New Year's Eve

Nehn 18, 4711

Darelle and Daryle discover Gerald meandering the forest early in the morning. After a few hours of rest and healing, Gerald reveals that he sat at the table with Greenhide and the goblin revealed to him that his informant inside the Hellknight compound thought that there was to be a civil war soon. The goblin chief is planning to sit this one out and take on the winners of this bloody and debilitating conflict. After that, he remembers that Greenhide had him escorted away from the Spire and he spent the night in the forest, with wolves howling all around him.

Strangely, Gerald does not recall how he received the large scar on his breastbone. The scar looks angry but it does not appear to have been infected.

Roscoe is summoned to Lady Commander Drovust's office. There he is met by the Commander as well as all of the high-ranking Hellknight officers. Roscoe is officially granted all rights to carry the title of Hellknight, due to his slaughtering the demon Sartoss. He is also appointed as the warden of the Citadel's goal, a series of twelve cells in the second basement where criminals and enemies of the Hellknights are kept.

Nehn 21, 4711

Roscoe overhears a conversation between the Lady Commander Drovust and Maralictor Wirt concerning the arrival of Duke Mosley and a few thousands Hellknights, who are heading to the Wound of the World. Drovust expresses her worries that the Duke may be making a power play to remove her from her office, so the guard must be deployed to protect Fort Inevitable. Hellknight soldiers loyal to Drovust will remain inside the walls, while newly arrived soldiers will not be permitted inside Fort Inevitable.


Nehn 30, 4711

Duke Mosley and his troops arrive, as well as a large merchants' caravan. The merchants set up by the commons outside the gates, while the newly arrived Helknights pitch camp in a crescent formation around the southeastern section of Fort Inevitable. With over 4,000 troops, this camp is huge.

A siege mentality quickly spreads through Fort Inevitable. Local citizens are allowed in and out of the Fort, but newly arrived Hellknights must remain outside the walls. Local Hellknights provide as an excuse that the town is overcrowded with the merchants' arrival and that, to maintain law and order, the number of soldiers inside the walls must be kept to a minimum.


Nehn 31, 4711

With the New Year only hours away, the Hellknights deliver golden embossed invitations to each of the Coopers at their residences, except for Thorne. Each of them is invited to attend the celebration at the Citadel. Darelle and Gerald are inclined to go, but Daryle remembers the last time she participated in a Hellknight celebration and does not want to go. She tells the Hellknights delivering the invitation that she's not feeling well and will most likely not be there.

A few minutes later, someone knocks on Gerald's door in Fort Inevitable. He answers in his bathrobe, and is greeted by a messenger boy who's delivering a letter from his mother, Gertrude.

At the same time, Erynna, Dr. Mordel's personal assistant, delivers a letter from Dr. Mordel to Darelle. She tells her that Dr. Mordel is in grave danger in prison and is likely to die there.

Finally, an armored Hellknight imp delivers a letter to Daryle. It looks like she must attend the New Year ceremony after all.

 

Given these two rather poor options, Daryle decides she must consult with her siblings. First, she checks to make sure their treasure remains undiscovered. She then heads to Fort Inevitable to visit the merchants and gets a nice walking stick she can take into town.

Meanwhile, six burly Hellknights come to Tom Braddon's General Store shortly after it opens. Thorne is the only employee there. A Hellknight hands him an arrest warrant with Thorne's name on it. The rogue quickly thinks about fleeing, but he realizes he is hopelessly outnumbered, so he accompanies them to the Citadel.

Gerald is still on his porch, pondering his mother's letter and the meaning of his large scar when he sees Thorne being led away in handcuffs. He shrugs, then decides to go see Dr. Mordel. He carefully gets dressed then heads out. The town is packed with soldiers, more than usual, and it seems like every Hellknight in Fort Inevitable is out on the walls and throughout the streets.

Darelle, meanwhile, goes to Dr. Mordel's house and meets the four patients currently under the doctor's care. It is clear that two of them are under palliative care and do not have long left to live. But the other two have exotic diseases. The first one, a woman, has strange purple plaques on most of her body. These plaques appear to move randomly, and sometimes angry blue dots appear and disappear in the middle. Her chart's information informs Darelle that Dr. Mordel believes the woman to suffer from papura tohu disease, a disease common on the elemental plane of water but that generally only affects amphibian species. Mordel speculates that she came in contact with the frogmen during the most recent green storm. The second patient appears to be a dwarf whose right side has been transformed and looks like a scaly lobster. Even his arm has been changed into a claw. Mordel has not arrived at a diagnostic but he recorded that the claw arm can be cut and it regrows. She begins to take care of them.

Arriving at Dr. Mordel, Gerald instead meets Erynna, who tells him it looks like the good doctor has been detained by the Hellknights. Darelle returns upstairs, and she tells Gerald what she knows about Mordel's arrest.

Thorne lucks out and is locked into the same cell as Mordel. A quick verbal exchange between prisoners on this level indicate that many of the leading citizens are currently housed here, and most have been arrested since sundown. Thorne tells Mordel he plans on escaping, but Mordel tells him he will remain behind. Mordel appears dejected and seems to have lost the will to live. He reveals to Thorne that he is sort of a vampire, but he believes in facing justice, even the harsh judgment of the Hellknights.

Meanwhile, Roscoe reads the prisoners' report, and realizes that Thorne is now a resident of his facility. He takes a walk down to the second basement, and finds his younger brother spending quality time with Dr. Mordel. According to the gaol's roster, Thorne has not currently been scheduled for execution. Nevertheless, he decides he must somehow arrange to free his brother. Roscoe thus returns and passes a note and a key to Thorne to escape.

Eventually, Daryle enters Fort Inevitable and locates Darelle and Gerald. She decides to call a family meeting. Gerald tells her he saw Thorne being hauled away to the Citadel. Daryle decides to ignore that for now, and a message is sent to Roscoe. About an hour later, the four Coopers are reunited. After a quick conversation, it is clear that the Coopers are in danger. They agree that the assassination attempt must take place, but the course of action is to reveal this attempt to the Lady Commander Drovust so she can fake her own death. Duke Mosley will then spring his plan into action, and the Lady Commander with her trusted guard can thwart him. Roscoe says he will approach Drovust and share this information with her.

Thorne unlocks the door and discovers that the other prisoners are willing to attempt an escape. He comes up with a quick plan. They will overpower the night guard, when the staff is reduced inside the Citadel's lower levels, and make their way to the sewer system.

Roscoe returns to the Citadel and talks to the Lady Commander Drovust alone in her office, and reveals his information. Drovust eventually agrees to fake her own death, and tells Roscoe to tell no one else about this subject.

Darelle and Gerald try to visit Dr. Mordel in the gaol, but are turned away. The Hellknights are on edge and will not let anyone in, even if they appear sick.

So the plan is set. Daryle will fake being ill and will shake the Lady Commander's hand after using a dose of the calamby poison from Daggermark. An hour later, the Lady Commander will convulse and will apparently die. The trap will be set.

There goes Gerald again!

Nehn 17, 4711

Having been tasked for asset recovery by the Hellknights, the Coopers successfully retrieved the Mosswater treasury and turned over a third of it back to Fort Inevitable. Daryle hid the remainder throughout Shadowborn Manor. But the missing money, which disappeared during the goblin assault on Fort Inevitable, still bothers the siblings. Where could the money have gone, and, more importantly, who stole it? The Coopers decide to investigate.

