Sunday, March 22, 2009

Llewmorc the Damned

  • Characters: Alyssic, Aramir, Carn, Cromwell, Gallipolas/Fig, Lazbin, Rathgillian, Roywyn, V.L., Vindicus

  • NPCs: League of Wizards, Llewmorc the Damned

  • Synopsis: With the Black Legion amassing at Reddansyr, reports come in that the giant-kind forces have sent regiments to either side of the town to flank the Circle of Holundi. The new General of the Black Legion Llewmorc the Damned rides atop the massive black dragon Blastimithican and now leads the giant-kind forces north to the Dragonmere. The recently revived Dunrick the Daring has joined his old master in the ranks of the League of Wizards and reveals the sick truth behid Llewmorc. The new general is a conglomeration of the Defenders held captive in his tower so many moons ago. His strengths are an amalgam of the greatest traits of Cromwell, Gallipolas, Lazbin, Rathgillian, and Vall, deriving most of his characteristics from Cromwell. Dunrick was only at the beginning of creation. Evidently his work was scavenged from the remains of his tower and completed by Mystenaculis. This can only mean that their greatest enemy is truly present on the Material Plane. But the present task at hand is to thwart the three-pronged attack from the rear forces of the Black Legion. The Defenders are dispatched to eliminate one of the branches of the attack, the one that has already crossed the River Reddan and is the most immediate threat. Gallipolas, Roywyn and Carn take to the skies as the druid shape shifts into a giant eagle. The Black Legion regiment is located and the rest of the Defenders join the scouts. The attack is swift and violent as magic erupts across the shores of the River Reddan. The rivers water rise to drown orcs, walls of fire scorch giants, and ice and comets drop from the skies. The majority of the Black Legion troops are destroyed as the Defenders move in to mop up the rest. Gallipolas raises a wall of thorns and entraps some of the enemy while Lazbin tricks two other giants into thinking they themselves are enemies. Vindicus looses a volley of magic and the Defenders systematically dismantle the remnants of the front line. The group storms the rear of the regiment to finish off the Black Legion forces. But as combat rages the mighty black dragon Blastimithican soars to the battle field and lands with Llewmorc the Damned mounted on its back. The half-elf’s forked tongue spews evil, demanding that Mintassan the Planeswalker be returned to his care in Westgate. The parlay continues as Llewmorc promises not to raze the rest of the Dragon Coast. Lazbin and Gallipolas signal the others to prepare for battle as the remaining giants surround the defenders. Lazbin drops a glass bead summoning Cromwell, who appears and engages Llewmorc. The battle is vicious as no combatant holds back. The Defenders are throttled as each is only mildly successful. On the brink of death, Carn vanishes to the Plane of Shadow. V.L. succumbs to the blasts from the stone giant’s club. Rathgillian withdraws from combat and is rescued by Gallipolas. Alyssic retreats from the black dragon trying to draw the healing powers from Heironeous to close her wounds. The Defenders regroup and rally behind the might of Cromwell and the bravery of Vindicus. Attacking the remaining giants, the others quickly kill the minions. Cromwell summons a field of whirling blades that shreds Llewmorc and Vindicus stands toe-to-toe against the black dragon. Through the elf’s magic, the dragon’s attacks fail as the great beast finally falls crashing down to the shores of the River Reddan. With their enemy vanquished the Defenders limp back to Reddansyr, but not before dropping the head of Blastimithican into the camp of the Black Legion. They bring the body of Llewmorc back to the League of Wizards and contemplate the arrival of Mystenaculis to the war.
  • Encounters: an army of 300 orcs, 12 hill giants, 12 stone giants, 3 storm giants, Llewmorc the Damned, black dragon Blastimithican

  • Achievements: Destroyed the new General of the Black Legion, Llewmorc who was reported to have been bred for warfare by Balethemos the Black and trained in the arcane arts by Mystenaculis. Slew the huge black dragon Blastimithican. Wrecked the morale of the rear armies of the Black Legion.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Nomad! or Heironeous’ Gold Knight of the Stonelands

  • Characters: Alyssic, Hlinthi, JadeBlade, Reesh, Trebbor

  • NPCs: Galt Pendle, the Gold Knight Vergand Hoplight

  • Synopsis: A knight of Heironeous seeks out the Ordained Shining Blade Champion Alyssic. Tall and lean, the novice paladin Galt Pendle hopes the Defender can find and retrieve the lost Gold Knight Vergand Hoplight, his master who wanders the Stonelands north of Cormyr laying waste to any evil. After a falling out with the Church, the Gold Knight left Cormyr hoping to justify his wayward path from the Church of Heironeous. With the potential of righting a fallen soldier of her god, or at least glean an understanding of his new purpose, Alyssic agrees to Galt’s pleas and gathers a group to find the Gold Knight. They are teleported to an ancient monument, the Beacon of Degg, a massive stone obelisk emerging from the desolate sands of the Stonelands. Dwarf faces adorn the four sides of the wonder, and begin speaking dwarven upon their arrival. Two massive horned scorpion-like creatures call to the summoning and attack the party. After defeating the beasts, battle calls from over a nearby dune. The group finds one who can only be the Gold Knight battling two massive giants, having already slain two others. Content to end his life in a grand battle, Vergand is aided by the party and the giants are slain. Three scavenger abominations scurry to the bloodied bodies and are also destroyed. Alyssic confronts Vergand Hoplight who describes his falling out with the Authority of the Church of Heironeous. Surely their god would not want a faithful follower to parish alone in this desert wasteland. Alyssic agrees to broker negotiations in return for Vergand’s aid against the Black Legion to save the Dragon Coast. Reunited with Galt, the Gold Knight agrees. Reesh finds a new calling in life and journeys into the unknown Stonelands alone, but with the well wishes of his friends.
  • Encounters: two stonesingers, three knell bettles, two sand giants

