Erastus 4, 4712
When they returned to Fort Inevitable yesterday, the Cooper sisters agreed to investigate who would possibly want Zoarth dead. This morning, Darelle and Daryle gather at Darelle's house for a light breakfast.
Gerald returns to Fort Inevitable with his mother Gertrude and he wants installs her at his house. However, she currently lives with her cousin outside of the town walls but comes and visits. Gerald is currently trying to regularize her situation with the Hellknights.
Over two years ago, in an incredible plot twist that no one would ever have believed, the back of his hand had been branded with a rune signifying a vow of marriage with Miévi, a younger daughter of the Elven chief from across the river where the family farm was located. Though old, for a human, she somehow had been smitten with the under fifteen years old, pimply faced and no-prospect Gerald and had, one suspects in a fit of utter insanity she was often plagued by, decided that he, a teenager without abilities, money, or even a reputation, would make the perfect husband. Something about his bloodline, she muttered to her confidants. Could she smell the demons that plague the Shadowborns, or was she simply crazy?
Be that as it may, Gerald also brought back Miévi Gertywindindlysin with him, and quickly realized that it may have been a mistake to do so as a wife can be very demanding of one's time. Gerald's wife was supposedly two days behind but should be arriving within the day, but then it turns out that she's already been here four days because she arrived with the quarterly caravan. Gerald has to pay the Hellknights a fee of 100 crowns to receive the proper permits for his wife to live in Fort Inevitable, since she is elvish.
Gerald takes his wife and his mother to visit Falandra, Abernard, and Dr. Mordel. He runs into several people along the way, including Roscoe, Nissa, and Cassandra, which almost leads to a catfight between the sorceress and Miévi. He then runs into his sisters, who have come into Fort Inevitable to resupply before heading out to track where the giants came from. Sensing an opportunity to abandon his new wife, Gerald jumps at the chance to go with his sisters, and they decide to report their departure until tomorrow so Gerald can settle his affairs and attempt to catch the double that has been going around town for the last month pretending to be him. His plan is simple. Since he is supposed to work with Falandra tomorrow, like he did today, he will be the first one at work and he hopes to catch the fake Gerald in the act of impersonation.
Erastus 5, 4712
Gerald arrives at work bright and early. It's almost a relief after the long fight he and Miévi had over his behavior with Cassandra while she was still in the woods around Xer. Who knew Elven wives could be so temperamental? By noon, the fake Gerald still hasn't arrived at work.
Darelle touches base with Dr. Mordel about her blue pegasus powder. Dr. Mordel's alchemist research shows that the magical ingredient missing is a pegasus' hoof. Mordel can order one, but it will take at least three months before it will arrive in Fort Inevitable. Or Darelle can take her chances and hope to find one in her adventuring. Darelle is concerned that finding the missing ingredient will be very difficult indeed.
Finally, in the afternoon, Daryle picks up her siblings and they head out. They plan on trekking back to the giants' fort and hope that the tracks continue from there.
Erastus 8, 4712
After an uneventful trip through the wilderness, the Coopers reach the giants' fort in the morning. They discover a large path that has been traveled by a group of giants heading west towards Zoarth's house. The path also heads east, but both rangers are able to identify that the eastern path is not as recent as the western path. Clearly the giants stopped here for a few days before continuing on their mission.
The Coopers pursue the trail and continue eastward. The terrain changes from forests to a barren landscape, and soon the vegetation disappears all together. Darelle remembers the warning Zoarth gave them about a dragon living in these parts. Soon they see in the distance a large worm floating in the sky. The Coopers attempt to find shelter, but are unable to locate anything other than tall boulders. The worm is moving fast, and the distance is closing rapidly. Daryle recognizes the monster as a crag linnorm, a type of wingless dragon. It's pretty dumb, but very vicious.
The Coopers engage in combat with the creature. Gerald takes to the sky, while Darelle becomes invisible. Daryle fires arrows after arrows, but the dragon is too quick and Gerald suffers the effects of its breath weapon before crashing to the ground. Darelle strikes it with her sword, but she too is taken down. The dragon returns for another pass, but Daryle's true shot shatters internal organs and the dragon crashes to the ground, where it is quickly dispatched. Gerald is healed and revived.
The Coopers decide to look for its lair, and as dust comes over the barrens they find it. Along with a large quantity of coins, they discover a +2 frost longsword, a +1 heavy steel blinding shield, a wand of cure serious wounds (19 charges), and gauntlets of dexterity +2. The siblings share the items and decide to camp here for the night.
Showing posts with label Nissa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nissa. Show all posts
Friday, May 26, 2017
Friday, March 10, 2017
Who knew a jar of cloud would be so helpful?
Desnus 6, 4712
Early in the morning, Darelle meets Dr. Mordel and informs him about their adventure at the Hunters' Lodge the previous night. She describes to him the type of demon trying to break through a crystal barrier. Mordel tells her that he's not familiar with this type of demon, but without knowing more details, he still thinks that if the demon had been powerful enough it would have already broken through the barrier. It's unlikely that the demon will manage to break free any time soon. Darelle tells him that the miners seemed to just have reached the crystal, and with the rubble standing in front of the crystal even if he breaks through he will be slowed down. Just in case, however, Mordel gives Darelle a metal glove and tells her it is called a hand of banishment. He instructs her on how to use it. Darelle also asks him about her jar that she discovered. After carefully examining it, he looks impressed and tells her it is a jar of cloud.
After an early lunch, the Cooper sisters head back to the Hunters' Lodge. They peruse the building again and discover a set of keys that can be used to secure the space. They head back inside the mine through the basement, and find that the demon still hasn't broken through the crystal barrier. Daryle places the hand of banishment against the crystal. They then return to the ground floor and secure the Lodge as best they can, before returning to Fort Inevitable.
That evening, Darelle and Daryle meet with Gerald at his house for dinner. He has managed to remove most of his unwanted guests and is now sharing his house with one family of seven, which is a vast improvement on the 15 other people who moved inside his house following the devastating fire that destroyed much of Fort Inevitable. During dinner, Daryle mentions the spellbook she had seen Gerald carry away from Abernard Royst's residence. Daryle voices her suspicion that Nissa might have been impersonating him, and that if it were in fact Nissa she was stealing a book again, hoping that Gerald would get caught. Gerald is indignant that his sisters would accuse him of stealing. After all, he's nothing like Thorne (examples here, here and here).
With this issue settled, Gerald reveals what he has discovered about the missing lumber. A vast quantity of lumber has been taken by unscrupulous caravans to Mosswater, a city well known to the Coopers. The cargo wood is unloaded early in the morning, after the monsters that dwell there have retired for the day, and the caravan swiftly leaves. The next caravan that follows, a few days later, repeats the process. The wood is always removed by the time the next delivery comes. Gerald reports to his sisters that his investigation has led him to a series of ships, which ply the West Sellen river. These ships, all commanded by notorious rogues, are removing the wood and taking it down river. He has been unable to track where the wood is unloaded, however, so he has devised a plan, and Roscoe has agreed to see it through. Gerald has arranged for another cargo of wood to be delivered to Mosswater. Since the shipments have only been stopped for two weeks, it is unlikely that all ships involved in this illicit trade are aware that the Hellknights have suspended deliveries.
His investigation indicates that the Last Song, a ship owned and commanded by Elloise Drake, will pick up this wood and deliver it. He suspects that Elloise Drake is in fact the notorious Lady Wavedancer, a remorseless pirate captain. She has a well-knit crew, which means it is nigh impossible to join as a crew member. Thus, Gerald proposes that Daryle and Darelle smuggle aboard the ship on its stop prior to Mosswater in a specially designed crate. They are then to remain hidden until the wood is loaded and delivered. Gerald provides them with a letter of authority signed by Roscoe allowing Drake's arrest for piracy. Thus, the goals are two-fold. First, locate where the wood goes. Then, take custody of Drake. If possible, the Cooper sisters are to accomplish both tasks. If not possible, tracking the wood is more important.
The crate Gerald designed is large enough to accommodate both sisters. It possesses two secret doors, on either end, that can only be opened from inside. The crate contains food, drinks, blankets and pillows, reading material, a source of light, as well as a self-cleaning chamber pot. If the crate is opened, it will appear to be full of china thanks to an illusion created by Abernard Royst.
Daryle asks him how long he thinks this will take. He replies that it is his understanding that the Last Song will head down the Sellen River to Cassomir at the mouth of the river by the Inner Sea. Gerald surmises that the wood will be unloaded along the way. The sisters agree to this scheme, and immediately depart for the small village of Warren, the Last Song's last stop before Mosswater.
Desnus 7, 4712
The sisters arrive in Warren early in the afternoon, in time to hide in the container before it is delivered and loaded aboard the Last Song. As Gerald expected, the container is opened, but the crew is tricked by Abernard's illusion. Along the way, Daryle plans on stopping in Daggermark if time allows. Over the course of the evening, Darelle and Daryle are able to ascertain that the ship possesses a crew of thirty humans. They also notice Drake and her tall bodyguard and second in command. A monk in appearance, he presents a fearsome figure and is likely to make ranged combat difficult, if not impossible.