Darelle is the first to bring the subject up to Dr. Mordel. She informs him about the events that transpired during the last few months, leading to the Hellknight treasury disappearing. Dr. Mordel does not appear surprised, but confesses he had not heard this state of affairs. The Hellknights, he told her, have done a very good job keeping this information to their upper echelons. He tells her that residents of the Fort have noticed the Coopers' activities on behalf of the occupiers, and that they are earning a reputation as Hellknight lackeys. She replied not to worry, she and her brothers and sister were doing no one's bidding but their own. He told her he personally didn't care, he knew she was a good person, but this was a needle they needed to thread very carefully, otherwise they might get pricked.

Noah, meanwhile, enters Fort Inevitable and secures lodgings at the Juliver Arms, in the room across from Roscoe. He decides to spread the rumor that the Hellknights' bank was broken into and the money has disappeared. Noah tells Tom Braddon that hundreds of thousands of crowns have disappeared from the bank, and that there will be delays in making payroll. He further adds that several officers have questioned whether they would deposit money in the bank in the future. Quickly, this rumor reaches every corner of town, and many people present themselves at the bank to make withdrawals. The bank is able to meet all of its obligations, and the rumor is quelled. Unfortunately for the Coopers, the fact that they turned in a large amount of gold has enabled the Hellknights to meet their financial obligations, and it would take several large withdrawals from rich inhabitants to really shake the bank, something the Coopers are unable to engineer.

Later on in the afternoon, Darelle and Daryle wander the sewers, and discover that they look much the same. The Hellknights have fortified the main sewer leading past the citadel with a complex set of gates and heavy iron bars, but they have made no efforts to close the exit out by the field.

Daryle decides to head back home and explore the iron mine by entering through the well. The recent rains have filled up the well enough to make that path difficult to access. Daryle decides to not attempt the crawl and instead returns home.

Darelle concludes her day by buying two potions of invisibility before returning home for the night.


Nehn 19, 4711

In the morning, Daryle and Darelle head out to the Emerald Spire. Since they haven't discovered where the gold has gone, they decide to see if Greenhide was involved in the theft. The Spire has clearly suffered the full effect of the Helknights' assault during the green storm. The goblin defenses have been obliterated, the makeshift gates forced, and no signs of a goblin presence.

The sisters enter through the 3rd level access tunnel, hoping to gain access to the upper levels without being noticed. Unfortunately, they discover that all of the hallways on this level have been sealed. The Coopers can easily access the lower levels of the Spire, but they cannot climb up. Frustrated, they head back out again, and decide that they will attempt to sneak in through the secret passages on the ground level.

Coming out of the tunnel, they notice a large homemade flag flying from one of the Spire's tower. That flag was not there before they went down the tunnel. Upon closer inspection, the flag displays a crude obscene rendering and both sisters look at each other. Gerald is at it again.

Indeed. While the sisters were down on the 3rd level, Gerald, who had followed them, had decided to plant his flag as a juvenile prank. Unfortunately for him, he was challenged by two goblins after he had placed the flag, and following a short battle in which he was attacked both by a swarm of wasps, slipped on the icy ground and fell thirty feet, he quickly found himself unconscious and once again an unwilling guest of Greenhide.

Darelle and Daryle explored the area near the flag, and discovered several incinerated wasps, signs of a struggle, and marks where a body had fallen before goblins picked it up and dragged it inside. Once again, it is up to them to save Gerald from himself.

The Coopers breach the secret doors, and discover that the ground level has been badly damaged by the Hellknights. The goblins have tried to put it back together, but it lacks some of the fineries that were present there before. They encounter several groups of goblins, and successfully dispatch all of them. But as more and more goblins seem to be joining the fight, the sisters decide it is time to accomplish a strategic retreat lest they suffer Gerald's fate. They return to Fort Inevitable.

When Gerald awakens from his enforced nap, he finds himself shackled to a chair at the head of a long table. At the other end he sees Greenhide, who welcomes him back to the land of the conscious, if only for a short moment. The goblin chief then offers him a bowl of turtle soup...

The Treasury of Mosswater

Nehn 1, 4711

Noah Harve is a wandering rogue traveling through the River Kingdoms. After spending some time south, he decides to head towards Numeria. Having bypassed Fort Inevitable due to its unwelcoming reputation among rogues, he is forced to seek shelter when a storm comes through. He hides in what looks like an abandoned manor. After settling in, he falls asleep. In the morning, after a restless night, he hears the sounds of people outside.

Gerald, Daryle and Darelle arrive at Shadowborn Manor, having just returned from their first visit to Mosswater. Daryle discovers a set of humanoid tracks on her property, and decides to investigate. The tracks lead around the house, but do not seem to enter it. A cursory look reveals nothing is missing inside the Manor. Tired from the trek from Mosswater, Gerald heads to the kitchen and cooks an aromatic and mouth-watering breakfast.

With everyone inside, Noah steps outside the building through a window and leaves the property. He comes back to the front door and knocks. In the kitchen, Daryle is the only one who hears the knock at the front door, and she sends Gerald to answer it. In front of him stands a vagrant, smelling in need of a bath and haggard-looking. The vagrant introduces himself as Noah Harve, a passing traveler, and requests shelter for the day. Gerald finds Noah rather presumptuous and truculent. Noah is introduced to Daryle and Darelle in the kitchen, and he immediately recognizes them as the wanted triplets from Razmir. A price has been placed on their head: 10,000 crowns if all three are brought back alive, or 1,000 crowns for each head returned to the living god.

Daryle finds Noah shifty, but after some back and forth Noah and the Coopers agree on a contract. Noah will work for the Coopers in exchange for room and board. He will keep all monies he discovers up to 5 crowns, and this applies per find. In the conversation with his sisters, Gerald tells them that his plan is to gather enough evidence that if they must they can pin the theft of the Hellknights' gold on Noah.

With this business finally completed, the Coopers repackage provisions and head out. Their first task will be to secure a wagon. Daryle heads to the goblin mine near her property to get her hands on a wagon, but the Hellknights have already secured the facility and the guards on duty do not allow them to ener the mine. The Coopers must find another wagon. They finally settle on borrowing one from Alina Merlon, their aunt.She lends them an old farm wagon, and she lets them borrow her oldest horse, fondly named Poor Old Horse. Darelle has taken care of it over the last year, and it is pleased to see her. The Coopers hit the road again.

Nehn 2, 4711


The Coopers and Noah arrive in Mosswater early in the morning, after spending the night a few miles away from the center of the dead city. Nothing has changed in the last two days, and their hideout appears secure. They leave the wagon outside, but Darelle brings Poor Old Horse inside the restaurant to keep him protected. They then begin transporting crates of jugs filled with dye to the wagon. Over the course of the morning and early afternoon they manage to remove 40 cases of 6 jugs of dye and load up the wagon. But then Noah notices a brigantine ship quickly sailing up river. The ship sports a triangular flag, with a field of blood red, and a cat in the middle having clawed a bird. Noah runs inside and tells the Cooper. Darelle immediately recognizes the description Baron Katkis' flag.

The Coopers come out to prepare for attack, but they notice that the ghostly ship has already docked. Four specters rush up the road and attack. The battle lasts a while, but eventually the Coopers emerge victorious. During the battle Noah escapes with the wagon, but Daryle catches up to him. He had stopped two streets away to wait for the battle's end. Daryle still remains suspicious of this vagrant.