  • Achievements: Prevented the death of the Gold Night Vergand Hoplight, brought him back into the fold, and was bequeathed the legendary weapon, the Holy Avenger




Return of Dunrick the Daring



  • Characters: Aramir, Carn, Gallipolas & Fig, Hadith, Lazbin, V.L.


  • NPCs: League of Wizards, Dunrick the Damned


  • Synopsis: With the League of Wizards reformed and consisting of Mikailis, Gronchiss, Merty, Yulimmi, Loothum, Vindicus and Lazbin, the first order of task is to find and subdue Dunrick the Damned. Dunrick is the disgraced apprentice to Loothum, and the gnome still holds hope that he is redeemable. If the defenders can capture him and bring him back alive, Dunrick might hold the key to disabling the army of golems under the Dragon Coast Alliance’s control. Before Loothum was murdered, he dispatched his apprentice to the small farming community of Fallow where his apprentice was researching the great golem-maker Tyron Capell. Dunrick was communicating his learned knowledge and understanding of golem creation to Loothum via messengered letters while the gnome master wizard was advising Holundi in Tendale. Loothum read the series of letters that unofficially documented Dunrick’s mental collapse as his apprentice discovered the red glowing ore desposits in the nearby Orsraun Mountains. Dunrick was on the verge of a great discovery: the ability to make golems sentient beings. But the red glowing ore easily eclipsed Dunricks studies but before Loothum could intervene the Elven Star was stolen from Tendale setting the region’s historic events into motion. Loothum speculates that his apprentice is somewhere near the failed settlement of Fallow, and that if he can be brought in, his studies can be completed. With Dunrick’s untapped knowledge the Circle of Holundi can give life to the golems, liberating them from the Dragon Coast Alliance, and eliminating their primary defense. Then the Circle of Holundi can sack Westgate. The group of adventurers travels to the base of the Orsraun Mountains near Fallow and begin their trek towards the summit. They find Ragnov, the disgraced bodyguard to Dunrick the Damned’s brother Derrick. She is imprisoned in a crow’s cage, and barely human. Having failed Dunrick, she now serves as a warning to all trespassers. Following tracks up the mountain slope, they find a trail lined with pikes, each adorned with a decapitated head of a horned devil. The group battles a guardian roper and a legion of fiendish gnolls and hobgoblins before reaching the main mining chamber. Red glowing ore has been collected from below into a massive chamber where they find the delinquent Dunrick, or what they think is their target. Loothum’s apprentice has grafted pieces of the red glowing ore onto his body and surrounded himself in a natural cavity for the red glowing ore. Stacks of the ore climb to the ceiling and litter the cavern, creating an overpowering crimson hue that drowns out all other color. As the group tries to penetrate Dunrick’s chamber, they are each overwhelmed by the power of the red glowing ore and compelled to seek their personal desires. With Gallipolas’ mighty will they are able to overcome the crippling effects and subdue Dunrick by magicking him into a toad. The group returns with their hard fought prize and witness the revival of Loothum’s apprentice. The man simultaneously recalls every evil deed he has executed over the past tenyear and collapses under the weight of grief and remorse. Finally through tears he recalls the death of his brother Derrick and a lost love named Patricia.



  • Encounters: Ragnov, roper, half-fiend gnoll horde, purple worm, Dunrick the Damned


  • Achievements: Extracted Dunrick from his mined collection of the red glowing ore.

Protecting the Teziiran Trade Route

  • Characters: Dorian, Gallipolas, Softfoot
  • NPCs: Janora Spelloyal, Nerius Bootlum
  • Synopsis: Jenora Spelloyal races into town, furiously driving a wagon. The caravan she lead was sacked by frost giants on their way to Teziir. Jenora was hired by Nerius Bootlum to deliver goods to the nearby city. The only surviors are in the bed of the wagon; all of the additional security guards were slain. Gallipolas and Dorian gather Softfoot to go and seek vengeance on the giants and to check their trespassing. After teleporting to the area and searching for the remains of the caravan, the trio find the entrance to a relatively new lair. The infiltration begins immediately as one sentry after another is destroyed. They find the frost giant leader Gungir who is disintegrated and the frost giant queen who is burned to death in a shower of flame. The group releases a prisoner of the giants, an abomination part giant, part dragon, taking the name Wrathgar. The huge beast is assured of his freedom and allowed to leave to search and seek and destroy other frost giants in the region.
  • Encounters: den of four frost giants (including the clan leader Gungir), 2 ogres, 2 winter wolves, seven-headed cryohydra, skullcrusher ogre, dire bear, prisoner Wrathgar (dragon-kind centaur)
  • Achievements: Obliterated a frost giant outpost at the foot of the Giant’s Run Mountains, and resecured the trade route west to Teziir. Gained an ally in the battle versus the Black Legion.