The remaining cargo aboard the Last Song consists of fine clothes, barrels of Zelnaux wine, and seven boxes labelled "nails." A large empty space sits below the hatch doors. This seems to be the space where the wood will be placed as it is loaded aboard the ship. That night, in a plot reminiscent of their encounter with the giants, the Coopers decide to poison the crew's food the next night, and repeat the process over the next couple of nights so that the crew is not sick enough to be unable to sail, but miserable and tired enough to not put up much of a resistance if the need arises for the sisters to commandeer the ship.
At night, once everyone but the night watch has been sleeping, Darelle, disguised as Short Mike, one of the sailors she saw earlier in the day, leaves the safety of the crate. She explores the kitchen and poisons the gruel by dropping a powdered substance of her own concoction in it. In the storeroom she discovers that there is a large quantity of liquor on board. She reports her findings to her sister, and Daryle speculates that the ship probably also acts as a floating casino along the river.
Desnus 8, 4712
Midday, some of the crew begins to show digestive issues as the frequency of trips to the heads increase. That night, Darelle repeats the poisoning process in the gruel.
Desnus 9, 4712
The ship pulls alongside the main dock in Mosswater mid morning, and the crew begins to load the wood aboard the ship. Darelle takes her potion of invisibility and climbs to the deck to see who is loading the wood in Mosswater. Only the crew is present, confirming what Gerald said. It takes three hours to load up the cargo, and the crew appears very skilled, as if they have done this very thing a number of times. During the loading, Darelle disembarks the Last Song. She finds a abandoned building with a small courtyard. She plants a sapling of the rainbow star flower she harvested in the Pleasure Gardens.
That night, Daryle comes out of the container and marks the wood "Property of Fort Inevitable." Darelle ventures out to the galley and poisons the gruel.
Desnus 11, 4712
The Last Song docks in Daggermark in the afternoon. Some cargo is unloaded after customs inspectors visit the ship, and new cargo is taken aboard. The wood is not moved and remains on board. Throughout the night the Coopers see a steady stream of civilians come down to the crew room and gamble the night away. Daryle was right in her speculations. Unfortunately, Darelle is unable to poison the gruel that night.
Desnus 12, 4712
The last of the gamblers depart the ship at dawn, leaving their earnings behind. The Last Song sails from Daggermark soon afterwards. Darelle poisons the gruel.
Desnus 15, 4712
The Coopers are awaken by the sounds of hushed rushing. The crew is in a hurry and all men are carrying weapons. Darelle comes out of the container and looks out a porthole. The Last Song is hot on the trail of another ship, and soon the sounds of cannons reverberate. The Last Song closes in and the crew boards the other ship. Quickly the other ship is pillaged, and new cargo is lowered into the hold, blocking most of the paths. The containers are labeled Albury of Woodsedge, which happens to be the Last Song's next stop. Daryle surmises that this might become awkward if a customs agent searches the ship when they pull into the harbor.
That night, along with poisoning the gruel, the Coopers discreetly rearrange the cargo so there is more room for them to move around the hold.
Desnus 17, 4712
The Last Song arrives in Woodsedge. Evidently a bribe is exchanged because the customs inspector does not come to examine the cargo hold. A few items are unloaded, then the ship quickly departs. The sisters reason that the delivery point must be getting closer. Darelle ups the dosage and poison of the gruel.
Desnus 21, 4712
The Last Song arrives in Bellis, transfers some cargo, and departs the same day. Daryle discover that this area's favorite drink is known as the Forester's Special. The sisters are getting sick of this trip, and they have now read every book aboard the container.
Desnus 24, 4712
The Last Song arrives in Cassomir and unloads much of its cargo, except for the wood and the Coopers' container. No other cargo is loaded. The crew moves noticeably slower and their efficiency has been reduced dramatically due to the poisoning. Many civilians come on board that night to play in the ship's casino.
Desnus 25, 4712
The Last Song departs Cassomir at high tide. Gerald had intimated that Cassomir was the last stop on the ship's route before returning north, but clearly this is not the case as it enters the Inner Sea and continues to head in a southwesterly direction.
Desnus 27, 4712
Out at sea, the weather has deteriorated. The sea gets choppier and the sisters are soon sick. A bell rings, and the crew activates, as much as possible with most of the members still sick with food poisoning. Darelle smuggles out of the container. A large warship looms in the distance, and the Last Song is closing fast. Darelle is worried that the crew might try to attack the unsuspecting warship.
This proves not to be the case, however, as the Last Song approaches then ties in with the other ship. Soon the crew begins to transfer the lymber from the Last Song to the warship. Darelle uses her potion of invisibility to sneak around the ship. The warship is named Unbroken, and she spots Hellknights on the bridge, including one who served in Fort Inevitable last year. Darelle manages to board Unbroken and stealthily reaches the captain's quarters. There, the Hellknights are discussing the lumber's arrival and what it portends. They have heard the rumors that lumber would no longer forthcoming from Fort Inevitable, and they were about to give up their vigil. Now they plan on remaining here for another two weeks and see if more lumber arrive. In two weeks, they will sail back to their homeport of Westcrown. They also discuss the news of Duke Mosley's injuries, and they worry aloud that were he to die it would be a dire news for Cheliax.
As the lumber is transferred over, it is clear to Darelle that this ship could hold the equivalent of four times the lumber carried in the Last Song. Meanwhile, back on the merchant ship, Daryle secures everything in the crate and packs their bags in case the sisters must perform a hasty exit. Darelle returns to the ship and reunites with her sister, filling her in on developments aboard the Unbroken. Darelle sends one of the birds of the tree token to notify Gerald of what has happened.
In the evening, the ships separate and the Last Song turns arounds and heads north. At night, Daryle rummages through the clothes and finds several sets of fine clothes and appropriates them. Darelle takes food and places everything inside the chamber pot portable hole. The sisters then leave the Last Song by riding a piece of cloud from the jar of cloud. They hover above the Unbroken for the night, but when it is clear the ship will not move, they depart at dawn, and head east towards Westcrown.
Sarenith 10, 4712
For two weeks the sisters float eastward in their cloud castle. At dusk, they arrive above Westcrown. A short investigation does not reveal any information about the Unbroken or the ultimate location of the lumber delivery, but the Coopers do come across several signs that tensions are brewing in the former capital of Cheliax, and that a civil war is possible in the near future.
During the Coopers' absence, Dr. Mordel discovered that the poison dropped in Fort Inevitable's water supply was an alchemy blend of dark reaver powder, paraffin and extract of hoya carnosa. This poison, when diluted, affects a person's Constitution and can cause death. Those who do not die suffer as if they have a a terrible flu but manage to recover within a week. They can, however, contract another bout if drinking contaminated water.
Sarenith 11, 4712
The Cooper sisters employ Darelle's blue pegagus and accomplish what took them nearly a month and a half by ship and cloud in a single day. month-long trip from to Fort Inevitable. Daryle and Darelle think that the time has come to create a new Hellknight command structure. They will talk to Roscoe about it tomorrow.
Early in the morning, Darelle meets Dr. Mordel and informs him about their adventure at the Hunters' Lodge the previous night. She describes to him the type of demon trying to break through a crystal barrier. Mordel tells her that he's not familiar with this type of demon, but without knowing more details, he still thinks that if the demon had been powerful enough it would have already broken through the barrier. It's unlikely that the demon will manage to break free any time soon. Darelle tells him that the miners seemed to just have reached the crystal, and with the rubble standing in front of the crystal even if he breaks through he will be slowed down. Just in case, however, Mordel gives Darelle a metal glove and tells her it is called a hand of banishment. He instructs her on how to use it. Darelle also asks him about her jar that she discovered. After carefully examining it, he looks impressed and tells her it is a jar of cloud.
After an early lunch, the Cooper sisters head back to the Hunters' Lodge. They peruse the building again and discover a set of keys that can be used to secure the space. They head back inside the mine through the basement, and find that the demon still hasn't broken through the crystal barrier. Daryle places the hand of banishment against the crystal. They then return to the ground floor and secure the Lodge as best they can, before returning to Fort Inevitable.
That evening, Darelle and Daryle meet with Gerald at his house for dinner. He has managed to remove most of his unwanted guests and is now sharing his house with one family of seven, which is a vast improvement on the 15 other people who moved inside his house following the devastating fire that destroyed much of Fort Inevitable. During dinner, Daryle mentions the spellbook she had seen Gerald carry away from Abernard Royst's residence. Daryle voices her suspicion that Nissa might have been impersonating him, and that if it were in fact Nissa she was stealing a book again, hoping that Gerald would get caught. Gerald is indignant that his sisters would accuse him of stealing. After all, he's nothing like Thorne (examples here, here and here).