With a full load and enough adventure for the day, the Coopers return to Fort Inevitable where they arrive early the following morning. They turn in their cargo of dye to the Hellknights and receive a receipt from Maralictor Wirt for the cargo's value of 10,000 crowns.

Over the course of the next four days the Coopers empty out the basement of the restaurant and turn in a total of 30,000 crowns' worth.

Nehn 6, 4711

Once again the Coopers head back to Mosswater, this time without the wagon. The focus of this trip is to once and for all locate the mythical town treasury. They plan on searching every building until it is discovered.

They head out late at night, and they make good time, so much so that they arrive on the outskirts of Mosswater before the arrival of dawn. That's when they notice that the light of the lighthouse is on, with a lovely golden hue. The beam rotates every thirty seconds. Even at a distance, they can also hear the roaming sounds of creatures haunting the streets of the dead city. The Coopers decide to wait until the first light of days.

An hour after sunrise, the Coopers head straight to the lighthouse. It appears there was an attempt in the recent past to barricade the building, but it failed as the gates have been breached. Inside bones are scattered, but the presence of adventuring gear indicate that a party was here recently. Noah discovers a face mask, while Daryle finds a warrant, issued by Razmir, for the Riverbottom's arrest dead or alive. These must be the remains of the Living God's soldiers. The presence of these soldiers, seen only a few days ago heading to the lighthouse, seems to be a strong indication that they believed the treasure is in this building.

Among the bones Noah finds a strange rapier. Well balanced and exquisitely crafted, this weapon is also marked with Razmir's seal. Noah decides to keep it. The Coopers search the lighthouse. Darelle ascends to the top, and finds the light source. It is a strange crystal, about four feet in diameter and five feet tall, sitting on top of a stone pedestal. Darelle examines the crystal, and she discovers a hairline crack. She wedges her dagger in, and tries to pull it open. Unfortunately, she is unable to exercise enough force to move the two halves apart. When Daryle arrives she begins helping her sister, and together they are able to move each half away enough so that an arm can fit inside.

The golden hue is more pronounced on the inner part of the crystal. It is solid, but warm to the touch. The inner crystal is of a different material than the outer crystal. As night begins to fall, the inner crystal lights up, but the light is more diffuse than yesterday. Working together, the Coopers manage to put the two halves of the outer crystal back together.

Everyone then treks back to their shelter at the restaurant. During the night, they hear the cries and shambles outside of the monsters haunting the dead city.


Nehn 7, 4711

The Coopers come up with a plan. Over the next three days, they build a better barricade, retreating each night back to their shelter, and making sure that an access point remains open for the monsters to enter the lighthouse.

Nehn 10, 4711

On the third day, they close the doors and lay down large beams. They should be well protected tonight. When the light comes on, the Coopers can see the strange monsters outside moving in groups of two or three. They are hideous-looking, with large heads sporting no eyes but large noses. Each monster has four arms and four legs, and moves crouched low to the ground, grabbing and gnawing on bones with many sets of sharp teeth as they move about. The monsters come and examine the barricade, but do not push their way in.

Darelle and Daryle are once again at the top of the lighthouse. The crystal shines golden, and Darelle observes small sparkles inside that look eerily like coins. They pry open the outer crystal, and Darelle carefully moves her hand forward. Instead of hitting the inner crystal, her hand goes through, and she touches a few coins. She pulls them out. The gold crowns have a variety of faces and dates, but none of them are more recent than 100 years ago. The Coopers have discovered the treasury of Mosswater.

Nehn 11, 4711

In the morning, the Coopers head back to Shadowborn Manor with about 20,000 crowns. Over the rest of the month the Coopers manage to haul away 324,233 crowns from the Mosswater lighthouse. Most of it is buried around Daryle's property, but the Coopers submit 124,233 crowns to Maralictor Wirt. As a reward the Coopers are awarded 12,250 crowns and receive the written thanks from Lady Commander Drovust.

Where is the money?

Lamashan 28, 4711

Two days have passed since Fort Inevitable was attacked, and the town has slowly recuperated. The bodies of goblins, frogmen and the undead have been gathered and burned, and work has begun on fixing the collapsed part of the north wall.

The Coopers have been "invited" to the Chancellery by Lady Commander Drovust. Daryle brings small games, while Gerald brings a box of sweet treats. They are led to the Commander's office, where Drovust is waiting for them, many guards well armed and armored lining the walls.

Drovust tells the Coopers that during the assault the Chancellery's vault was broken into, and 431,567 crowns and gems and precious items worth roughly 200,000 crowns were stolen. This fact is not widely known throughout town at this point, but were this knowledge to spread it would cause chaos in the town as the bank could not make its financial obligations. And though she considered charging them with dereliction of duty, she has ultimately decided not to do this.

However, since in a very real way the Coopers have an obligation to the town, she tasks them to head to Mosswater, the ghost town, and recuperate the treasure that is rumored to still remain in the dead down. Each Cooper is provided with a small gem that contains some magical healing, and are then escorted to their residence before being guided to the Mosswater Gate. There they encounter their brother Thorne, returning to Fort Inevitable from a business trip.

Daryle berates Thorne for having skipped the battle, but then tells him he has to come with them to Mosswater. Grudgingly he agrees to follow them. Darelle and Daryle explain the reason for their trip to the ghost town, and Gerald provides background information on the events that took place over one hundred years ago.

On their way to Mosswater they stop by Shadowborn Manor for supplies. The property and the building have not suffered during the most recent green storm. They provision themselves and grab a few weapons and more gear.

Lamashan 29, 4711

The Coopers arrive in Mosswater late in the morning, after an uneven trek on a well-trodden path. The deserted town stretches in front of them. The buildings have been whitewashed by the relentless sun, and thousands of objects glitter in the streets. To the Coopers' dismay, these objects are the bones of the violently deceased about a hundred years ago. They look like they have been lovingly and patiently polished so that they glow under the sun's rays.

The Coopers enter the first large building their come upon. The building is abandoned, and there are bones scattered about. It looks like it has been ransacked several times over. Thorne searches the building but finds nothing of interest. It appears that years have passed since the last time someone was in here. Finding the location fairly decent, the Coopers decide to remove the furniture and bones and pile them in the house next door. Gerald's plan is to fill up empty buildings and burn them as they go along so that they don't search them again. 

Next, the Coopers head to Mosswater's town hall. A three-story fortified structure, the building may have been architecturally interesting in its heyday, but damage done from generations of looters as well as the ravages of time have tarnished the structure. Access to the building is easy and shows that it could not be used as a safe base. The ground floor holds the reception area as well as several offices. The second floor holds more offices and the town archives and library, while the third floor is composed of the mayor's personal quarters.

Searching the building Daryle discovers a large bulky ledger indicating that on the day before the town's death there were roughly 300,000 crowns in the town's coffers. The town generated on average about 10,000 crowns of dye business a month. Gerald discovers that all books dealing with religion are missing from the library, but he also comes across A Very Detailed History of Dyemaking in Mosswater, written by Charles Ludwig.Though it does not contain the specific recipe for creating the famous Mosswater dye, Gerald believes the instructions are precise enough to derive a close process in a short time. He also gets his hands on two more books, A Philosophy of Magic and Orcish Erotica Poetry Part 2. Thorne, meanwhile, discovers the mayor's appointment book in a false bottom. Interestingly, two days before the town's destruction there is a cryptic entry. The name Baron Katkil is written and underlined twice. No other name in the appointment book has a similar treatment.

