Monday, April 26, 2010

Oppol’s Seizure of the Temple of Ancients

Characters: Cheynar, Illdric, JadeBlade, Janora, Vi’Helm
NPCs: Jynn Thatcher
Synopsis: Qualen Shadowbourne is summoned to the hidden shrine of Kelemvor by his new mentor Jynn Thatcher, a disciple of Kelemvor who seeks to strengthen his god and re-establish his presence on the Dragon Coast. Trekking through the diseased city of Teziir, Qualen and his comrades use the poorly scrawled map to a section of the city that has been quarunteened. Massive hand-painted signs ward the area, but not a soul is around to enforce it.

The map leads them to a multi-story brownstone, but the directions for entrance indicate the shrine is in the cellar of the house. Moving through the adjacent alleyway, they are attacked by the ghost of Poor Friar Tomas. The filth of the alley works against the group as Qualen succumbs to the fumes of some airborne mold. Vi’Helm forces the ghost to flee as the cleric presents the holy symbol, but the noise of battle attracks the scarred, old man Jynn Thatcher.

Jynn invites the group into the cellar. Illuminated by numerous candles mounted on shoulder-height iron stands, the room holds several items sacred to Kelemvor, the Lord of the Dead and Judge of the Damned. A gentle-reposed corpse lies covered on a low-standing altar. Jynn describes Qualen’s particular remorse of his fallen companion Farthick and has promised to return the dwarf to the plain of the living, if he can find his soul and if he wishes to return.

But Jynn’s concerns lie outside of the city limits. It has come to his attention that a mysterious mound of stone has appeared not three miles towards the coast. Jynn announces that he is resurrecting the Eternal Order, a knightly order of Kelemvor whose purpose is to hunt and destroy powerful undead. The rumor of this stone mound houses a temple of an ancient sect. But the mystery is why it has appeared. Hand in hand with the rumor the temple is the fact that an undead kobold has taken residence inside and is manipulating the dead. Qualen’s first step towards the Eternal Order was to eliminate this threat, but the warrior lies stricken from the disease of Teziir. The others must carry out the mission.

Reluctantly the group journeys to the temple, following another one of Jynn’s crude maps. Cheynar scouts ahead of the group sneaking inside the temple threshold, but the trespassing provokes a cluster of water elementals from a broken fountain of worship. The others arrive to aid the scout, but the battle has twisted against Cheynar’s favor, forcing her deeper into the temple’s interior. Another guardian is triggered as a floating mystic cloud targets the catfolk attempting to suffocate the intruder. The group comes to Cheynar’s side and defeats the elemental sentries.

Beyond the first two chambers, the group spies a cluster of movement beyond. Moving to the central tomb, they meet the undead kobold sorcerer Oppol who has animated the bodies of his destroyed tribe. But before they can mount a unified front, damned spirits spew out from tomb chambers from behind, creating two fronts of this battle. The superior skill and weaponry of the group proves that they have come far in a short period of time. Oppol is eliminated by Illdric as JadeBlade annihilates the kobold zombie tribe.

The others fair far worse against the evil dead and Cheynar retreats to the entrance. As the kobolds are destroyed Ildric and JadeBlade return to the others and help to destroy the undead. Cheynar draws one to the temple’s door, but it returns to the tomb to expel the others. Finally, the assault ends after the last walking dead is dropped. The ancient temple stands silent but offers much in sight. Murals depict grand cities, some atop clouds and some below the sea. A warrior is depicted in a mural wearing coral armor standing proudly among his people.

The group takes etchings and recovers some of the arms of the kobold attackers. As the sun sets, the group returns through the frozen coast back to the dying city of Teziir. Jynn is astounded at their success and relishes the etchings they procured. Their treasure will go a long ways towards understanding the mystery of the temple’s appearance. Thankful for their efforts, the cleric of Torm heals their more grevious wounds and promises to focus his efforts on the dwarf warrior Farthick by asking Kelemvor to spare his soul. But something is amiss in the City of the Dead. And something is amiss amongst the lost souls of Teziir.

Encounters: ghost, two shadows, two water elementals, belker, ten kobold zombies, 5 wights, and an undead kobold sorcerer.
Achievements: defeated the evil undead of the temple and restored it to peace.