With this issue settled, Gerald reveals what he has discovered about the missing lumber. A vast quantity of lumber has been taken by unscrupulous caravans to Mosswater, a city well known to the Coopers. The cargo wood is unloaded early in the morning, after the monsters that dwell there have retired for the day, and the caravan swiftly leaves. The next caravan that follows, a few days later, repeats the process. The wood is always removed by the time the next delivery comes. Gerald reports to his sisters that his investigation has led him to a series of ships, which ply the West Sellen river. These ships, all commanded by notorious rogues, are removing the wood and taking it down river. He has been unable to track where the wood is unloaded, however, so he has devised a plan, and Roscoe has agreed to see it through. Gerald has arranged for another cargo of wood to be delivered to Mosswater. Since the shipments have only been stopped for two weeks, it is unlikely that all ships involved in this illicit trade are aware that the Hellknights have suspended deliveries.
His investigation indicates that the Last Song, a ship owned and commanded by Elloise Drake, will pick up this wood and deliver it. He suspects that Elloise Drake is in fact the notorious Lady Wavedancer, a remorseless pirate captain. She has a well-knit crew, which means it is nigh impossible to join as a crew member. Thus, Gerald proposes that Daryle and Darelle smuggle aboard the ship on its stop prior to Mosswater in a specially designed crate. They are then to remain hidden until the wood is loaded and delivered. Gerald provides them with a letter of authority signed by Roscoe allowing Drake's arrest for piracy. Thus, the goals are two-fold. First, locate where the wood goes. Then, take custody of Drake. If possible, the Cooper sisters are to accomplish both tasks. If not possible, tracking the wood is more important.
The crate Gerald designed is large enough to accommodate both sisters. It possesses two secret doors, on either end, that can only be opened from inside. The crate contains food, drinks, blankets and pillows, reading material, a source of light, as well as a self-cleaning chamber pot. If the crate is opened, it will appear to be full of china thanks to an illusion created by Abernard Royst.
Daryle asks him how long he thinks this will take. He replies that it is his understanding that the Last Song will head down the Sellen River to Cassomir at the mouth of the river by the Inner Sea. Gerald surmises that the wood will be unloaded along the way. The sisters agree to this scheme, and immediately depart for the small village of Warren, the Last Song's last stop before Mosswater.
Desnus 7, 4712
The sisters arrive in Warren early in the afternoon, in time to hide in the container before it is delivered and loaded aboard the Last Song. As Gerald expected, the container is opened, but the crew is tricked by Abernard's illusion. Along the way, Daryle plans on stopping in Daggermark if time allows. Over the course of the evening, Darelle and Daryle are able to ascertain that the ship possesses a crew of thirty humans. They also notice Drake and her tall bodyguard and second in command. A monk in appearance, he presents a fearsome figure and is likely to make ranged combat difficult, if not impossible.
The remaining cargo aboard the Last Song consists of fine clothes, barrels of Zelnaux wine, and seven boxes labelled "nails." A large empty space sits below the hatch doors. This seems to be the space where the wood will be placed as it is loaded aboard the ship. That night, in a plot reminiscent of their encounter with the giants, the Coopers decide to poison the crew's food the next night, and repeat the process over the next couple of nights so that the crew is not sick enough to be unable to sail, but miserable and tired enough to not put up much of a resistance if the need arises for the sisters to commandeer the ship.
At night, once everyone but the night watch has been sleeping, Darelle, disguised as Short Mike, one of the sailors she saw earlier in the day, leaves the safety of the crate. She explores the kitchen and poisons the gruel by dropping a powdered substance of her own concoction in it. In the storeroom she discovers that there is a large quantity of liquor on board. She reports her findings to her sister, and Daryle speculates that the ship probably also acts as a floating casino along the river.
Desnus 8, 4712
Midday, some of the crew begins to show digestive issues as the frequency of trips to the heads increase. That night, Darelle repeats the poisoning process in the gruel.
Desnus 9, 4712
The ship pulls alongside the main dock in Mosswater mid morning, and the crew begins to load the wood aboard the ship. Darelle takes her potion of invisibility and climbs to the deck to see who is loading the wood in Mosswater. Only the crew is present, confirming what Gerald said. It takes three hours to load up the cargo, and the crew appears very skilled, as if they have done this very thing a number of times. During the loading, Darelle disembarks the Last Song. She finds a abandoned building with a small courtyard. She plants a sapling of the rainbow star flower she harvested in the Pleasure Gardens.
That night, Daryle comes out of the container and marks the wood "Property of Fort Inevitable." Darelle ventures out to the galley and poisons the gruel.
Desnus 11, 4712
The Last Song docks in Daggermark in the afternoon. Some cargo is unloaded after customs inspectors visit the ship, and new cargo is taken aboard. The wood is not moved and remains on board. Throughout the night the Coopers see a steady stream of civilians come down to the crew room and gamble the night away. Daryle was right in her speculations. Unfortunately, Darelle is unable to poison the gruel that night.
Desnus 12, 4712
The last of the gamblers depart the ship at dawn, leaving their earnings behind. The Last Song sails from Daggermark soon afterwards. Darelle poisons the gruel.
Desnus 15, 4712
The Coopers are awaken by the sounds of hushed rushing. The crew is in a hurry and all men are carrying weapons. Darelle comes out of the container and looks out a porthole. The Last Song is hot on the trail of another ship, and soon the sounds of cannons reverberate. The Last Song closes in and the crew boards the other ship. Quickly the other ship is pillaged, and new cargo is lowered into the hold, blocking most of the paths. The containers are labeled Albury of Woodsedge, which happens to be the Last Song's next stop. Daryle surmises that this might become awkward if a customs agent searches the ship when they pull into the harbor.
That night, along with poisoning the gruel, the Coopers discreetly rearrange the cargo so there is more room for them to move around the hold.
Desnus 17, 4712
The Last Song arrives in Woodsedge. Evidently a bribe is exchanged because the customs inspector does not come to examine the cargo hold. A few items are unloaded, then the ship quickly departs. The sisters reason that the delivery point must be getting closer. Darelle ups the dosage and poison of the gruel.
Desnus 21, 4712
The Last Song arrives in Bellis, transfers some cargo, and departs the same day. Daryle discover that this area's favorite drink is known as the Forester's Special. The sisters are getting sick of this trip, and they have now read every book aboard the container.
Desnus 24, 4712
The Last Song arrives in Cassomir and unloads much of its cargo, except for the wood and the Coopers' container. No other cargo is loaded. The crew moves noticeably slower and their efficiency has been reduced dramatically due to the poisoning. Many civilians come on board that night to play in the ship's casino.
Desnus 25, 4712
The Last Song departs Cassomir at high tide. Gerald had intimated that Cassomir was the last stop on the ship's route before returning north, but clearly this is not the case as it enters the Inner Sea and continues to head in a southwesterly direction.
Desnus 27, 4712
Out at sea, the weather has deteriorated. The sea gets choppier and the sisters are soon sick. A bell rings, and the crew activates, as much as possible with most of the members still sick with food poisoning. Darelle smuggles out of the container. A large warship looms in the distance, and the Last Song is closing fast. Darelle is worried that the crew might try to attack the unsuspecting warship.
This proves not to be the case, however, as the Last Song approaches then ties in with the other ship. Soon the crew begins to transfer the lymber from the Last Song to the warship. Darelle uses her potion of invisibility to sneak around the ship. The warship is named Unbroken, and she spots Hellknights on the bridge, including one who served in Fort Inevitable last year. Darelle manages to board Unbroken and stealthily reaches the captain's quarters. There, the Hellknights are discussing the lumber's arrival and what it portends. They have heard the rumors that lumber would no longer forthcoming from Fort Inevitable, and they were about to give up their vigil. Now they plan on remaining here for another two weeks and see if more lumber arrive. In two weeks, they will sail back to their homeport of Westcrown. They also discuss the news of Duke Mosley's injuries, and they worry aloud that were he to die it would be a dire news for Cheliax.
As the lumber is transferred over, it is clear to Darelle that this ship could hold the equivalent of four times the lumber carried in the Last Song. Meanwhile, back on the merchant ship, Daryle secures everything in the crate and packs their bags in case the sisters must perform a hasty exit. Darelle returns to the ship and reunites with her sister, filling her in on developments aboard the Unbroken. Darelle sends one of the birds of the tree token to notify Gerald of what has happened.
In the evening, the ships separate and the Last Song turns arounds and heads north. At night, Daryle rummages through the clothes and finds several sets of fine clothes and appropriates them. Darelle takes food and places everything inside the chamber pot portable hole. The sisters then leave the Last Song by riding a piece of cloud from the jar of cloud. They hover above the Unbroken for the night, but when it is clear the ship will not move, they depart at dawn, and head east towards Westcrown.
Sarenith 10, 4712
For two weeks the sisters float eastward in their cloud castle. At dusk, they arrive above Westcrown. A short investigation does not reveal any information about the Unbroken or the ultimate location of the lumber delivery, but the Coopers do come across several signs that tensions are brewing in the former capital of Cheliax, and that a civil war is possible in the near future.