Gerald recalls reading something about Baron Katkil. He was an infamous pirate a century ago who would ransom towns and villages near rivers throughout the River Kingdoms. Those that did not pay were attacked and some of them were destroyed. The presence of the Baron's name in the appointment book a few days before Mosswater falls indicates a probable cause for its destruction.

Meanwhile, Darelle spots five soldiers and a priest from Razmir. Standing by the cathedral, they appear to be consulting a map. After several minutes, they head out towards the manufacturing district and the Coopers lose sight of them by the lighthouse in the middle of town.

Carefully, the Coopers creep out of the town hall and head towards the cathedral. Dedicated to Abadar, the building's spires stretch to the sky, but, like the town hall, its majesty has been severely diminished due to battle damage and years of weather. Inside, all religious symbols that could be carried have been removed, but those carved in the stone remain, glaring down at the visitors. There are dead bodies everywhere, and clearly many of the town's original inhabitants took refuge in vain here.

Searching the vestry, Thorne comes upon a series of letters exchanged between the head chaplain and the town's mayor regarding the ransom demanded by Baron Katkil. Dated four days before the town's demise, the exchange indicate that the chaplain strongly urged the mayor to resist the pirate and make a stand against corruption in the name of Abadar and the inhabitants of Mosswater.

Noticing that the sun was slowly drifting towards the west, the Coopers decide to head out of town and find refuge for the night. However, they are attracted to a building next to the cathedral which has a restaurant on its ground floor. Called Food to Dye For, it appears well fortified, with an exterior that hasn't been breached. Thorne sucessfully picks the lock, and inside the Coopers find a nicely decorated main area. Furniture and dishes have been pushed to the side and piled against the windows, but otherwise the room looks undisturbed. It is clear, however, that many people have used this place as shelter.

Gerald is attracted to several cookbooks inside the kitchen, but he falls in a trap. Daryle almost become the trap's victim, but Darelle joins her brother down the pit. With Thorne's help Daryle is eventually able to rescue her siblings.

Exploring the rest of the building the Coopers come upon the wine cellar. All bottles but one have been smashed. The surviving bottle, buried under a pile of broken glass, is a fine vintage from Zelnaux Winery in Dimsdale, indicating some trading between the halfling village and Mosswater over one hundred years ago. Behind the walls Thorne discovers a secret passage leading to the real wine cellar. Inside they find a large collection of fine wines, many from Zelnaux, as well as thirty crates of dye and an elevator to another building behind the restaurant. These crates do not sport the town's tax seal, meaning that they are contraband crates. Someone here was involved in smuggling. In total, the cellar's contents are worth an estimated 30,000 crowns.

Given that no one has found this place in the last century, the Coopers feel reasonably safe in spending the night here.

Lamashan 30, 4711

In the morning, having survived the whining and the steps outside throughout the night, the Coopers head back to Fort Inevitable with two jugs of dye and a few wine bottles. Their plan? Returning to Mosswater with a wagon and begin hauling the merchandise out of the cellar.

Assault on Fort Inevitable! - NOT DONE

Lamashan 24, 4711

Following the Coopers' revelations of the previous day, the Hellknights, led by the Lady Commander Drovust, ride out of Fort Inevitable an hour before sunrise. Heavily armed and riding hard, they expect to arrive at the Spire mid-morning. Meanwhile, Roscoe is commanding the remaining garrison. He is not impressed by the quality of the personnel left behind. He immediately makes several decisions.

First, of the remaining 120 soldiers in the Fort, 10 Hellknights are sent to shore up the defenses of Dimsdale, the small halfling village a half day's away and Greenhide's likeliest first target. Roscoe then dispatches 20 more Hellknights to reach the other villagers and bring them in to Fort Inevitable. He assigns 80 soldiers to defend the walls, and 5 to stand by the tunnels. Finally, one Hellknight is stationed by each sewer hole with oil, horn, and straw. Feeling well prepared, Roscoe is sure he has covered every eventuality.

Darelle decides to talk to Dr. Mordrel. He tells he has a feeling that a catastrophe is about to occur, but he can't or won't be more specific. He also tells her to keep an eye on the graveyard. Darelle walks by on her way to the command center, but the graveyard appears undisturbed.

Gerald vows to talk to Abernard to get a few scrolls to protect his house. Daryle, meanwhile, positions herself by the Mosswater Gate to help the defense.

Despite a desperate plea to the inhabitants of Fort Inevitable, no one seems willing to come out and help in the defense of the town. The hatred for the Hellknights runs deep among the populace.

So, the Coopers spend the rest of the day preparing the defenses of Fort Inevitable for a possible assault.


Lamashan 25, 4711

In the middle of the night, the skies darken, and by the dawn it is clear that the day will be stormy. The clouds have a tint of green to them, and the population remains locked inside their dwellings. It's another of the freak storms that periodically afflicts the area. So far the Coopers experienced one of them earlier in the year, but Roscoe had been away from the area during that time. Daryle fills him up on the details of the monsters coming out and the gigantic shepherds that haunt the countryside. The Coopers are now nervous. Most of the Hellknight army is out in this weather!  

Roscoe orders the inhabitants of all surrounding areas to immediately take shelter in Fort Inevitable. Runners are sent out to alert other communities.

Hours go by, and the storm continues unabated. The grounds become saturated with water, and


Darelle leaves with the potion of invisibility

Messengers sent to the Emerald Spire and to the port.

Assault on the town

Lamashan 26, 4711

1

Where did the money go?


Second level of the Eagle? 

Greenhide's secret mine

Lamashan 22, 4711

On a beautiful fall day, Gerald decides to visit Shadowborn Manor and his sister Daryle, whom he has not seen for a while. This will give him the opportunity to take a good look at his sister's new property.

The Cooper twins explore the ruined manor and do some minor work on the kitchen. In the evening, they partake of a quick meal. That's when Daryle notices two goblins lurking at the edge of her property. The twins track them to an old stone well located among the ruins of a farm house about a mile and a half south of the manor. The first goblin climbs the wall around the well and disappears inside. Daryle quickly draws an arrow and slays the second goblin, but unfortunately he drops down into the well as well. Daryle pears down the well, and notices that there are sturdy iron rings leading downwards.

Daryle decides to climb down, and after a long hundred feet she reaches the bottom. She immediately moves over and tells Gerald to come down. The bottom of the well does not have any water and is filled with debris and the dead body of a goblin. Gerald casts light on Daryle's bow, and then lights his own lantern.

The other goblin is nowhere to be seen, but a hole in the well wall indicates that there is a path beyond. This path has been carved by water over eons, and, if the area wasn't in a dry spell there most likely would be water here. The Coopers track the surviving goblin through the natural caves and after a few hundred feet reach a junction between the natural cave and a man-made tunnel. The water that sweats over the walls is orange and bubbly, indicating that the area is rich in iron, and in fact the hallway itself is part of a mine, with timber supports. Daryle examines the wood and notices that it is about 75 to 150 years old. The tunnel plainly followed a vein here, then ended before the miners pierced into the natural cave.