The Secrets of the Hospice of Blessed Maidens or The Dungeons of Arcona Imports

Characters: Barl Bloodbones, Belton Stoutshield, Domollo Blue, JadeBlade

NPCs: Magoovial Hammerstriker

Synopsis: JadeBlade and his companions return to Teziir with the much coveted, but also skeptical, spoils of the Astorian hideout: the case of the cure for the Bloodveil plague. The priests of the Temple of Torm are in disarray as too many of the city folk have fallen to the disease. The cleric of Torm Magoovial Hammerstrike takes the cure in possession, but expresses dismay at the current state of Teziir, especially his fallen brother Eshtani Doctri. Magoovial explains that he recently came in possession of documents detailing strife among two factions of wererats that infest the city below. One faction is lead by the wererat Geargz, the other Ariz Yelloweyes. The letter insists that Geargz and his followers intend to lay waste to Teziir and begin their campaign of rule from the sewers. Aria Yelloweyes contends that this will upset the status quo and bring ruin to her kind. At its weakest moment, Teziir is under attack.

Magoovial summons two other aides and asks for JadeBlades assistance. JadeBlade follows the cleric as the priest of Torm describes suspicions regarding the actions of Doctor Duvalis and Eliosa Arabasi. Rumors are abound of their deviance and Magoovial is to inspect the converted Arcona Imports warehouse that now serves as a triage center for those infected by the Bloodveil. The city streets are desserted until they reach the warehouse where a line of ailing people are governed by several Gray Maidens, followers of Eliosa. Magoovial dispenses with the present authority, gaining access to the facility. The sea of the dying is overwhelming as cots are populated with those struggling to live, but losing badly to the Bloodveil. But the priest stops as he sees the telltale signs of battle. Blood stains the walls as numerous bodies include both Gray Maidens and Duvalis’ masked physician’s assistants.

On the upper level of the warehouse, Barl, Crulamin, Domollo, Belton, and Vi’Helm stand outside an engraved door, desperately seeking the truth they know they must find. So far their investigation has discovered only death. Breaching the door, they find another set of patients. But these are in the most advanced stages of the Bloodveil, each strapped to their bed amidst a wicked laboratory. Three attending physicians stand at the ready and loose their crossbow bolts on the intruders. The battle is quick as the group overruns the demented assistants. As the combat ends Magoovial and JadeBlade arrive and greet Domollo’s mates. Familiar with the group, Magoovial updates Domollo with the recent knowledge of the advancing army of wererats.

Beyond the lab is an abandoned private study littered with alchemical beakers and scattered papers. Nothing of value is apparent, but the condition of the office indicates that it was recently occupied. The adjacent lab reveals cruel treatment and potential experimentation on the sick. As the group is looking for clues, the warehouse’s lift begins to move. The group moves to the sub-floor to find a vast network of rooms. Among the first chambers are a watch guard of Gray Maidens and another alchemical equipment room.

Under the guise of Physicians’ Assistants, the group stumbles upon a ritual party headed by dark priests of Tylona, goddess of disease and death. Domollo immediately falls into character, order the troop to return to the “queen” as they have been summoned. He summons one of the priests into the equipment room and, while shutting the door, instructs Barl to cut him down. The physician is slain, leaving nothing but stained robes on the chamber floor. Their infiltration is coming to an end.

The network of rooms becomes more evil with each subsequent chamber, culminating in a despicable hall of horrors. Encased in transparent walls of force, undead bodies writhe in a crawl space around the circumference of the room. Body parts pivot and blood coats the poor souls trapped within. The display is sickening, even to the heartiest of warriors. Quickly moving to through the opposing doors, the group finds a disturbing room with corpses fastened to beds in the most extreme case of depravity. It is a room of total experimentation with complete disregard of the dignity of life. The entire building is saturated in evil.

Moving through the hall of undead, the group soldiers on, passing through mighty double doors. On the other side is a montage of priests and phsycian’s assistants waiting in silence for the intruders. The room supports elevated crosswalks that pass over massive culdrons of bubbling ooze. Standing atop the central catwalk is a man dressed in heavy aprons, equipped with a multitude of cutting instruments and miscellaneous surgical devices. The room is silent in the exposure of pure evil.

Encounters: three Physician’s Assistants, four Gray Maidens, a gas-trapped foyer, a multitude of priests of Tylona, and the mad experimentor.

Achievements: uncovered the secret compound of the Physician’s Assistants, revealed the evil experiments being performed on diseased folk, and discovered the participation of priests of Tylona.