During the Coopers' absence, Dr. Mordel discovered that the poison dropped in Fort Inevitable's water supply was an alchemy blend of dark reaver powder, paraffin and extract of hoya carnosa. This poison, when diluted, affects a person's Constitution and can cause death. Those who do not die suffer as if they have a a terrible flu but manage to recover within a week. They can, however, contract another bout if drinking contaminated water.
Sarenith 11, 4712
The Cooper sisters employ Darelle's blue pegagus and accomplish what took them nearly a month and a half by ship and cloud in a single day. month-long trip from to Fort Inevitable. Daryle and Darelle think that the time has come to create a new Hellknight command structure. They will talk to Roscoe about it tomorrow.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
When the giants have a party
Pharast 20, 4712
Daryle is summoned by Maralictor Wirt to the Juliver Gate, and she is to bring her gear. Wirt has a mission for her. She reports to the gate with her sister Darelle and she is not surprised to see Gerald there as well. Their assignment is to find Byrsag, the hill giant near Dimsdale and collect the back taxes he owes. Wirt believes that the Coopers are the best people for this task since they have already had some dealing with him. They are to make contact with the giant and "convince" him to turn over the two barrels of honey he must pay every quarter. This honey is especially needed now with the rationing and the lack of food. They can use physical force but they are not to kill him, however, as he fulfills a needed economic role in the area. The Coopers are provided with two riding horses, and a sleigh with a team of two horses. Daryle and Darelle will ride the horses, while Gerald will drive the sleigh.
While they are readying their equipment and animals at the Juliver Gate, Cassandra walks in from the refuge camp. She talks to Gerald and attempts to convince him to help her and Nissa by allowing them to stay in his house. Gerald mentions that there are already two families staying there, and that there is no room available. He tells her she should seek shelter in the Hellknights barracks as other civilians are also housed there. Cassandra walks away angry at Gerald. The Coopers shrug, then head out.
The ride to Dimsdale is cold and uneventful. They notice logging activities along the way, with several logging camps set up and hundreds of Hellknights cutting away a large number of trees. Darelle is concerned that these logging operations may not be sustainable. When they arrive in Dimsdale, they notice that the population of has doubled overnight with refugees. Mayor Dunleaf Appletop is happy to see the Coopers again, and greets Gerald enthusiastically. He shares with them some of the hardships the village has been living through since the destruction of part of Fort Inevitable. He also gives them the village's last apple pie.
The Coopers head up the valley, following the pastures that border the river. Slowy they ascend until they reach an altitude of 2,000 feet. Here they find Byrsag's home, a rough one room cabin built of hewed timber. There are several large bee hives as well as a stable. Right away Daryle notices that there is no smoke coming from the cabin's chimney and that all of the shutters are closed. She also sees several large tracks, which indicate that a sleigh pulled by two large draft horses accompanied by the giant left here since the last snow fall and headed north east higher in the mountains. Nevertheless, they decide to check the cabin just in case.
The door is locked from the outside, and there is only one window but it is shuttered. Daryle opens the door and steps inside the cabin. Byrsag appears to have left everything but his winter gear here, indicating that he plans on returning. Gerald looks at the thatching job and sees that it's decent work. But the spigot appears to be broken, so Gerald casts mend. He also uses flaming sphere to start the fire while the rangers place the horses in the barn for the night. They spend the night in the giant's home. The cabin eventually becomes nice and warm. Gerald casts clean to provide himself with a space to place his bedroll, and also wizard lock to close the door, but makes a slight change to allow Byrsag to come in. Fortunately for the girls' sanity, he does not share this information with them.
Pharast 23, 4712
Waking up refreshed after an uneventful night, the Coopers set out with their animals and arrive after two days to find a large stone fort at the bottom of a valley nestled between two high peaks. The fort sits at the base of a large frozen waterfall. This waterfall, when running, falls on the roof of the hall then wraps around on either side and the water forms a natural island. A stone bridge leads from the hall across the river. The tracks on the outside of the fort indicate that a large amount of traffic has circulated through here in the last three days.
As they observe from a distance, Daryle notices two orcs coming out of the only set of doors visible, carrying a large chamber pot on a wooden pole. They carefully make their way on the ice, then dump the waste in the river. Marks on the orcs and the poor quality of their clothing indicate that they are slaves. The Coopers can also hear faint merry singing, even with the distance that separates them. Thinking that the level of intoxication must be high, they decide to enter the giants' fort and explore.
The first room they enter after cracking open one of the giant double doors is the barn. A large numbers of wagons, sleighs, and animals are housed here. A tower in the southwest corner contains hay bales and lead to an observation post above the roof line that is currently not manned. Two well crafted doors stand over twenty feet tall and ten feet wide. They work together and manage to prop one of them open. Inside they see a large corridor leading to a great hall. Though only a portion of the hall is visible, they can see that many giants are gathered here, enjoying food, drinks, and songs. Daryle sees at least three kinds of giants: hill giants, stone giants, and even a frost giant. The sound is deafening. There are smaller doors on either side. As they debate what to do, an unseen giant orders the crowd in the great hall to settle down and let their guest speak. An unseen Greenhide then takes the floor and begins to discuss the possibility of an alliance between the goblins and the giants to attack the Hellknights while they are weak.
Having heard enough, the Coopers decide to open the western door. A corridor leads the length of the fort and sports several doors on either side. This hallway smells of good food and fresh bread, indicating that the kitchen is nearby. The Coopers walk to the end of the hall, and open the furthest door. This appears to be a guest room, richly adorned. Evidence indicates that four giants currently reside here. Gerald proposes to steal some of the giants' possessions and place them in Greenhide's room to mark him as a thief and lose credibility with the giants. Darelle and Daryle agree but decide they should find his room first before encumbering themselves with the giants' stuff.
Other rooms along this corridor include the weapons room and the armory, as well as two other common guest rooms. So far the Coopers have seen that there are at least twenty-two giants in the fort. Not wanting to explore the kitchen while it is being used, the Coopers cross the large hallway leading to the great hall again, and enter the east wing. The first room they enter has a giantess sleeping in the bed, and several gleeming objects on the shelf about ten feet off the ground. They then enter a room where four beds are tightly placed next to each other. On two of these beds two hill giants are passed out drunk. Darelle notices that one of the giants has a bulging purse. After a whispered conference with her siblings, she decides to steal the purse. In it she finds 110 platinum pieces from Galt.
They move on to another room. This room is richly decorated and appears to be unoccupied. Daryle spots a chest, and struggles to open it. Inside she finds female clothes. Meanwhile, Gerald is grabbed from behind and thrown on the ground before being dragged under the bed, where he is attacked by a bear. Darelle manages to charm it. She eventually gets it to climb on the bed, and once he is settled Gerald casts deep slumber and the bear goes down. In the mattress Daryle discovers a large leather backpack with 28 gems of various value, for a nominal value of 5,890 crowns, as well as roughly 5,000 crowns in coinage.
The Coopers then converse with each other. Should they remain here and continue their attempt to set up Greenhide or should they head back to Fort Inevitable with the wealth they found in the mattress? Surely, they surmise, the value of the coins will more than offset the missing honey.
They head back, encountering nothing in the corridor, but when they crack the door to the barn open they see a stone giant accompanied by an ogre. The giant is feeding the animals while the ogre is sweeping the waste away. Darelle and Daryle successfully sneak under the wagons and head towards their own sleigh. Gerald is not so lucky, however, and the money he is carrying jingles, attracting the stone giant's attention. He lumbers over to the first wagon, where Gerald is hiding, and bends down. The stone giant confronts Gerald, mistaking him for an orc and orders him to get back to work. Gerald replies that he's been ordered to lubricate the axle. The stone giant grumbles but heads back to feeding his animals. A few minutes later, both giant and ogre step back into the fort.
The Coopers quickly hitch their animals and ride out of the giants' steadfast.
Pharast 26, 4712
The party returns to Byrsag's house and they check the barn to ensure that there were no honey barrels left, which is indeed the case. They arrives in Dimsdale early in the morning, and provide Mayor Appletop with some of the game they found along the way. The mayor is thankful.
They head back to Fort Inevitable and report what they discovered to Maralictor Wirt. She collects the animals. Darelle turns in 100 of the Galt platinum pieces, while Daryle turns in 2,600 crowns to the Hellknights. Wirt tells them she wants them to go back and find out whether the giants were convinced by Greenhide and, if so, what their plans are. In the meantime she will notify Roscoe and take appropriate defensive measures.
Gerald returns home with flees from Byrsag's home. He finds that Cassandra and Nissa have convinced Roscoe to issue an order relocating them to his bedroom. Gerald heads to the Citadel. He explains to Roscoe what has transpired in the last week and attempts to talk Roscoe into nominating Cassandra as ambassador to the giants. Roscoe replies that he will think about it.
