Mask’s Assault on Assam – The Last Nail

• Characters: Bixtbie, Dak, Cromwell, Forkbeard, Jebeddo, Rog, Roywyn, Sentalial, V.L., Vexander, Wicasa, X-Requinn, Zaytheon
• NPCs: Julbin Cometstrike, Uljary Blackshore, Gilpin, Assam heckler
• Synopsis: Beneath to wall of force atop the coffin, Dak and Rog are worthless again their entrapment. Repeated poundings have yielded nothing. The coffin lid slams shut, crashing their spirits so much as a boot heel does a bug. But as their hope dwindles, Julbin’s visage and voice appear in their minds’ eye. The sage warns that the ruins on the Giant Plane that they discovered are birthing gates to other planes, planes that are violating the order of things. The spawning of gates is allowing extraplanar creatures unnatural access to the Material Plane and threaten the Dragon Coast. The unhallowed mist encroaching on their ankles starts to disperse as Julbin’s work stretches across miles of land. The sage’s efforts free the pair as Cromwell, Zaytheon and Bixtbie arrive. Cromwell guides the group to their destination, the coffin on the south side of Assam. The rendezvous is not glorious as the successive battles are taking their toll on the party. Catching their collective breath the final coffin is the site of the extraordinary and devious. Three ghoulish souls sit atop the interloping chamber deep in conversation. Mention of someone named Gilpin causing them angst is overheard, but not much else. Attempts to engage their conversation are fruitless until Roywyn presents herself causing the ghouls to take a greater interest in their audience. Butting his way into the conversation X-Requinn offers his service as a follower of Mystra and is greeted warmly by the spirits Goren, Gavin and Paul as their goddess Mask has often worked with Mystra for the benefit of all. The lies break across X-Requinn’s countenance, shattering his demeanor. The sea elf presents his symbol of Mystra, but the ghouls are ready for the attack. Combat explodes at the feet of the final coffin, but an unseen wail grows ever nearer as once again darkness envelops the group. From outside the effects of the black sphere, the group works against the hidden assailants, but only a rare strike finds its target. The ghosts are well protected and their spirits are buffed by the growing crescendo that is the shriek of the dead. Cromwell and Wicasa are the only ones to see the true threat as a hideous ghost screams a terrible curse across the fields of Assam. The ghouls cackle with glee as their Mistress of Mask has arrived. The impenetrable globe of darkness hides the attackers well as the adventurers work to dismantle the three ghouls to focus on the spectre. Piecing together a plan from the clues, Jebeddo takes Vexander and V.L. to the previous coffin to retrieve the black knight in hopes of perplexing the ghouls. The knight in ceramic armor can be turned into an ally. Cromwell forms steps from the air and works his way to greet the abomination with his Fist of Helm. The two trade blows but her attacks peal back Cromwell’s layers of charisma and he is forced to retreat or become undead himself. After several repeated attempts Roywyn vaporizes the darkness, exposing their enemies. The ghouls are finally destroyed as the party refocuses everything in its arsenal againt the Mistress of Mask. The collective effort is only just enough to destroy the shrieking spirit, but not before it emits a call of death that catches not only the field of battle, but the wall’s of Assam. The wave of doom washes over the city walls catching onlookers and soldiers alike. The effect is devastating as those commoners who were cheering on the adventurers are taken. Numerous bodies keel overtop the parapet crashing to the uneven ground below. Ultimately the death of Mask vanishes leaving the party gasping for life. Jebeddo, Vexander and Zaytheon arrive, bringing along the black knight now known as Gilpin. Without another word or omen, Gilpin drives his fists into the last remaining coffin, shattering it to pieces. An almost peaceful mood overtakes the knight as its shoulders slump. With his head turned towards the group, the body beneath the armor seems to crumble and the armor collapses in on itself. Falling to the group, the ceramic pieces shatter to tiny bits against the hard, rocky surface much to the dismay of the poorly armored Zaytheon. Cheers erupt from the survivors of the death wail. From the same gate that arrived earlier, the four horsewomen gallop towards the adventurers, accompanied by the heckler. Wicasa snarls at the man, but before words and blades exchange, the dismounting man parts his cloack to reveal the etching on his armor. He brandishes the symbol of the Dark Lancers.
• Encounters: three ghouls, deathshrieker
• Achievements: destroyed the Mistress of Mask, freed Gilpin the black knight, and destroyed each of the coffin gates surrounding Assam.

