trusted. It took some convincing by Sangrias before Ylric grudgingly accepted the presence of Cordus. At the top most tier, the battle raged on with Thrrdon firmly under the control of the Brain in the Jar. He broke free of the Brains' control many times, but the brain continued its assault on Thrrdons mind and repeatedly regained control. At the same time the brain blasted Zissren with a telekinetic force that punted him off the 30’ high ledge. Amazingly Zissren quickly recovered from the fall and made his way back up the stairs. After seeing the bloodied Bakali warrior, Cordus healed his wounds with magic and hoped for the best. Zissren attempted to return to the top most tier and destroy the Brian in the Jar, but his efforts were thwarted by Sangrias when he invoked a bardic song that shattered the Jar and killed the brain inside. Of Rest and DeathAfter resting for a few minuets, the party introduced themselves to Cordus. Caring little for the conversation, Zissren decided to venture off on his own and explore the throne area and look behind the curtain. Zissren searched the throne and found nothing of interest. He knocked the curtain back to reveal a small alcove behind the Throne area that contained a stone pedestal. Judging from the dust top of the pedestal, it was clearly the resting place the Brain in the Jar. On the floor was a huge book wrapped in chains. Above the pedestal was an arcane symbol which immediately began to glow and pulsate the moment Zissren gazed upon it. Everyone in the room within range was attacked by the symbol the moment Zissren activated it. All those, but Ylric who looked directly at the symbol , resisted it’s effects. The symbol began to drain the life energy out of Ylric. Cordus tried to coach Ylric through resisting the necrotic magic, but Ylric walked up to the symbol and attempted to disable it with his thieves tools. He frantically tried a few times to chip away at the symbol, but it was constructed too well for even his skill. Despite the efforts of Cordus, Ylric failed to resist the necrotic magic that surrounded him and became stunned. Ylric could only watch as Sangrias risked his own life to confront the rune himself. The bard had little time to spare and he knew that his new found companion would surly die if he didn’t act quickly. Realizing that the rune was a Symbol of Death, Sangrias took no chances and commanded the stone of evocation and necromancy to rise out of his backpack. The stones began to glow and emit a concentrated beam of arcane energy that disrupted the Symbol of Death. The symbol faded from the wall and Ylric was immediately released from its necrotic grasp. Let the Looting beginThe party decided to search the level a bit and found several interesting items. Sangrias identified the book on the ground and told the party that it was actually a booksafe (a chest that resembles a book). After breaking the chains and picking the lock, the party found 1000 ancient gold coins inside, the spellbook of a Black Robe Wizard of High Sorcery, a potion of spirit, and a potion of lifeshield). On the floor the party found the remnants of the ritual components used for the Symbol of Death. They collected 350 gp worth of diamond and opal dust. Inside a secret compartment under the throne, the party found a Journal and a set of medical saws and gold plated dissecting tools worth 350 gp. Sangrias realized that he would have to cast a comprehend languages ritual in order to read the book since it was written in Ansalon Common, which isn’t a language that is known in Taladas. He used some of the diamond dust to cast the ritual. Most of the journal entries were long winded complaints about life in the tower and being stuck in the middle nowhere in Taladas, but a few of them were of great interest. Sangrias read aloud the most interesting entries which were all dated over 500 years ago Black Robe Journal Entries…An idiot arrived at the tower today asking that he be allowed to take the test of high sorcery. While the old man was interviewing him, I couldn’t help but think that his face resembled that of a weasel. In fact, I almost burst out laughing when the Kender, who apparently thought the same thing, created several Ghost Sounds of a squeaking weasel in the entrance hall. I’m not sure how I refrained from laughing, but perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I hate living in this tower!
…. using the sphere to destroy the tower will be the most challenging ritual of my life. Unfortunately, I am more of a necromancer than a dimentionalist, but if the conclave demands my services I have no choice but to obey. Thankfully, if anything catastrophic should happen during the ritual, I have taken measures to ensure my survival. As for the novice apprentices the order has afforded me, I couldn’t care less about them, but they do have their uses even in death.
…if this Chardath does take the test I suppose it would allow him access to the ritual chamber. Hopefully he will be able to help us complete the ritual. We can use all the help we can get at this time. The book shelves in the room had inscriptions which read, The Magic of Betrayal, The Magic of Darkness, The Magic of Fear, The Magic of Hunger, and The Magic of Pain. Each bookshelf was stacked full of ancient tomes and manuscripts. After searching through the hundreds of books on the shelves the party found the following Scrolls: Embalm, Enchant Magical Item, Skull Watch, Raise Dead, Undead Ward While Zissren began to smash the book shelves with his maul (destroying many books in the process – enough to make a wizard cry), the party searched the desks. Inside one desk they found a single page from a journal of an apprentice that had not disintegrated over time. Sangrias could read the following. Black Robe Apprentice Journal Entry… My master says that a renegade wizard lives in Brighten Wood and that he is consorting with agents of Takhasis. We also have reports of him creating abominations like owlbears out of the forest creatures. If this is true, he might also be experimenting with dragon eggs and the creation of Draconians. Could this be why the sylvan folk are at odds with us? Do they not realize that he isn’t one of us? This concerns the old man greatly, after all, who knows what pacts he has made with the dark queen? I should research a Detect Renegade spell and go find him for our order, my master would be pleased.
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