Daryle is summoned by Maralictor Wirt to the Juliver Gate, and she is to bring her gear. Wirt has a mission for her. She reports to the gate with her sister Darelle and she is not surprised to see Gerald there as well. Their assignment is to find Byrsag, the hill giant near Dimsdale and collect the back taxes he owes. Wirt believes that the Coopers are the best people for this task since they have already had some dealing with him. They are to make contact with the giant and "convince" him to turn over the two barrels of honey he must pay every quarter. This honey is especially needed now with the rationing and the lack of food. They can use physical force but they are not to kill him, however, as he fulfills a needed economic role in the area. The Coopers are provided with two riding horses, and a sleigh with a team of two horses. Daryle and Darelle will ride the horses, while Gerald will drive the sleigh.
While they are readying their equipment and animals at the Juliver Gate, Cassandra walks in from the refuge camp. She talks to Gerald and attempts to convince him to help her and Nissa by allowing them to stay in his house. Gerald mentions that there are already two families staying there, and that there is no room available. He tells her she should seek shelter in the Hellknights barracks as other civilians are also housed there. Cassandra walks away angry at Gerald. The Coopers shrug, then head out.
The ride to Dimsdale is cold and uneventful. They notice logging activities along the way, with several logging camps set up and hundreds of Hellknights cutting away a large number of trees. Darelle is concerned that these logging operations may not be sustainable. When they arrive in Dimsdale, they notice that the population of has doubled overnight with refugees. Mayor Dunleaf Appletop is happy to see the Coopers again, and greets Gerald enthusiastically. He shares with them some of the hardships the village has been living through since the destruction of part of Fort Inevitable. He also gives them the village's last apple pie.
The Coopers head up the valley, following the pastures that border the river. Slowy they ascend until they reach an altitude of 2,000 feet. Here they find Byrsag's home, a rough one room cabin built of hewed timber. There are several large bee hives as well as a stable. Right away Daryle notices that there is no smoke coming from the cabin's chimney and that all of the shutters are closed. She also sees several large tracks, which indicate that a sleigh pulled by two large draft horses accompanied by the giant left here since the last snow fall and headed north east higher in the mountains. Nevertheless, they decide to check the cabin just in case.
The door is locked from the outside, and there is only one window but it is shuttered. Daryle opens the door and steps inside the cabin. Byrsag appears to have left everything but his winter gear here, indicating that he plans on returning. Gerald looks at the thatching job and sees that it's decent work. But the spigot appears to be broken, so Gerald casts mend. He also uses flaming sphere to start the fire while the rangers place the horses in the barn for the night. They spend the night in the giant's home. The cabin eventually becomes nice and warm. Gerald casts clean to provide himself with a space to place his bedroll, and also wizard lock to close the door, but makes a slight change to allow Byrsag to come in. Fortunately for the girls' sanity, he does not share this information with them.
Pharast 23, 4712
Waking up refreshed after an uneventful night, the Coopers set out with their animals and arrive after two days to find a large stone fort at the bottom of a valley nestled between two high peaks. The fort sits at the base of a large frozen waterfall. This waterfall, when running, falls on the roof of the hall then wraps around on either side and the water forms a natural island. A stone bridge leads from the hall across the river. The tracks on the outside of the fort indicate that a large amount of traffic has circulated through here in the last three days.
As they observe from a distance, Daryle notices two orcs coming out of the only set of doors visible, carrying a large chamber pot on a wooden pole. They carefully make their way on the ice, then dump the waste in the river. Marks on the orcs and the poor quality of their clothing indicate that they are slaves. The Coopers can also hear faint merry singing, even with the distance that separates them. Thinking that the level of intoxication must be high, they decide to enter the giants' fort and explore.
The first room they enter after cracking open one of the giant double doors is the barn. A large numbers of wagons, sleighs, and animals are housed here. A tower in the southwest corner contains hay bales and lead to an observation post above the roof line that is currently not manned. Two well crafted doors stand over twenty feet tall and ten feet wide. They work together and manage to prop one of them open. Inside they see a large corridor leading to a great hall. Though only a portion of the hall is visible, they can see that many giants are gathered here, enjoying food, drinks, and songs. Daryle sees at least three kinds of giants: hill giants, stone giants, and even a frost giant. The sound is deafening. There are smaller doors on either side. As they debate what to do, an unseen giant orders the crowd in the great hall to settle down and let their guest speak. An unseen Greenhide then takes the floor and begins to discuss the possibility of an alliance between the goblins and the giants to attack the Hellknights while they are weak.
Having heard enough, the Coopers decide to open the western door. A corridor leads the length of the fort and sports several doors on either side. This hallway smells of good food and fresh bread, indicating that the kitchen is nearby. The Coopers walk to the end of the hall, and open the furthest door. This appears to be a guest room, richly adorned. Evidence indicates that four giants currently reside here. Gerald proposes to steal some of the giants' possessions and place them in Greenhide's room to mark him as a thief and lose credibility with the giants. Darelle and Daryle agree but decide they should find his room first before encumbering themselves with the giants' stuff.
Other rooms along this corridor include the weapons room and the armory, as well as two other common guest rooms. So far the Coopers have seen that there are at least twenty-two giants in the fort. Not wanting to explore the kitchen while it is being used, the Coopers cross the large hallway leading to the great hall again, and enter the east wing. The first room they enter has a giantess sleeping in the bed, and several gleeming objects on the shelf about ten feet off the ground. They then enter a room where four beds are tightly placed next to each other. On two of these beds two hill giants are passed out drunk. Darelle notices that one of the giants has a bulging purse. After a whispered conference with her siblings, she decides to steal the purse. In it she finds 110 platinum pieces from Galt.
They move on to another room. This room is richly decorated and appears to be unoccupied. Daryle spots a chest, and struggles to open it. Inside she finds female clothes. Meanwhile, Gerald is grabbed from behind and thrown on the ground before being dragged under the bed, where he is attacked by a bear. Darelle manages to charm it. She eventually gets it to climb on the bed, and once he is settled Gerald casts deep slumber and the bear goes down. In the mattress Daryle discovers a large leather backpack with 28 gems of various value, for a nominal value of 5,890 crowns, as well as roughly 5,000 crowns in coinage.
The Coopers then converse with each other. Should they remain here and continue their attempt to set up Greenhide or should they head back to Fort Inevitable with the wealth they found in the mattress? Surely, they surmise, the value of the coins will more than offset the missing honey.
They head back, encountering nothing in the corridor, but when they crack the door to the barn open they see a stone giant accompanied by an ogre. The giant is feeding the animals while the ogre is sweeping the waste away. Darelle and Daryle successfully sneak under the wagons and head towards their own sleigh. Gerald is not so lucky, however, and the money he is carrying jingles, attracting the stone giant's attention. He lumbers over to the first wagon, where Gerald is hiding, and bends down. The stone giant confronts Gerald, mistaking him for an orc and orders him to get back to work. Gerald replies that he's been ordered to lubricate the axle. The stone giant grumbles but heads back to feeding his animals. A few minutes later, both giant and ogre step back into the fort.
The Coopers quickly hitch their animals and ride out of the giants' steadfast.
Pharast 26, 4712
The party returns to Byrsag's house and they check the barn to ensure that there were no honey barrels left, which is indeed the case. They arrives in Dimsdale early in the morning, and provide Mayor Appletop with some of the game they found along the way. The mayor is thankful.
They head back to Fort Inevitable and report what they discovered to Maralictor Wirt. She collects the animals. Darelle turns in 100 of the Galt platinum pieces, while Daryle turns in 2,600 crowns to the Hellknights. Wirt tells them she wants them to go back and find out whether the giants were convinced by Greenhide and, if so, what their plans are. In the meantime she will notify Roscoe and take appropriate defensive measures.
Gerald returns home with flees from Byrsag's home. He finds that Cassandra and Nissa have convinced Roscoe to issue an order relocating them to his bedroom. Gerald heads to the Citadel. He explains to Roscoe what has transpired in the last week and attempts to talk Roscoe into nominating Cassandra as ambassador to the giants. Roscoe replies that he will think about it.
Friday, August 5, 2016
Thorne, dragon slayer!
Calistril 28, 4712
It has been two days since most of Fort Inevitable was destroyed in a magical fire. The town is still reeling with the lack of shelter and food, and plummeting temperatures. Emergency actions taken by Roscoe and his officers have managed to house most of the residents in the remaining housing stock, but many citizens have been sent to surrounding localities, including Dimsdale, and about three hundred people are camped in the fields outside the Fort.
Roscoe hosts a leadership meeting with his officers when the door to the Council Chamber opens. The Mistress of Thorns steps and advises Roscoe on what steps must be taken to rectify the situation following the fire in Fort Inevitable. Specifically, she is concerned with three issues: the lack of wood for rebuilding, the lack of food, and the critical shortage of housing stock. On the first, she recommends that Roscoe orders the harvesting of as much quality lumber as possible to speed up the rebuilding of the town. He agrees and orders that it be so. On the second issue, she tells the Hellknights that she has organized a caravan that will arrive within a month carrying much needed supplies to alleviate the worst of the famine. This caravan will be accompanied by a small party of devils to assure security. Roscoe agrees to this as well. Finally, on the third issue, the Mistress recommends that buildings should fit more dwellings to allow the relocation of all people who lost their lodgings during the fire. On this topic, Maralictor Wirt tells Roscoe that she has already begun working on a new urban plan that will redesign roads and services. Roscoe tells her to pursue this goal.