Mask’s Assault on Assam – The West Coffin

• Characters: Forkbeard, Jebeddo, Roywyn, Sentalial, V.L, Vexander, Wicasa, X-Requinn
• NPCs: Julbin Cometstrike, Assam heckler, Uljary Blackshore
• Synopsis: Jebeddo appears in Threshold frantically searching for allies in their battle. The gnome’s name and honor are at stake, as he has yet to even begin negotiations with the City of Assam. The wayfinder finds his way to Julbin Cometstrike’s hut and drafts Vexander the cleric and the breathtaking Roywyn to his cause. Julbin also provides the means to aid the party by repelling the magic surrounding the coffins, as well as freeing Forkbeard from his petrified status. Stuffing the items into his pouches, Jebeddo grasps his new allies and teleports back to Assam. As the party’s resources continue to dwindle, Bixtbie, Cromwell and Zaytheon return to the coffin that has trapped Rog and Dak. Their sheer brutality will be needed to win this engagement. The rest of the party fly after the departed Sentalial, only to find him undecided in his approach to the coffin on the west side of the city. Standing atop of the landscape’s intruder is a knight in black ceramic armor. Whispered advice escapes the helmet as it repeats “Do not listen to her. If you do you will die.” The parlay is worthless as the herald continues spouting his warnings. As if plagued by singular, unrelenting, and impossible to kill gnat, Wicasa is hounded by the heckler atop the city wall. Accusations hurl from the safety of Assam. But luckily the words are drowned by the pending combat. Surrounded by his allies, Sentalial leads the group, pressing the attack. Whomever or whatever the herald is, or what woman he bellows about, he is at the wrong place at the wrong time. Blows are delivered but not returned, but the melee triggers the lid of the coffin. Immediately surrounding the frontline warriors are undead creatures summoned from some barren wasteland of dust and dried-up seas. A swirling mist of gray envelops the adventurers, and Sentalial and V.L. quickly find themselves in a bad way. Jebeddo’s reinforcements arrive to prevent the murder as the gnome wizard dispels the mist. Even more undead join the fray, a pair of embalmed corpses and a walker of graves coated in spider webs. Vexander presents his holy symbol and sends two of the attackers away in fear. Sentalial and V.L. work quickly delivering righteous blow after righteous blow, sending chunks of salt and debris showering the ground. The exchange of attacks is epic, as the slams against Sentalial seem to suck his breath from his lungs. And the paladins belief is greater than his enemies; they are smited and Sentalial’s sword sends the salted adversary screaming to the soil. Only a fraction of time expires before the salted mounds reform into their former bodies and begin attacking anew. X-Requinn grabs his decanter of endless water to test his theory. True the the hypothesis, the water douses the creatures forming puddles that seep quickly into the disturbed ground surrounding the unholy coffins. Weary of previous attempts, Jebeddo cautiously investigates the coffin finding that permanent spells are in place making the chamber unhallowed with Mask’s authority. But more disturbing is the gate effect still in place, somehow allowing for interplanar travel. Despite their accumulated knowledge the group can only derive that the source is from one of the outerplanes. The group recuperates, quickly assessing their resources. Before they march onto the last coffin, the outlandish heckler once again scolds Wicasa, blaiming the secretive adventurer for the cities woes. In a burst of rage, Wicasa Wakan shouts back, “Will you not fight for your own city, will you not?!?” As a retort builds, the man is cut off by Uljary Blackshore, one of the city’s commanders and one of the four horsewomen that initially greated the adventurers. Seemingly the heckling stops, but not before Sentalial rides off to the last of Mask’s coffins. Moving after their ally, the group simulataneously floats to the ground. The warriors immediately feel weaker and less mobile. The spells put in place before the battles have been exhausted. Now they must face their last, and greatest encounter with but their swords, wits, and what little spells remain.
• Encounters: three salt mummies, two mummies, webbed zombie
• Achievements: defeated the attackers from the west coffin, and admonished the cowardly troops behind the walls of Assam