Exploration of the tunnel reveals several glyphs in the timber. Evidently carved by goblins, they seem to provide crude directions. The footprints on the wet grounds indicate that there are at least a dozen goblins regularly threading here.

Gerald almost falls victim to a gelatinous cube, but is saved through quick thinking and a magical ring. They come upon a large cave where eleven goblins are chain-ganged and mine the iron ore while two bugbears oversee the work while cruelly abusing the goblins. The Coopers quickly dispatch the two slave drivers and tell the goblins to keep mining. There are large wagon tracks on the ground leading away from the cave.

The Coopers follow the tracks. They cross several lateral tunnels where other chain gangs are operating, as well as several dead ends. Then they come upon a large room with a set of chains leading a chain of buckets upwards through the ceiling. In the room are several goblins in chains, as well as their two bugbear overseers. But there are also six other goblins wearing weapons and armors. Daryle notices that the chief goblin has two crescent moons carved on his cheeks. A member of the Dark Blood tribe!

The iron ore mined by the goblins is loaded in containers that are linked to a rotating chain. The containers lift up through a hole in the ceiling, while other containers come down from the other side and are then replenished. Daryle and Gerald attack the group, but the battle turns south and first Gerald then Daryle succumb to the assault....

Lamashan 23, 4711

Gerald is the first to wake up, and he finds himself completely hogtied in a dark room with light barely coming in from the crack under the door. Next to him is Daryle, currently unconscious and also completely immobilized. There are two heavily armed bugbears in the room near the door, keeping an eye on the prisoners. When they notice Gerald is awake, one of them knocks on the door. A few moments later, a goblin taller than the others steps in. It's Greenhide!

Greenhide appears pleased to see Gerald. The goblin chief reveals to him that he and his sister will be "guests" for a week, until after the assault on Fort Inevitable he plans to lead in seven days. He further gloats to Gerald that he will first attack all of the villages around the town, then lay the town to waste afterwards. He tells Gerald to enjoy their goblin hospitality, and that he would be freed in seven days. Laughing evilly, Greenhide walks out, leaving the two guards behind.

Daryle wakes up, and after she takes stock of the situation she notices Gerald sweet talking the guards, trying to convince them to rise against the goblins. While he does so, she also spots a loose stone in the wall. Struggling, she manages to shake her ropes off, then she crawls over to the wall and begins removing the stones. Behind them is a small tunnel. She enters the tunnel then relays the stones again, blocking the path.

Meanwhile, Gerald keeps talking to the guard, and eventually they appear to be convinced, and they walk out the door, leaving the sorcerer alone. Gerald notices that he's now by himself, his sister having disappeared.

Daryle comes out on a ledge about twenty feet from the floor of the cave. It is a large space with fourteen wagons fully loaded with iron ore. Greehide comes down a set of stairs, then boards one of the wagons. The convoy, also accompanied by about fifty goblins, heads out. Daryle decides to follow them and comes out of the underground about four miles from her house. Following the trail, she arrives at an intersection. Right will take her to Fort Inevitable. Left, to Shadowborn Manor. And straight leads to the Emerald Spire. She decides to turn right to go warn the Hellknights.

Gerald manages to escape from the prison cell. After dispatching a few goblins, he searches the office for his gear but does not find it. He climbs the stairs down and spots twelve more empty wagons. He entertains the idea of hiding in one of them, but then decides that he is likely to be crushed by the ire as the wagon is loaded. He manages to escape the mine as well.

At the crossroads he takes a right and returns to Shadowborn Manor and raids his sister's supply of healing potions before racing back to Fort Inevitable.

Daryle is the first one to arrive in Fort Inevitable. She is taken immediately to see the Lady Commander and begins telling her her recent tale of woes. Greenhide is preparing an army, she tells the Lady Commander. He will attack the town soon. He's got goblins and bugbears. "I'm not a weak warrior and they took me down," she says, adding "The town needs to be prepared for this, they are coming." When questioned as to how many goblins Greenhide might have, Daryle tells her she saw about 100 or so, as well as ten or twelve wagons, with more that weren't done loading, four left, filled with iron ore to forge weapons.

Gerald is reunited with his sister in the Lady Commander's office, and he fills in some of the holes in the story. He reports that Greenhide is massing a force of goblins and bugbears as well as other monsters, possibly including demons. Greehide told Gerald that he would hit Dimsdale in seven days. "They know the strategic weaknesses of each outlying town, so they plan on hitting there before they come here to settle a score with the Hellknights and the Lady Commander herself," says Gerald. He quickly adds that Greenhide has his familiar at the moment and he planned to eat her for dinner. The sorcerer wants a small contingent of Hellknights as well as Coopers to retrieve the turtle, with the possibility of causing a rebellion and dealing with Greenhide once and for all.

The Lady Commander is not interested in a turtle rescue mission, however. Gerald tries to sweeten the pot by telling her about the secret mining site with dozens of enslaved goblins who could, given the right motivation, rise up and fight on the Coopers' side. She decides to take no action against the mine at this time, but she sends out messengers to all outlying farms and villages, and she immediately dispatches squads to reinforce each village's garrison. The Lady Commander and 900 of her best troops will rush out in the morning to assault the Emerald Spire. She appoints Roscoe local commander to take control of Fort Inevitable when the Hellknight army heads out in the morning.

Shadowborn Manor

Lamashan 13, 4711

After spending a few days recuperating from the events at Dimsdale, Darelle decides to furnish her new house and heads to Goldfoot's Mercantile. Mormuk Goldfoot greets her to his humble establishment, and after much haggling she purchases enough furniture and stores to comfortably set up her new little house. He tells her that her new goods will be delivered to her within the week.

Now that both Gerald and Darelle own their own residence, Daryle decides to do the same. She begins her search for a small farm or other space she can use to open a tannery. Given that there already is a tannery in town, she decides to make a few discreet inquiries around town. Eventually, she discovers that about an hour southwest of town stands an ancient manor now abandoned on the outskirts of town. The owner, Vitar Shadowborn, is a destitute man who lives in a hovel on the outskirts of Fort Inevitable and would probably be willing to part with it for a few coins to alleviate his suffering and buy him a few pints at the Juliver Arms. The Cooper girls decide to go and tour this mysterious property.

They trek out at a leisurely path and reach the manor in about an hour. From a distance the manor looks idyllic. The land is fertile, the buildings appear well maintained, and the seclusion makes it an ideal area to set up a tannery. As they come closer, however, they notice that the building is worn and old, with chipped paint and cracked window panes. On the outside doors is a bronze plaque identifying it as the Shadowborn Manor.

As Daryle touches the door, an apparition emerges from the door. A ghostly elderly yet graceful women appears, and begins to whisper that they must save her, when her face changes and becomes grotesquely deformed, while her eyes glow red. The ghost threatens them with a painful death before vanishing. Daryle and Darelle look at each other, shrug, and enter the house.

The interior of the house is as rundown as the exterior. There is clear evidence that no one has lived here for ages, and the smashed furniture and damage inflicted to walls and floors indicate that a mighty battle took place here. Fortunately, the structural integrity of the building is not in question, as all windows remain and there is no evidence of water damage.

Daryle discovers a few copper coins in a torn couch in what would have surely been the reception room. These coins dates from about 400 years ago and comes from the Duchy of Melcat, which was conquered by Razmir fifty years ago. Once part of the River Kindgoms, the Duchy of Melcat is now the center of the new Razmiran, the land from which the Coopers escaped.