Finally, the Mistress of Thorns addresses Roscoe again. Mentioning that she has heard of his troubles dealing with the magma dragons, she offers him tools to deal with them. First, she presents him with four bolts of dragon slaying +10. These must be fired with a man portable ballista, which she offers to Roscoe as well. With this equipment, Roscoe and his siblings should be able to deal with the threats of the dragons.
When news filters down to Thorne about the food convoy, he begins to plan and organize a task force to defeat the devils and capture the food on its way to Fort Inevitable. On a completely unrelated issue to the fire, Thorne had acquired six months' worth of hard tack biscuits he meant to send to the front in the Mendev crusades. They arrived about a month ago, and have been stored in a farm owned by associates. He now sees an opportunity to save the town from starvation and make a tidy profit at the same time.
Due to the housing crisis, Gerald has been forced to welcome three large families to his house. This interrupts his studies, so he becomes very adept at writing scrolls of sleep. He also sends a message to Abernard through Cassandra requesting advice on possible magical remodeling of his house, much like the old wizard had done himself. He also locks up all of his magical supplies to ensure they don't end up in a dish
Rowen, a wizard recently arrived in Fort Inevitable, offers his services to the Hellknights in the wake of the disaster. Roscoe interviews him and agrees to let him join the reconstruction effort on a interim basis.
Having discovered that Cassandra and Nissa have not in fact perished in the explosion that destroyed Abernard's house but were rather at an acquaintance's house in the countryside, Roscoe decides to meet with them to discuss the source of the explosion. The two have been relocated to the camp on the training fields, and Roscoe finds them there. He interrogates Cassandra on her whereabouts and determines that she is truthful when she mentions that both herself and her daughter were not involved in the house's destruction. When he asks her whether she might have been the target of the destruction, Cassandra appears to be genuinely puzzled. Who would want to harm her?
Thorne's arrests papers having disappeared, the thief decides to find his brother and become Fort Inevitable's hero by solving the food crisis with his warehoused merchandise. He looks up Roscoe in the tent city, and they negotiate a deal. Thorne is made quartermaster of Fort Inevitable. He is granted access to the treasury so he can secure quick payment for the food. There are about 125,000 crowns in the treasury at this time. Roscoe also mandates Thorne to hire masons, timber wrights, carpenters, and other builders to rebuild the town. Thorne says he can find these people but this will be costly. Thorne plans on heading to Daggermark and secure workers from their prisons and bring them back.
Daryle finds Maralictor Wirt and organizes a hunting party. Darelle joins the party, but they don't travel near the Fort. They are unable to find any prey, and the forest is filled with traps, most of which will not catch anything they are so poorly designed. It's only been two days since the catastrophe that wiped three fourths of the town, and already the people are hungry!
With the affairs of state now in order, the Coopers return to the Emerald Spire and descend to the Magma level equipped with the Mistress of Thorn's new gear. Their plan is simple. They will come down to the third level, then will use the spire transport to land on the tenth level. They will cross over the lava lake, set up the ballista, and lure the young magma dragons out to their demise.
Rowen and Thorne appear by the Spire first. Thorne checks the rope they had previously strung, and it is still standing. It appears to be secure. Thorne crawls the rope and makes it across. Rowen then teleports across. Daryle, Roscoe and Darelle then come in using the second transport token. Daryle crosses the magma lake using the cable. Darelle and Roscoe also make it. Thorne sets up a trip wire at the back of the room to prevent an ambush from the rear. They arrange themselves in a line. Rowen casts invisibility on each member of the party, then true strike. He will handle the firing of the weapon, while Thorne will reload between rounds.
The party throws stones into the lava lake, and makes a lot of noise. Nothing happens on the first or second attempt, but on the third attempt the female and dominant magma dragon emerges from the lava and climbs up in the air. The battle is on. Rowen looses the first bolt, which successfully hits the female, but not before she's able to breathe on the party, causing considerable damage. Her brother emerges from the lava as well, and he joins the attack. He also breathes on the party. Everyone successfully attack the dragons but the situation is dire. Rowen manages to fire the second bolt, hitting the female who crashes on the ground near them. The male sees where the bolts are coming from, so on his second pass he grabs Rowen and almost throws him in the lava.
Darelle summons a blue pegasus and heads up for the dragon. She lands a mighty blow on the beast, but he in turn inflicts enough damage to her magical construct to destroy it. Falling to the ground, Darelle barely manages to grab the cable. She climbs back to the Spire ledge.
As the magma dragon comes for one more pass, Rowen releases another bolt, hitting him square in the chest. Thorne also takes a shot with his small bow, and he is amazed that his arrow is true. The dragon is hit in his one functional eye, and arrow penetrating deep in his brain. He crashes into the lava, and quickly sinks out of view. The Coopers have defeated the magma dragons!
It has been two days since most of Fort Inevitable was destroyed in a magical fire. The town is still reeling with the lack of shelter and food, and plummeting temperatures. Emergency actions taken by Roscoe and his officers have managed to house most of the residents in the remaining housing stock, but many citizens have been sent to surrounding localities, including Dimsdale, and about three hundred people are camped in the fields outside the Fort.
Roscoe hosts a leadership meeting with his officers when the door to the Council Chamber opens. The Mistress of Thorns steps and advises Roscoe on what steps must be taken to rectify the situation following the fire in Fort Inevitable. Specifically, she is concerned with three issues: the lack of wood for rebuilding, the lack of food, and the critical shortage of housing stock. On the first, she recommends that Roscoe orders the harvesting of as much quality lumber as possible to speed up the rebuilding of the town. He agrees and orders that it be so. On the second issue, she tells the Hellknights that she has organized a caravan that will arrive within a month carrying much needed supplies to alleviate the worst of the famine. This caravan will be accompanied by a small party of devils to assure security. Roscoe agrees to this as well. Finally, on the third issue, the Mistress recommends that buildings should fit more dwellings to allow the relocation of all people who lost their lodgings during the fire. On this topic, Maralictor Wirt tells Roscoe that she has already begun working on a new urban plan that will redesign roads and services. Roscoe tells her to pursue this goal.
Finally, the Mistress of Thorns addresses Roscoe again. Mentioning that she has heard of his troubles dealing with the magma dragons, she offers him tools to deal with them. First, she presents him with four bolts of dragon slaying +10. These must be fired with a man portable ballista, which she offers to Roscoe as well. With this equipment, Roscoe and his siblings should be able to deal with the threats of the dragons.
When news filters down to Thorne about the food convoy, he begins to plan and organize a task force to defeat the devils and capture the food on its way to Fort Inevitable. On a completely unrelated issue to the fire, Thorne had acquired six months' worth of hard tack biscuits he meant to send to the front in the Mendev crusades. They arrived about a month ago, and have been stored in a farm owned by associates. He now sees an opportunity to save the town from starvation and make a tidy profit at the same time.
Due to the housing crisis, Gerald has been forced to welcome three large families to his house. This interrupts his studies, so he becomes very adept at writing scrolls of sleep. He also sends a message to Abernard through Cassandra requesting advice on possible magical remodeling of his house, much like the old wizard had done himself. He also locks up all of his magical supplies to ensure they don't end up in a dish
Rowen, a wizard recently arrived in Fort Inevitable, offers his services to the Hellknights in the wake of the disaster. Roscoe interviews him and agrees to let him join the reconstruction effort on a interim basis.
Having discovered that Cassandra and Nissa have not in fact perished in the explosion that destroyed Abernard's house but were rather at an acquaintance's house in the countryside, Roscoe decides to meet with them to discuss the source of the explosion. The two have been relocated to the camp on the training fields, and Roscoe finds them there. He interrogates Cassandra on her whereabouts and determines that she is truthful when she mentions that both herself and her daughter were not involved in the house's destruction. When he asks her whether she might have been the target of the destruction, Cassandra appears to be genuinely puzzled. Who would want to harm her?
Thorne's arrests papers having disappeared, the thief decides to find his brother and become Fort Inevitable's hero by solving the food crisis with his warehoused merchandise. He looks up Roscoe in the tent city, and they negotiate a deal. Thorne is made quartermaster of Fort Inevitable. He is granted access to the treasury so he can secure quick payment for the food. There are about 125,000 crowns in the treasury at this time. Roscoe also mandates Thorne to hire masons, timber wrights, carpenters, and other builders to rebuild the town. Thorne says he can find these people but this will be costly. Thorne plans on heading to Daggermark and secure workers from their prisons and bring them back.
Daryle finds Maralictor Wirt and organizes a hunting party. Darelle joins the party, but they don't travel near the Fort. They are unable to find any prey, and the forest is filled with traps, most of which will not catch anything they are so poorly designed. It's only been two days since the catastrophe that wiped three fourths of the town, and already the people are hungry!
With the affairs of state now in order, the Coopers return to the Emerald Spire and descend to the Magma level equipped with the Mistress of Thorn's new gear. Their plan is simple. They will come down to the third level, then will use the spire transport to land on the tenth level. They will cross over the lava lake, set up the ballista, and lure the young magma dragons out to their demise.