Jocylina’s Party at the Carowyn Manor

• Characters: Alrak, Barl Bloodbones, Belton Stoutshield, Crulamin, Domollo Blue, Zaos
• NPCs: Eshtani Doctry, Tae Soldado, Daeanaria, Ruan, Jocylina
• Synopsis: The spread of the disease Bloodveil creeps across the adventurers as the deep dwarf Barl Bloodbones succumbs to its depths. Arriving at the Temple of Torm, the group is granted audience with Eshtani who struggles with the dangerous outbreak. After healing Barl, Eshtani is slightly reprieved when the group offers to extend themselves on Eshtani’s behalf. The follower of Torm redirects the adventurers back to the Soldado homestead. Their success in healing the young Brianna reverberated throughout the community and a friend of the Soldado’s comes forward with an urgent request. Daeanaria reports that her brother Ruan is missing. Being a harpist, he was hired by the monied and elite House Carowyn to perform at a galla event two nights prior, but has not returned. She went to the house to investigate herself, but it was boarded up and shuttered. Since the Bloodveil outbreak, she fears contracting the disease but cries for her brother’s whereabouts. Accepting the grieving sister’s request, the group leaves for the Carowyn manor finding it in the exact condition Daeanaria descriped. Domollo and Barl make quick work of the fancy lock and push into the foyer. There they stumble onto a grotesque sight as undead dressed in fancy outfits are paired up on a dance floor, flittering about to unheard music. As inevitable combat erupts, cackling laughter comes from beyond the dance floor. The source is a femal elf, marred with bizarre make-up and dressed in a ball gown, its garish colors clashing. Announcing their entrance, the elf welcomes the party-goers to “Jocylina’s Party” and instructs the zombies to attack. The group plugs up the foyer while battling the undead, only to be the intended recipients of Jocylina’s attacks from afar. In the adjacent lounge more zombies linger, latent in there lack of response to the melee. Arlak is able to break through, tracing the hysterical elf upstairs where he finds more zombies in the gallery. Presenting his newly acquired holy symbol, the dwarf banishes them, sending them scurrying through the balcony windows and crashing to the streets below. A series of unfortunate events plagues the party as Jocylina douses Barl with alchemists’ fire. His return shot with the crossbow errantly fires into Belton’s back, crippling the wizard. Zaos and Crulamin continue decimating the horde as bodies continue to pile up on the dance floor, as the lounging zombies join the soiree. Barl gathers his wits and turns invisible, beginning his hunt along with Domollo Blue for the laughing elf. The two find her in the sitting room only to have her escape again. The crazed hostess is dancing throughout the manor, reeking havoc on her uninvited guests. Another batch of zombies arrives from the dinning room, only adding the great wall of zombies that the party is constructing. But the groups health dwindles even as their foes numbers do in turn. Barl and Domollo track Jocylina to the servants’ entry, rushing her position in an attempt to end this evil play. As she goes to retreat, Domollo swings, violently missing. But the still invisible Barl Bloodbones strike is as true as the Underdark is lightless. Bring his dwarven battle axe down on Jocylina, Barl drives the blow deep into the elf’s torso, sending her body violently in two opposed directions. Clan Bloodbones has earned its name once again as what remains of the hostess is all but red grafitti splattered across the wall. Domollo Blue is stunned at the massive display of brawn but redirects his ally to the zombie battle behind them. Reuniting the party and flanking the undead, the two join the rest and dismember the remaining “guests”. Now all they have to figure out is which head belongs to Ruan the Harpist.
• Encounters: six zombie dancers, three zombie loungers, three zombie art critics, four zombie diners, and Jocylina
• Achievements: discovered the horrific aftermath of an murdered party, destroyed most of the undead of the Carowyn manor, and split the responsible elven witch in two pieces.

