Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The Wrath of Landryn Teriak the Shadow Lord

  • Characters: Aramir, Dorian, Forkbeard, Gallipolas, Henzio, Jebeddo, Lazbin, Rathgillian
  • NPCs: Landryn Teriak
  • Synopsis: The Defenders decide to travel to Assam to deal with the tyranny of the Dark Lancers. But not without dealing with their new captive, Landryn Teriak the Shadow Lord. The execution starts just outside of the city walls as the group surrounds the Shadow Lord. Gagged and bound, Landryn Teriak can only plead with his eyes, begging through Forkbeard’s well-placed sock. The muffled urges are ignored as Dorian contemplates only for a second before dropping the final judgement on his nemesis. Taking a step back the sorcerer begins to cast, but before the spell is completed the Shadow Lord lurches forward collapsing on Dorian. Shadows spin from every niche as the pair vaporizes into the surrounding darkness. The party is left standing in the wooded entrance to the city of Cedarspoke wondering what has just occurred. Moments later shadows engulf the entire area, plunging the woodlands into a nest of entangled shadow strands. From everywhere the voice of the Shadow Lord condemns the party for its lack of vision, promising to reveal his kingdom of all shadows. They will fall in line, or fall under might. Within the confines of the shadow strands vision is limited and the party is sectioned off. Each one feels the pull of the owners of the shadow nest. Flowing through the shadow stuff, the group discovers two shadow aberrations responsible for their predicament. Unimpeded Gallipolas flies to the skies and sees the two shadow domes covering his allies. The battle rages until both shadow creatures are dropped. Simultaneously the domes vanish to reveal the woods embraced by dusk. Gallipolas looses a wall of fire to surround the invisible Shadow Lord just as a trio of fighter brutes emerges from the vine-covered city gates. Their menacing stance and equipped spiked chains indicate they are foes. Before any engagement the fighters morph into shadow beasts and emit a fierce howl that slices through half of the group’s will. Others watch as their comrades run fleeing into the woods. The invisible Shadow Lord cries for support, screaming that the shadow devils have found him. Even Cedarspoke is susceptible to invasion as first the drow, and now the devils, have infiltrated the city’s walls. The beasts converge on the Shadow Lord who is now visible, tearing him apart. With their enemies clustered Dorian explodes fire upon them and Gallipolas summons a comet from the skies. The beasts are obliterated and the Shadow Lord is crushed from the impact. Even as shadows splinter back to their natural source, the Shadow Lord’s voice once again breaks the silence. His verbal attack is directed at Dorian and offers knowledge of his surviving kin’s whereabouts, should the elf be interested. The proposition is in line with rumors of survivors of the massacre of the Lothenar Elves. But before Dorian can respond the Shadow Lord’s voice is no more as their enemy shadow walks his way to freedom. Fits of rage finally subside as the Defenders choose to remain in Cedarspoke to rest and spend some of their accumulated wealth, for their future ventures will be the most treacherous of their career.
  • Encounters: The Shadow Lord, two darkweavers, three shadurakul
  • Achievements: could not prevent the escape of the Shadow Lord, drew out the presence of devils within Cedarspoke, and received additional confirmation of survivors of the Lothenar elves.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

The Assassination Attempt of General Freutin

  • Characters: Aramir, Dorian, Forkbeard, Gallipolas, Henzio, Jebeddo, Lazbin, Rathgillian
  • NPCs: Captain Brighton, General Freuntin, Zalaznar Crinios, Landryn Teriak
  • Synopsis: While leaving the Earthome library Forkbeard, Jebeddo, and Lazbin are stopped in place by Captain Brighton on the Army of Nature’s Wrath. They agree to a meeting with General Freuntin, but allegations are ledged against Jebeddo of the wizard class of the Year of the Gauntlet for dereliction of duty, failure to report, and desertion. In the presence of Freutin, Jebeddo is silenced as the leader of the Army of Nature’s Wrath rages against the absent wizard. Hearing about their research of the Firehill Runestones, Freuntin cries folly against getting the ancient runestones, revealing that the Council of the Divine explored this avenue months ago to great detriment. Half of the Divine Hammer has gone missing after two failed expeditions to retrieve the Firehill Runestones. Lazbin is released to bring the rest of the Defenders so that Freuntin can address them collectively before they speak with the Council. Lazbin returns with the others as General Freutin reassigns Jebeddo for his final task as a soldier in the Army of Nature’s Wrath. He is to travel to the warrior city-state of Assam atop the Windbreaker Mesa in the Shining Plains and convince the Dark Lancers to join them in defeating the Black Legion. The Dark Lancers alliance with the Wizards of Tendale has expired and their forces have consolidated to Assam under their new leader, only know as the General. Freutin’s strategy is to have the armies of the Dark Lancers, Cormyr and Nature’s Wrath converge upon the Black Legion and annihilate them once and for all. Without the Dark Lancers the Black Legion can flee to the south to the Orsraun Mountains. Freuntin also suggests the potential of infiltrating Westgate to kill the heads of the Forces of Mystenaculis who have enslaved the citizens. The Defenders ponder their multiple choices as Freuntin escorts them to the Council of the Divine. In route, a phaerlin giants erupt from the ground each with a drow archer supported on its back. Their target is obvious as all of the Defenders are ignored in an attempt to kill General Freuntin. Lazbin teleports Freuntin to safety while the group wipes out the giants and drow. Only a single archer escapes into the ambush tunnels below Cedarspoke. In front of the council the Defenders are praised for their actions. They have been in council with the Circle of Holundi and have coordinated strategies in dealing with the Forces of Mystenaculis and the Black Legion. Dorian offers the deceased members of Divine Hammer and the council offers custody of the Shadow Lord. Despite the misgivings of General Freuntin, the council asks for the Defenders help in retrieving the Firehill Runestones as they are invaluable to their cause. The Shadow Lord’s protests are silenced with a gag as the Defenders leave the council chambers with their hard-fought prize. General Freutin sees them to the gates of the city, briefly watching over the Shadow Lord during the group’s deliberations. The Defenders decide to travel to Assam to assimilate the Dark Lancers in the war. But not before dealing with the criminal Shadow Lord.
  • Encounters: General Freuntin’s inquisition, six phaerlin giants, two drow dark snipers, one drow ninja, and one drow priestess of Kiaransalee, Council of the Divine quest to Scarwall
  • Achievements: stopped a drow assassination attempt on General Freuntin, saving his life in the process, learned of the surviving Dark Lancer army, negotiated the release of the Shadow Lord to their custody, and received a map to the fabled keep of death Scarwall.