Rowen and Thorne appear by the Spire first. Thorne checks the rope they had previously strung, and it is still standing. It appears to be secure. Thorne crawls the rope and makes it across. Rowen then teleports across. Daryle, Roscoe and Darelle then come in using the second transport token. Daryle crosses the magma lake using the cable. Darelle and Roscoe also make it. Thorne sets up a trip wire at the back of the room to prevent an ambush from the rear. They arrange themselves in a line. Rowen casts invisibility on each member of the party, then true strike. He will handle the firing of the weapon, while Thorne will reload between rounds.
The party throws stones into the lava lake, and makes a lot of noise. Nothing happens on the first or second attempt, but on the third attempt the female and dominant magma dragon emerges from the lava and climbs up in the air. The battle is on. Rowen looses the first bolt, which successfully hits the female, but not before she's able to breathe on the party, causing considerable damage. Her brother emerges from the lava as well, and he joins the attack. He also breathes on the party. Everyone successfully attack the dragons but the situation is dire. Rowen manages to fire the second bolt, hitting the female who crashes on the ground near them. The male sees where the bolts are coming from, so on his second pass he grabs Rowen and almost throws him in the lava.
Darelle summons a blue pegasus and heads up for the dragon. She lands a mighty blow on the beast, but he in turn inflicts enough damage to her magical construct to destroy it. Falling to the ground, Darelle barely manages to grab the cable. She climbs back to the Spire ledge.
As the magma dragon comes for one more pass, Rowen releases another bolt, hitting him square in the chest. Thorne also takes a shot with his small bow, and he is amazed that his arrow is true. The dragon is hit in his one functional eye, and arrow penetrating deep in his brain. He crashes into the lava, and quickly sinks out of view. The Coopers have defeated the magma dragons!
Friday, June 17, 2016
Who let the dogs out?
Abadius 26, 4712
Over the last four days, Darelle, Daryle and Gerald rested and re-equipped. They bought healing potions and Darelle invested into another invisibility potion. Daryle, meanwhile went hunting and captured 48 crowns' worth of pelts and goblin ears. She meets with Karlyle the butcher, who mentions that most of the goblin ears that have been turned in are those of juveniles.
Darelle spends some time with Dr. Mordel, who reports that there is a flu epidemic in the town. About one in five people seem to be affected. They are stricken and bed-ridden, but after three or four days they are able to return to their regular activities. The population outside the walls seems not to be as affected.
Gerald continues his research into the magical bow he wishes to build, and he begins to seek out components to build his copper coin change mail. He thinks that Roscoe will be rather impressed with this new invention.
In the late afternoon, Cassandra knocks on Gerald's door. After a sharp exchange that included a discussion about not telling her that he was back in time, Gerald reveals that he was badly injured. Cassandra forces her way inside, and she cooks him a nice meal. Over dinner she mentions that she is doing research in ice magic. Gerald mentions the idea of a unified theory of elemental magic where the elements could be stronger when combined properly than the sum of their parts. For example, earth to mud. She teaches Gerald the orison spell of ice over, which allows him to freeze roughly a cup of a normal liquid. Used on a water elemental, this will cause 1d4 points of damage. She departs late in the evening, after sharing a passionate kiss with him.
Calistril 24, 4712
Following the sisters' return from Xer and their quest for information on the Shadowborn family, the Coopers meet in the morning for breakfast at the Juliver Arms. Daryle tells her siblings about the goblins and what Karlyle told her. She speculates that it could either be a new tribe moving into the area, or the older goblins might have all been slain and are replaced with younger and more inexperienced troops. The breakfast is delicious, fried potatoes, pancakes, bacon, sausage, and eggs. Suddenly, they hear a scream. Through the window, they see two people running away. Both of them are elderly townfolks.
They hear a scream, then see two people running away, while Hellknights run in the opposite direction. Darelle is the first one out. She sees two automated hounds two street corners away, bent over two unlucky victims. The Hellknights have formed a defensive perimeter and are fighting them. Darelle sprints down the street and takes one of the corners next to the soldiers. One of the dogs lunges and bites down on a soldier's arm, chopping the arm right off. Darelle strikes at it, followed by Daryle firing arrows, while Gerald expands several magic missiles. It's enough damage to destroy the dog, who explodes. Darelle peels pieces of shrapnel from her face, but one of the Hellknights perishes. The combat continues for a few more moments, but the other dog is swiftly dispatched. Both dogs are constructs. Darelle attempts to heal the heavily injured soldier, but instead severely cuts his carotid artery. She is forced to use a few healing spells to restore him back to health.
Daryle examines the civilian bodies. Both victims were female and had black hair. One of the girls appears to be about 17, while they know the other is known to be a mother of three children who's about 37 years old. Daryle loots the bodies and picks up 17 copper coins and a small silver pendant while pretending to check for their injuries. The Hellknights roll their eyes and are aghast at this behavior. As more Hellknights arrive, Gerald orders six of them to bring the bodies to the Temple of the Golden Key to see if they can be revived. High Mother Sarise Dremagne tells him that the Hellknight can be brought The cost is too prohibitive. Gerald speculates that their black hair made them targets. Gerald makes all necessary arrangements to notify next of kin for all three victims, then leaves the paperwork on Roscoe's desk.
While examining the destroyed parts, Daryle finds a specific mark on both dogs. She has seen similar elements on some of the constructs in the Spire. Maralictor Wirt arrives on the scene to take command. In their discussion, Daryle mentions that she has seen similar constructs on Klarkosh's level in the Spire. She surmises the constructs could probably not escape by themselves. The symbol on the dogs is unique and though it vaguely reminds her of something she's seen before, she can't put her finger on what that was.
The house itself belongs to Geoffrey Kirker, according to Wirt, but, according to a neighbor, he and his family usually reside in Daggermark during the winter months. The house is searched, and no bodies or constructs are discovered inside. Daryle also explores the house to see how the dogs got in. She comes to three possible conclusions. The dogs could have been deposited by a green storm, summoned, or placed in here a while ago then activated today.
Meanwhile, Darelle tells Gerald to go ask Cassandra if Nissa has been summoning creatures. Gerald heads over there and carefully weaves the dogs into his discussion with the two of them. Nissa is very interested in the dogs, and Gerald quickly discerns that the child is not responsible for their presence. Returning to the scene of the attack, Gerald mentions to Maralictor Wirt his interest in training Nissa, the budding sorcerer. Wirt carelessly waves him away to do what he thinks is best, before tasking Gerald with investigating dimension doors and ways to prevent them. It would be unfortunate if enemies were able to introduce themselves in Fort Inevitable this way.
Wrapping up the investigations, a carpenter rebuilds a door to replace the destroyed door on the Kirker residence, and the Hellknights leave the scene. The Coopers continue their investigation for a while, but discover nothing. Gerald detects faint hints of magic in the air, but any of the three scenarios mentioned by Daryle could have been the cause.
As they head to Darelle's house, the Coopers encounter Cassandra again. She's wearing a cloak and carrying a strange package wrapped in leather. Gerald exchanges pleasantries with her, then offers to walk her home. At first Cassandra is very reticent, but then agrees. They all continue their walk down the street.
Three houses away from Dr. Mordel's house, the Coopers see a woman being thrown out of a second floor window. She smashes to the ground and dies instantly. They take a quick look at her. In her mid forties, she too has black hair. Daryle heads to the North Gate which is manned by a platoon of Hellknights led by the inept half orc Bolgur. She tells him what has happened, and connects this incident to the two deaths that happened earlier. Bolgur dispatches three Hellknights to investigate the matter. The officer in charge is surprised that Signifier Gerald did not invest the house to attempt to catch whomever threw the woman out the window. Gerald replies that he had to secure the scene first. The soldiers exchange glances. They break down the door and search through the house, finding nothing. Daryle receives permission from Gerald to enter the premises, but does not find dog tracks inside the residence. There are no other people present in the house.
Darelle documents the names of the three victims, and plans to investigate if there are any links between them aside from their black hair and their gender. With such a trying day, Darelle and Daryle return to Darelle's house, while Gerald heads back to his house. In the process, everyone forgot about Cassandra ...
Over the last four days, Darelle, Daryle and Gerald rested and re-equipped. They bought healing potions and Darelle invested into another invisibility potion. Daryle, meanwhile went hunting and captured 48 crowns' worth of pelts and goblin ears. She meets with Karlyle the butcher, who mentions that most of the goblin ears that have been turned in are those of juveniles.
Darelle spends some time with Dr. Mordel, who reports that there is a flu epidemic in the town. About one in five people seem to be affected. They are stricken and bed-ridden, but after three or four days they are able to return to their regular activities. The population outside the walls seems not to be as affected.
Gerald continues his research into the magical bow he wishes to build, and he begins to seek out components to build his copper coin change mail. He thinks that Roscoe will be rather impressed with this new invention.