As they continue to explore, Daryle discovers an old crystal bottle still sporting a stopper and containing a mysterious liquid. The bottle itself is a rare antique, so she carefully wraps it and places it in her pack.

The Coopers are eventually attacked by cobweb creatures, and after defeating them they fix a small altar that would have been used in private rituals. The room then begins pouring blood from the walls, and the altar breaks again. The Coopers quickly flee the room, only to enter a glass gallery that borders the inside garden. Many portraits are hung on the wall, and as they begin looking at them the Cooper girls notice a vague resemblance to Roscoe. Could they be related to Lady Eleanore Shadowborn?

This passage leads them to Lady Shadowborn's temple, which, unlike the rest of the house, has suffered neither battle damage nor the ravage of time. There they are instructed by the ghost of the Lady Shadowborn to collect some of the holy water, which Daryle does.

They next visit the manor's library. Unlike most of the other rooms this one appears to have aged well. There are hundreds of books on the shelves about history, politics, geography, religion, and military tactics. On a large table is an opened tome, a crystal bottle and a crystal glass. Darelle looks at the book, but it disintegrates into fine dust, and this dust drifts towards the suits of armor, animating them. Suddenly, the Coopers find themselves faced by six machine soldiers, but quickly manage to dispatch them.

Entering the dining room, the Coopers spot a large oak table set for two with appetizing meats and drinks ready to be partaken. Unfortunately, at the same time they notice there is no smell and they choose to disbelieve, the window shatters, showering the sisters with glass. At the same time, a large ball of lightning enters the room and attacks them. The combat is brutal and punishing, but in the end Daryle and Darelle defeat the electricity elemental.

Exiting the dining room, they visit the kitchen and pantry where they are confronted by yet more horrors, but they emerge victorious. They decide to visit the mausoleum they can barely see in the yard. There they discover another key to defeat the evil being that haunts the manor, the breath of the dead. In the yard they come across the gift of the land, and armed with three out of four elements they light up all of the fireplaces, providing fire and the fourth key.

The confrontation with Ebonbane, the evil intelligent sword which had killed Lady Shadowborn centuries ago is a brutal one, and more than once the Coopers come close to perishing. Fortunately, they manage to defeat and banish Ebonbane's spirit, and at the same time release the holy spirit of Lady Shadowborn.

Returning to town, Daryle contacts Vitar Shadowborn, and after much haggling he sells her the property for 600 crowns. With the taxes it comes to 675. Property taxes yearly are 40 crowns, which Daryle pays immediately. Now all three Coopers own a residence in Fort Inevitable.

What was in that mead the haflings served? - NOT DONE

Lamashan 8, 4711

Alexus Longleaf comes to Fort Inevitable carrying an invitation for the Coopers. The village of Dimsdale wishes to invite them over for their Harvest Festival that takes place two days hence as their honored guests for saving their village of a giant and his giant bees. Daryle and Darelle both readily agree to attend, but Gerald is unable to come over as he is out of town on a secret mission of his own design.


Lamashan 10, 4711

At sunset, Dunleaf Appletop leads the entire village in a toast of the finest mead from last year's vintage to the harvest and to the Coopers for saving Dimsdale from the horrid bees that were afflicted it. He then asks Darelle to lead the village into song, which she does. Daryle watches the food and the drink to avoid a repeat of what happened at the July party, but nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. The party goes on for hours, and all sorts of wondrous foods keep appearing on the table. Finally, the apple tarts are brought out of their ovens, and the haflings cheer.

The Frog King

Rova 5, 4711

Now that Gerald has his own residence, Darelle decides it's time for her to do the same. She makes a sizable deposit with the Hellknights and uses some of the proceeds to purchase a small house worth 800 crowns three doors down from Dr. Mordel. This way she has a place to live within the walls, and can easily assist the good doctor. She still plans to stay often with her aunt, however.

Rova 6, 4711

It's been a while since they have been out hunting goblins, so Darelle and Daryle take their gear and head out of Fort Inevitable. The largest concentration of goblins is northeast of the town, but the pickings have been slim that way. The Coopers instead head out in a southwesterly direction, towards the halfling village of Dimsdale.

The hunting goes well in the morning, but by midday they've only dispatched three goblins. When the skies begin turning black, the sisters look for shelter. Rain starts to fall, and the sky turns a dark shade of green, a strange type of storm the Coopers already lived through. At the time they were near Fort Inevitable, and they had witnessed the Hellknights deploy their entire force on the walls of the town. They had heard strange noises in the woods, and had felt the ground shake on many occasions. Fearing a repeat of this phenomenon, the Coopers spring through the woods, looking for the best shelter they can find.

They quickly discover a small outcrop of large rocks piled upon each other which provide enough protection from the rain. The boulders appear to have been thrown together eons ago, with many large gaps. Darelle follows a path and emerges on the other side of the boulder pile. There she discovers the largest tree she has ever seen, stretching upward so high that the top of the tree disappears in the dark green clouds. A large fir, it is easily a hundred yards in diameters. The tree reigns by itself in a sea of rasberry bushes. It seems to rain less here than it did on the other side, so she returns and gets her sister Daryle.

When she first sees the tree, Daryle is awestruck. It is huge.  But strangely, she feels there should be life around it, such as fey or nymphs. However, nothing can be seen or heard. Maybe it's the storm, or maybe something else is at work here. They carefully make their way around the shrubs, and discover a large hole at the base of the tree. Unfortunately, it will take some serious hacking to make it to the door. That's when Darelle spots a small wooden bowl with a pile of raspberries next to it. She and Daryle quickly figure out that they must make an offering, so they each place a couple of berries in the bowl, and the shrubs magically reveal a path.

At the base of the tree stands a small pool of pure silver liquid, with a trickle coming from high up above. Daryle climbs up about sixty feet and reaches a small hole made by a woodpecker. This is where the silver trickle oozes from. She collects a sample in a small vial and returns down to Darelle. She possesses a similar vial, which she collected in the sewers of Fort Inevitable during their unfortunate encounter with the silver demon.

The Coopers enter the hole in the tree and begin heading downward. The walls glisten with an effervescent green color, giving just enough light to see. Daryle spots some tracks on the ground, and the sisters follow some small humanoid foot prints through a few forks, before reaching a small room in which three small frogmen worship a wooden statue of a king frogman. Poorly dressed, and ever more poorly armed, the three are no match for the deadly sisters. Daryle discovers that the statue rotates, and a mechanism opens a door somewhere in the tree. Retracing their steps, the sisters discover that one of the dead ends has opened up.

Slowly the Coopers ascend the path, leading up inside the tree. They encounter more frogmen, but this time one of the frogmen is bigger and casts a few divine spells before running away. Eventually, the Coopers enter a room filled with raspberry bushes and more frogmen. They meet the King Frog himself, who offers them a deal, money for safety. The Coopers agree and tell the King Frog that they'll let the tribe be for 1,500 crowns. The King offers them four barrels filled with liquid silver, but Daryle tells him that's not enough. Battle ensues, and eventually all of the frogmen, including the King, are slain.

With the pungent smell of broken and bleeding dead frogmen filling the air, Darelle discovers the source of the liquid silver. A silver demon is partially embedded in the tree, and is slowly bleeding out, filling buckets. The Coopers try to kill the silver demon, but it just won't die. Daryle realizes that the tree is keeping the silver demon alive, so she makes a small offering of raspberries to the tree, and suddenly the silver demon is released and drops to the ground. It looks up at the Coopers and begs them to release it from its wretched life, which they quickly do.