The Lighthouse Sting – The Fall of Lycast

  • Characters: Azla, Cheynar, Flannigan, Janora, X-Requinn
  • NPCs: None
  • Synopsis: The adventurers decide to pull out and regroup. Marlet has vacated the aerial assault, retrieving Vexander and Sentalial and returning to Threshold to help verify the words of Krullix. Finding the call to arms true, Marlet grabs Azla the war mage and the cat-folk scout Cheynar to continue the assault on the tower. Remaining outside the parameter the others scour the woods to find Krullix. Only moments after a rendezvous with the rogue, Marlet returns with familiar allies and the group returns to the tower. Traversing the stairs of the tower, the adventurers reach the second level and find more empty quarters and unoccupied rooms. The two largest rooms are breached and each contains a cluster of goblins sharpening weapons. Slaying the trespassers, the group continues to the next level finding a different layout. The locked room is infiltrated after female noises are heard. Convinced that the leader of the goblin tribe, the so-called Lycast, is just beyond the door, X-Requinn blasts the door to pieces as the lock-pickers cannot bypass the bound barrier. The quarters are empty save for a large chest and Flannigan gets to work quickly. Others move to the door to an adjacent room. Opening the door, a hidden opponent strikes out. The group rushes in to find no one before retreating. The invisible attacker shifts position as X-Requinn unplugs his ever-lasting decantor of water. The room begins to flood as the assailant’s footsteps give her away. Magic is loosed as Azla and X-Requinn use area-blast spells to flush out the invisible hag. The successive blasts reveal a fallen green hag, and no doubt as to the tribe’s gross ambitions. With only the remaining tribal champion, the mysterious Skrom, the group continues to the next level finding a barghest with his goblin minions. The battle is well orchestrated with the archers and spellcasters maintaining cover while the melee experts flanking opponents and quickly disabling the threat. Skrom fails under the blade. The stairs are checked at a trap door leading to the roof where other goblins are heard. Returning to the previous level and exiting the windows, the group attacks the roof by scaling the walls. Atop the tower are the remaining goblins that were not cast down by Marlet and her bronze griffon. Combat is spread throughout but the goblins are outmatched and they all are killed. With the tower vacated and the threat to passing ships removed, and the long journey home from their high seas adventures almost complete, the heroes begin their trek back to Threshold.
  • Encounters: eight armory goblins, green hag Lycast, three goblin minions, tribal champion barghest Skrom
  • Achievements: sacked the phony lighthouse, destroyed both the goblin tribe leader and the tribal champion