Mask’s Assault on Assam – The North Coffin

• Characters: Bixtbie, Cromwell, Forkbeard, V.L, Wicasa, X-Requinn, Zaytheon
• NPCs: None
• Synopsis: After defeating the astral demonoids, the group investigates the mysterious coffin, only to trigger a planar shift that steals Rog and Dak into the coffin itself. Unable to extricate their comrades, the group signals to them to hold tight through hand gestures and written words. Cat-calls from the city guard find the ears of the party triggering a decisive glare from Wicasa and a call to arms by X-Requinn. During the interaction, the follower of Mystra spots another ally Zaytheon approaching the city. The warrior has joined the battle just in time as X-Requinn summons a mount for Zaytheon and the two rendezvous with the group. But the delay in action is too long for Sentalial who summons his mount and gallops off towards the north. The party chases after the paladin only to quickly lag behind the charging Sentalial. After the separation, the group realizes they have lost another of their number as Jebeddo has disappeared. The wailing of Assam’s citizens rings throughout the city’s exterior; time is collapsing on the adventurers. They make the decision to gather their remaining resources and destroy the occupant or occupants of the north coffin. Bixtbie cracks the black stone lid with a borrowed wand of knocking and steps back from the unknown. As with the first coffin an obscuring darkness envelops the group’s surroundings, capturing them in a pitch black blanket. Only Cromwell and Wicasa can see their attackers as five earthen humanoids emerge from their crypt. The surrounding party is at an immediate disadvantage, unable to see their enemy. X-Requinn summons Mystra’s aid and banishes the darkness. The battle’s scales shift towards the center, but not in time to balance the combat. The undead stone humanoids emit a cloud of dust that collect on Forkbeard. Grimacing in pain, the dwarf succumbs to the magic effects, turning to stone. Wicasa rescues the statue from oblivion by shifting the plane of shadow while grappling the petrified Stone Lord. Zaytheon delivers a crushing blow, but the trade-off is devastating as his plate mail armor desintigrates, falling to pieces at his feet. But strike acts as the balance shift in balance towards the adventurers. In rapid succession, the five undead invaders are destroyed. The assault on Assam is only half-way repelled.
• Encounters: five dust wights
• Achievements: defeated the attackers from the north coffin.
  

The Great Ball of Lightning, Part III – Assault on Assam

• Characters: Bixtbie, Cromwell, Dak, Forkbeard, Jebeddo, Rog, Sentalial, V.L, Wicasa, X-Requinn
• NPCs: Julbin, Quint, Uljary Blackshore
• Synopsis: Erupting from the source, the ball of lightning breaks free from the ruins and collects in the sky. But it has ceased to be anchored to the Giant’s Plain and begins moving over the Giant’s Run Mountains. Quint assesses the path and determines that the target destination is the city of Assam. The party decides to seek reinforcements from Treshold and return to the small town. After hearing of their tales and the coincidental connection to Assam, several of the Defenders of the Dragon Coast join the group to continue the investigation. Traveling to Assam is a simple spell as the enlarged group appears in the midst of chaos. Outside of the city walls, merchants and city folk are in sheer agony and panic. With an unseen possession or some type of horrific curse, the affected begin collapsing or running in random directions. The Assam Captain of the Guard Uljary Blackshore intercepts the group with three of her captains in-command, investigating their strange appearance of the party. As the interview turns confrontational the welcoming committee sets up a barrier fire wall and retreats to the city. Jebeddo and X-Requinn combine to allow the party to fly invisibly over the city where they find mysterious stone coffins, one bordering on the outside of each city wall in all four directions. Without a doubt the focus of the disturbance emminates from these coffins. Choosing the east wall coffin, Dak cracks it up and is inundated with obscuring mist. Hidden darts target the group, but the attackers are nowhere to be seen. As the adventurers spread out, Dak draws the ire of one of their invisible assailants. Now visible to everyone, the group pounces on the muscular humanoid with leathery black skin and massive claws. After surrounding the newly found foe, another appears in a flanking position and drops Wicassa Wakan. The group works together to support and flank their opponents as yet a third demonic creature appears. Battling against the injured, the initial two beasts are destroyed, and the third is killed after attempting to flee. Before any inspection can be made the corpses vaporize in a cloud a blackened dust and smoke. It bodes poorly for the adventurers that there are still three coffins left surrounding Assam.
• Encounters: Assam’s captain of the guard, three astral stalkers
• Achievements: followed the ball of lightning to the city of Assam, discovered a city under attack by an unseen curse, and defeated the occupants of one of the offending coffins.

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.
  

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

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.
  

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.