When they emerge from the tree the storm has blown over. They trek south to Dimsdale, where they turn in their goblin heads as well as the King Frog's head to the Hellknights for a tidy reward. They are also informed by Dunleaf Appletop, mayor of Dimsdale, that they are invited to attend the harvest festival in a month's time. The Coopers readily accept.

The Festival of Songs

Rova 2, 4711

The arrival of the fall merchants' caravan heralds the start of the Festival of Songs and the beginning of the harvest season. New Hellknights recruits relieve guards from Fort Inevitable, while seasoned soldiers take a few days of rest before heading north to the Mendev crusades.

The Festival of Songs celebrates both the musical talent (good and bad) of the inhabitants of Fort Inevitable and their drunken propensities. This is the one festival where the taps flow freely and public drunkenness is allowed, and it ranks as the most preferred holiday by the residents of the area.

Having spend a few days resting, the Coopers are looking forward to this festival, of which they have heard much praise. Along with the vast numbers of stands serving everything from foods to spices, clothes, weapons, and other exotic services, there are ale stations at just about every street corner, and four main events highlight this day: Hell's Race, which takes place around the training fields and on Juliver Way; the Dueling Song Blades, where opponents fight with musical reed swords and attempt to make the best song while delivering blows on each other; the Drunken Daggers feat, where opponents throw daggers at a target; and the main event, the Songs of Fools, where participants are encouraged to pen and perform an original bawdy song in as bad a manner as possible. The worst performance, as judged by the crowd, wins the grand prize.

The quarterly mustering of the Hellknights takes place in the morning, along with the usual execution of criminals. One of the executed individuals was caught smuggling, and he forfeited both his life and his house, which will be used as tonight's prize for the Songs of Fools.

Darelle decides she will participates in Hell's Race. Starting on the mustering field, participants will first drink a tankard, then run down the road to the corner, where they must clear a ditch. After the ditch they drink a tankard, then head to a wall made up of odd wagons and furniture. They must climb the wall, then drink a tankard before coming down. At the second corner they must spin around six times, before drinking another tankard. A mad dash to the statue in the main square, where participants must jump the ledge, land on the status, kiss it, and then make the other ledge and spring to the third corner, where they drink another tankard. Participants must then walk on a thirty feet beam to the fourth corner, have one more tankard, and make a mad dash to the finish line. The winner of this event receives a golden tankard worth about 150 crowns. The field of participants is large, but Darelle manages to sprint ahead of the crowd. After a few fumbles along the way and much drinking. Thankfully, however, she is not as inebriated as the rest of the field by the end and manages to cross the finish line first.

Later on in the afternoon, both Thorne and Darelle decide to enter the Dueling Song Blades event, taking place on the mustering field. Armed with reed swords shaped like flutes, participants in this event attempt to hit each other by swinging the sword, creating music. The harder the hit, the better the music. Participants play against an opponent, and winners advance to the next round. For every three consecutive misses, a participant must drink a tankard. Thorne wins his first bout but must drink a few tankards. Darelle wins her first bout as well. Eventually both Coopers meet in the final round, and Darelle wins against Thorne. She receives a golden flute about 150 crowns.

Before the evening meal, the crowd gathers back on the field for the Drunken Daggers. In this event, one participant stands in front of a target while another throws daggers at the target. If the target is hit, the thrower moves back, increasing the difficulty. If the person standing in front of the target is hit, the thrower is eliminated. If the target is missed the thrower must drink a tankard. If the person standing in front of the target moves out of the way of the knife, he must also drink a tankard. Daryle decides to enter this event, and though she is hit once she eventually triumphs over a crowded field, and she wins a golden dagger worth about 150 crowns.

 Finally, the main event takes place after a communal meal on the mustering field. Everyone can participate in The Songs of Fools, either individually or as a group. This is the event that is most appreciated by the crowd, and the music and lyrics are so bad but the free ale makes it all better. Gerald decides to participate in this event, and he pens and sings Hooray, it was inevitable! at the Songs of Fools, to much applause. At the end of the night it is deemed the worst performance, and this earns him the top prize, a house formerly owned by a smuggler who was executed in the morning. Gerald can pick up the keys the following day.

It's been so lonesome since my horse died

Hooray, it was inevitable!

The goblins killed my favorite ride

Hooray, it was inevitable!

And I barely got away with my hide

Hooray, it was inevitable!

I almost never got back home today.

Hooray, it was inevitable!

Because my horse being slightly smarter

Hooray, it was inevitable!

Than me in every way.

Hooray, it was inevitable!

For he was the only one who knew the way

Hooray, it was inevitable!

Back home

After the festivities, the Coopers head out to see their new house. On the way there Gerald notices movement in the back of the house. The Coopers capture a teenage girl, who professes to being chased by thugs. A nearby Hellknight patrol is alerted, and the captain announces he will take the girl in custody and question her. At that exact moment, a drunken group of men comes through and assaults the patrol. In the fray the girl manages to escape, but Gerald catches up with her. She tells Gerald that she has a tuning key, and the Black Circle must not get their hands on the key. She entrusts the key to Gerald, and then disappears in the night. Meanwhile, Daryle and Darelle assist the patrol and manage to slay all of the assailants. Darelle uses her healing skills to save the life of the Hellknight captain

The Key of Micharmus is wrapped in a green silk pouch. When revealed, the tuning key appears to have been made of the purest silver, and shines brightly even in darkness. When struck, a single pure C note spreads and can be heard up to a mile away. As the sound fades, a silvery image begins to glow above the key. A set of stairs being to unfurl downwards, leading to a ghostly library. Large wooden bookcases are heavy with books and maps

Gerald wraps the tuning key snuggly into a black pouch, and will go talk to the silversmith to find out how much it would cost to make a tuning key and then place it in the original pouch.

Rova 3, 4711

In the morning, Gerald visits Goldfoot's Mercantile, where he purchases a silver tuning key of roughly the same shape as the Key of Micharmus. He takes the new tuning key to Abernard and asks him about putting some enchantments on the tuning key. Abernard tells him that it will not be a problem, and by the time all is done the fake tuning key looks fairly close to the original.

How Quickly a Two-Headed Serpent Becomes Jealous of Sartoss

Arodus 26, 4711, continued

The Coopers spend a few moments gathering themselves and banding their wounds. Finally regrouped, they leave the temple and enter through the next room. They discover two ogres guarding a barred gate, and, strangely, the bars are on the inside of the room. Clearly, Sartoss was worried about something on the other side of this door.

Combat ensues, and the Coopers quickly dispatch the two rather clumsy ogres. Roscoe searches the dead bodies and discovers a large bronze key. The room's door is barred with four heavy rods locked in place by four bronze locks. Roscoe then unlocks and removes the bars. Behind the door, the Coopers discover a staircase heading down into the depths. Deciding against exploring the remaining of the 7th level, they head down the stairs.

After a hundred steps, they arrive on the 8th level. The last step leads to a small room with a large serpent statue against one of the walls, surrounded by a five-feet radius of water. There does not appear to be a door anywhere. Atop the statue is a large green emerald.