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Lavendar’s Riot

  • Characters: Alrak, Barl Bloodbones, Crulamin, Domollo Blue, Malhavoc, Zaos
  • NPCs: Aria Yelloweyes, Eshtani Doctry, Lavendar
  • Synopsis: The Teziiran City Watch has established an all-persons curfew at sundown following the massive spread of the Bloodveil. At the Smelted Horse Domollo speaks with Aria Yelloweyes who has heard of his name and is following the exploits of his group, specifically the lycanthrope-striken Belton. After giving Domollo a map of the sewers, she says that a follower of Vernon Archer named Geargz is amassing a following and weapons in the sewers. He was must be convinced to disarm, either diplomatically or physically. Given that the curfew has been established, the group decides to wait it out a night before checking Aria’s authenticity. In the morning Zaos receives a scroll from Eshtani Doctry of the Temple of Torm. A merchant named Lavendar is perpetuating a cure for the Bloodveil. As clerics of Torm cannot thoroughly investigate without being mobbed by plague victims, he requests that Zaos and his group verify the claims of the cure. Traveling to Lavendar’s Luxurious Linamints, they find another development in the outbreak. The city’s merchant council has issued a decree giving Doctor Duvalus and his physicians as well as Eliosa Arabasi and her Gray Maidens full authority in dealing with the outbreak. All citizens must abide by their demands or face extreme prejudice. The emergency powers given to the outsiders is truly frightening and the development reflects the dire situation brought on by the Bloodveil plague. At Lavendar’s place of business, word has spread and people are lined up through the streets. Muscling there way to the front, the two bouncers are intimidated into allowing the group entry. After purchasing a vial of the “cure” Domollo Blue confronts Lavendar, detecting a falsehood in her statements. Zaos presents the written request from the Temple of Torm, but the effect backfires as potential patrons start a riot. Domollo Blue attempts to subdue Lavendar but she escapes into the back alley to her apartment. The riot becomes full-scale as the store’s bouncers are caught in the shuffle and the store is thrashed. The throng of desperate citizens transforms into a stampede. As Domollo, Zaos and Crulamin give chase, Barl and Malhavoc strip the store safe from its foundation and strike fear into the looters. The store is vacated and Alrak is caught up in the rush, coming to blows with one of the bouncers and forcing him to retreat. Lavendar unleashes her deadly blade catching both Crulamin and Zaos with her poison-tipped dagger. She is quickly subdued and covertly escorted back to the Temple of Torm. The circumstantial evidence is presented to Esthani who questions the detective work, but finds Lavendar’s use of poison a criminal offense, enough to halt her peddling of the “cure” at least temporarily. The group rendezvous at the Smelted Horse finds everyone made it out intact. Barl and Malhavoc crack the safe, but do not find any additional incriminating evidence, only fine valuables. Perhaps the confusion of the riot will blur unwanted memories.
  • Encounters: Aria Yelloweyes, two rogue thugs, diseased mob, Lavendar
  • Achievements: received an inquiry regarding a militant wererat, intimidated store guards, initiated a riot, subdued a practioner of a false cure, and presented flimsy evidence of wrong-doing.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

The Bloodveil Over Teziir

  • Characters: Barl Bloodbones, Belton Stoutshield, Crulamin, Domollo Blue, Gonzor (Fash), Zaos
  • NPCs: Eshtani Doctry, Captain Redbeard, Grau, Crasidia Croft
  • Synopsis: The adventurers bring the body of their fallen ally Farthick to the Temple of Torm and have his body prepped for burial. The cleric Eshtani Doctry receives Farthick along with the cost for gentle repose of the corpse. Hearing of a rumor for potential adventure and rewards, group hikes to the point to investigate the use of a trebouche to destroy a pirate ice skiff. The watchguard is not aware of the activity but says that the city wall construction is continuing, having already been built to protect attacks from the dragonmere. Two trebouches account for the city’s defense along with two more already in design. Hitting a dead end with their lead the adventurers head towards the docks, finding the watering hole the Bitch’s Bed. They cross paths with Grau, a patron whose niece has fallen ill. With their connection to Torm, they decide to aid the despressed man. At Grau’s homestead they find Eshtani Doctry making a house call. The cleric of Torm believes the illness to be a derivative of Enterick Fever. The girl’s mother Tae Soldaldo is desperate to heal Brianna, so the group pulls together enough funds to finance a scroll with the spell to remove her disease. Eshtani successfully heals Brianna with the Soldaldo family’s eternal gratitude. The following morning the adventurers are summoned to the Temple of Torm. Disease has enveloped Teziir and the needy are swarming the divine pleading for help. The plague is being referred to as the Bloodveil. A dire Eshtani fears for his safety even as he travels the city to help others. Visibly shaken he hires the group to bring him to the City Watch where followers of the divine are assembling to address the Bloodveil. Arriving free of interlopers, they meet Field Marshall Crasidia Croft who has drafted Doctor Duvalus of Sembia. The doctor has arrived with his physicians upon request and joins the gathered clerics. Captain Redbeard also finds the adventurers and requests that they assist him. In the seedy section of Teziir lies Racker’s Alley. Redbeard has received reports that people are dumping diseased bodies there that may be contributing to the spread of the Bloodveil. At Racker’s Alley the group finds clear evidence implicating the owner of the tinkerer shop. During the investigation they uncover two undead vampires and destroy them. Amongst the remains of the shop keeper is a key to a lockbox that contains thieves’ tools and documents and patents for designs. The events warrant further investigation into the outbreak.
  • Encounters: city watchman along the city walls, near riot at the Temple of Torm, two vampire spawns
  • Achievements: removed the Bloodveil from Brianna Soldaldo, developed a strong ally with the Temple of Torm, networked with the City Watch, and discovered a potential connection between vampires and the plague.