The Coopers begin to discuss what to do next. Thorne jumps the small distance between the ledge of the pool and the statue and tries to pry the emerald out of the serpent's mouth. He immediately disappears. Eventually, every Cooper touches the emerald and is transported away to be reunited with the thief.

The Coopers find themselves in a small hallway. A shaking and the rattling sound of a snake can be heard, and suddenly a large snake head, looking like the serpent statue and occupying the entire hallway, begins to push against the Coopers. Daryle gets pushed twice, and then begins to fight back, along with Darelle. Their attacks strike true, but do not stop the serpent's head. Thorne abandons the party and follows the path, reaching a small room. Slowly herded towards the room, the remaining Coopers end up in the same room. The serpent's head reaches the edge of the room and stops, followed by another head in the exiting hallway. The Coopers are caught! A gas comes out of the serpents' heads, and they all fall asleep.

Arodus 27, 4711

Gerald is the first one to awaken. He is shackled to a low wall, with his brothers and sisters shackled in similar positions. Their gear has been piled along wall next to a large stone platform twenty feet away. With them is another person also shackled to the wall. Gerald questions the woman and discover that she is Tiavask, a missing wizard from the Goldenfire Order of Thornkeep. The remaining Coopers regain consciousness. While discussing among themselves how to escape from their predicament, a large double-headed serpent similar to Sartoss walks in on the platform, accompanied by more serpentfolk.

The leader introduces himself as Uzar-Kus, leader of this level and true high priest of Kro'akoth, unlike that pretender Sartoss. He advises the Coopers that they will be sacrificed to release the demon into the prime material plane, which will lead Uzar-Kus to dominate both the 8th and the 7th level of the Emerald Spire. Thorne bluffs Uzar-Kus and tells him that Sartoss has already succeeded in summoning Kro'akoth. Uzar-Kus is unable to maintain his facade of power and storms out of the room with his sycophants.

This allows the Coopers to escape their shackles. After a short conversation, they decide to free Tiavask as well. The wizard tells them where the exit is. The Coopers maneuver down the many hallways, when they discover a large set of golden double doors with a serpent head similar to the moving walls. Opposite the door is a large serpent statue. Roscoe takes this opportunity to detects evil on Tiavask and he discovers that she has a faint aura of evil. Thorne defeats the trap on the large  serpent door and he opens it.

Beyond is the Temple of the Serpent, a large shrine dedicated to Ydersius. A large stone path bridges a greenish pool, with two flights of stairs ascending towards a gigantic serpent statue. Uzar-Kus stands at the top of the stairs. Upon Thorne's entrance, he berates them, asking why they seek him while he wallows in despair at Satross' supposed success in summoning their demon. Gerald immediately unleashes a fireball at Uzar-Kus, and battle ensues...

The demon lord Kro'akoth - NOT DONE

Arodus 24, 4711

After spending a night in Karklosh's quarters, the Coopers decide to return home to restock supplies, especially for healing potions. Following their beating at the gate of the 7th level, this seems like a reasonable decision. They climb back to the third level through using a transport token and exit through the tunnel about a mile away from the Emerald Spire.

Roscoe obtains his free potions of cure medium wounds from the Hellknights while Daryle purchases them from the Temple of the Golden Keys. They all spend the night back in their own quarters, happy to have returned above ground.

Arodus 25, 4711


After a good night's rest, the Coopers trek back to the Spire and return to the entrance of the 7th level, encountering no enemies along the way.

Darelle carefully walks through the trellises of candles, while Roscoe decides to walk with his back against the wall. Daryle is not so lucky, and triggers the candles of penitence trap. An explosion detonates and hurts all three members of the party. The candles immediately turn off. Carefully, Darelle opens the heavily fortified but unlocked door, revealing a short corridor leading to another similar door.

When she opens the second door, she sees a large room filled with a barricade made up of rubble and wood poles. Six fiendish troglodytes stand behind the barricade, weapons at the ready. Darelle attempts to jump the barricade but misses and impales herself on a pole sticking out. She pulls herself free but she has lost valuable time. Roscoe attempts the same. He clears the barricade but unfortunately drops his weapon. Meanwhile, Daryle fires two arrows at the same time and hits one of the troglodytes through the rubble. The combat continues for a while, but eventually the Coopers are triumphant. 

After drinking a few potions of cure medium wounds, the Coopers loot the bodies. All of the troglodytes are armed with mastercraft falchions inscribed with the symbol of a flaming serpent. Each weapon radiates a faint evil signature. The dead monsters also all have an amulet bearing the same symbol. Roscoe identifies the symbol as that of the demon lord Kro'akoth. Alarmed at the presence of supporters of Kro'akoth, the Coopers decide they must return to Fort Inevitable to alert the Hellknights.

They trek back to town, where they meet the Lady Commander Audara Drovust and report to her what they discovered. The Lady Commander is obviously concerned and disconcerted at the news, and she decides to upgrade the Coopers' equipment so they can fight the followers of Kro'akoth on the Hellknights' behalf. To her trusted soldier Roscoe she gives a falchion of fury +2, following the rebranding of the very weapon he brought back as a warning. She also gives him a Rod of the Python to help him fight the Serpents. To Darelle she gives a short sword of defiance +2, which will help her remain alive when most would have surrended to death. She also receives a pair of Acrobat Slippers to help her fight on difficult terrain. Finally, Daryle is entrusted with a bow of impact +2, along with a Vanishing Sheath to keep a weapon hidden. Thus equipped, the Coopers should be better able to face the threat of Kro'akoth's worshippers.

Arodus 26, 4711

In the morning the Coopers return to the Emerald Spire. This time, they bring Gerald along since he returned from studying at the College of Magic. He has been working on an enchanted weapon. It is a short bow that when you fire an arrow the bow also fires a magic missile spell. The missile hits the target even if the arrow misses. Damage will be 1d6 + 3d4+1 if both attacks hit.

They descend back to the 7th level, and they carefully cross the fire trap. Back in the ambush room they discover that there has been an attempt at reinforcing the barricades, and the bodies have been removed. Roscoe listens to the south door, while Daryle places her ear to the west door. Roscoe hears sounds of bones snapping and loud chewing, while Daryle hears snoring. The group decides to open the south door. They will hide against the wall, while Thorne stands in view of the door and acts as bait. The plan works too well. Two fiendish troglodytes who were eating come rushing out and land blows that drop Thorne down. Roscoe and Daryle successfully attack and slay the fiends. 

In the troglodytes' dining room they find barrels, one filled with javelins, and the others with rotten food. The last barrel, however, contains a strange dark blue crystal powder. Darelle collects a vial full of the powder.

In the other room they stumble upon two sleeping troglodytes that are quickly dispatched. However, Gerald decides to use a javelin from the dining room so he returns to the room to grab one. He is immediately attacked by a necrophedius which emerges from the fire pit. During the battle Thorne is incapacitated again. The construct, however, is quickly dispatched. Thorne is healed again.

The party continues their exploration, and finds a long corridor with two iron doors. The first one is hot to the touch, while the second is at room temperature. Thorne opens the door. Inside, the Coopers discover Sartoss' jail.  

The jail with  

Gerald summons a wolf that kills the troglodytes 

Thorne takes six scales.

Statue with heads chopped off.

Battle with Sartoss



Thorne takes the two fangs of Kro'akoth, and the pearl of power. Gerald finds six funeral masks used in Sartoss' evil rituals.