In the late afternoon, Cassandra knocks on Gerald's door. After a sharp exchange that included a discussion about not telling her that he was back in time, Gerald reveals that he was badly injured. Cassandra forces her way inside, and she cooks him a nice meal. Over dinner she mentions that she is doing research in ice magic. Gerald mentions the idea of a unified theory of elemental magic where the elements could be stronger when combined properly than the sum of their parts. For example, earth to mud. She teaches Gerald the orison spell of ice over, which allows him to freeze roughly a cup of a normal liquid. Used on a water elemental, this will cause 1d4 points of damage. She departs late in the evening, after sharing a passionate kiss with him.
Calistril 24, 4712
Following the sisters' return from Xer and their quest for information on the Shadowborn family, the Coopers meet in the morning for breakfast at the Juliver Arms. Daryle tells her siblings about the goblins and what Karlyle told her. She speculates that it could either be a new tribe moving into the area, or the older goblins might have all been slain and are replaced with younger and more inexperienced troops. The breakfast is delicious, fried potatoes, pancakes, bacon, sausage, and eggs. Suddenly, they hear a scream. Through the window, they see two people running away. Both of them are elderly townfolks.
They hear a scream, then see two people running away, while Hellknights run in the opposite direction. Darelle is the first one out. She sees two automated hounds two street corners away, bent over two unlucky victims. The Hellknights have formed a defensive perimeter and are fighting them. Darelle sprints down the street and takes one of the corners next to the soldiers. One of the dogs lunges and bites down on a soldier's arm, chopping the arm right off. Darelle strikes at it, followed by Daryle firing arrows, while Gerald expands several magic missiles. It's enough damage to destroy the dog, who explodes. Darelle peels pieces of shrapnel from her face, but one of the Hellknights perishes. The combat continues for a few more moments, but the other dog is swiftly dispatched. Both dogs are constructs. Darelle attempts to heal the heavily injured soldier, but instead severely cuts his carotid artery. She is forced to use a few healing spells to restore him back to health.
Daryle examines the civilian bodies. Both victims were female and had black hair. One of the girls appears to be about 17, while they know the other is known to be a mother of three children who's about 37 years old. Daryle loots the bodies and picks up 17 copper coins and a small silver pendant while pretending to check for their injuries. The Hellknights roll their eyes and are aghast at this behavior. As more Hellknights arrive, Gerald orders six of them to bring the bodies to the Temple of the Golden Key to see if they can be revived. High Mother Sarise Dremagne tells him that the Hellknight can be brought The cost is too prohibitive. Gerald speculates that their black hair made them targets. Gerald makes all necessary arrangements to notify next of kin for all three victims, then leaves the paperwork on Roscoe's desk.
While examining the destroyed parts, Daryle finds a specific mark on both dogs. She has seen similar elements on some of the constructs in the Spire. Maralictor Wirt arrives on the scene to take command. In their discussion, Daryle mentions that she has seen similar constructs on Klarkosh's level in the Spire. She surmises the constructs could probably not escape by themselves. The symbol on the dogs is unique and though it vaguely reminds her of something she's seen before, she can't put her finger on what that was.
The house itself belongs to Geoffrey Kirker, according to Wirt, but, according to a neighbor, he and his family usually reside in Daggermark during the winter months. The house is searched, and no bodies or constructs are discovered inside. Daryle also explores the house to see how the dogs got in. She comes to three possible conclusions. The dogs could have been deposited by a green storm, summoned, or placed in here a while ago then activated today.
Meanwhile, Darelle tells Gerald to go ask Cassandra if Nissa has been summoning creatures. Gerald heads over there and carefully weaves the dogs into his discussion with the two of them. Nissa is very interested in the dogs, and Gerald quickly discerns that the child is not responsible for their presence. Returning to the scene of the attack, Gerald mentions to Maralictor Wirt his interest in training Nissa, the budding sorcerer. Wirt carelessly waves him away to do what he thinks is best, before tasking Gerald with investigating dimension doors and ways to prevent them. It would be unfortunate if enemies were able to introduce themselves in Fort Inevitable this way.
Wrapping up the investigations, a carpenter rebuilds a door to replace the destroyed door on the Kirker residence, and the Hellknights leave the scene. The Coopers continue their investigation for a while, but discover nothing. Gerald detects faint hints of magic in the air, but any of the three scenarios mentioned by Daryle could have been the cause.
As they head to Darelle's house, the Coopers encounter Cassandra again. She's wearing a cloak and carrying a strange package wrapped in leather. Gerald exchanges pleasantries with her, then offers to walk her home. At first Cassandra is very reticent, but then agrees. They all continue their walk down the street.
Three houses away from Dr. Mordel's house, the Coopers see a woman being thrown out of a second floor window. She smashes to the ground and dies instantly. They take a quick look at her. In her mid forties, she too has black hair. Daryle heads to the North Gate which is manned by a platoon of Hellknights led by the inept half orc Bolgur. She tells him what has happened, and connects this incident to the two deaths that happened earlier. Bolgur dispatches three Hellknights to investigate the matter. The officer in charge is surprised that Signifier Gerald did not invest the house to attempt to catch whomever threw the woman out the window. Gerald replies that he had to secure the scene first. The soldiers exchange glances. They break down the door and search through the house, finding nothing. Daryle receives permission from Gerald to enter the premises, but does not find dog tracks inside the residence. There are no other people present in the house.
Darelle documents the names of the three victims, and plans to investigate if there are any links between them aside from their black hair and their gender. With such a trying day, Darelle and Daryle return to Darelle's house, while Gerald heads back to his house. In the process, everyone forgot about Cassandra ...
Friday, February 19, 2016
Love is in the air
Calistril 1, 4712
It's a beautiful winter day in Fort Inevitable. Snow fell last night, and the entire town is covered by about six inches. Children are outside playing, and Hellknights patrol the streets with a smile on their faces.
For the last few days, Gerald has been feeling sick. He finally decides to talk to Doctor Mordel about the scar on the chest. Mordel examines him and advises him that whomever did this to him was very skilled, and either took something out of him or put something in. Unfortunately, the good doctor has no way of telling which of the two happened. Gerald asks him if using a gem of true seeing would reveal what had happened to him. Mordel looks pleased at the idea. He tells Gerald that this is brilliant and may lead to a novel way of treating patients. The doctor does not have such a gem on hand. Mordel tells Gerald that if he brings in this gem, he will gladly examine the sorcerer, and he will then write a paper about it for the Daggermark's Medical Treatises.
Gerald thinks that the Hellknights may have such a gem, so he heads to the citadel to talk with Léonche de Moustiers, Chamberlain of the Citadel. de Moustiers informs Gerald that the Hellknights have such a gem, but Gerald would need to leave behind enough valuable collateral. The sorcerer tells him that he has such an item, and he presents one of the funeral masks he discovered on the 7th level of the Emerald Spire. de Moustiers appraises the mask, and tells Gerald that it would be more than adequate. However, he flips through a large ledger book and advises Gerald that this item had not been declared at the last tax payment. Gerald is thus assessed 130 crowns for the underpayment of taxes, as well as 140 crowns more in penalties for non-payment of taxes. Furthermore, he says, this is a first offense and thus he is being fined. On a second offense, the penalties will be doubled, and on a third offense the penalty is death. Gerald states that if he finds the masks he will surrender them to the Hellknights in case they are dangerous. de Moustiers thanks Gerald and will take him up on that offer. Gerald makes an appointment to get the gem on Calistril 9.
Meanwhile, Darelle decides she will investigate the vial of dark blue crystal powder she collected on the 7th level of the Emerald Spire. She asks Mordel if he knows what it is, and he replies that he doesn't, but that there are a few people in town who might: Abernard, and Falandra Nolm, Gerald's employer. Darelle knows that Abernard is out of town, so she decides to talk to Falandra Nolm. Falandra agrees to look at the material, but her fee is a quarter of the item, in kind preferably, but she will take the value in gold if she must. Darelle agrees, and she takes out the vial. Falandra is stumped, but after some research she discovers a tome with information on this type of powder. She tells Darelle that when mixed with horse manure, it will create a small ball. When the ball is flattened and then thrown on the ground, it will transform into a crystal pegasus in various shades of blue. Darelle has enough to make six pegasus.
At the same time, Daryle drops off some of her skins to Karlyle the Butcher, then walks in the Juliver Arms to get the scuttlebutt on the Millers family. Word on the street is that they are preparing to head out to the Emerald Spire. Unlike the Coopers, they claim they should be able to clear the tower in no time.
Finally, in the late afternoon, the three siblings meet again in the street on their way to Darelle's house for dinner. Suddenly Gerald gets hit in the head by a large snowball, and he falls face first in the snow covering the ground. Laughter can be heard from behind the Coopers. Daryle turns around quickly, and sees a bunch of kids a few houses back. One the children moves forward and taunts Gerald. The Coopers recognize Nissa, Abernard's niece, whom they encountered a few months ago. When Gerald refuses to get up, she casts a spell and a giant snowbank falls on him, burying him under a gigantic pile of snow. The children laugh louder. Gerald grumbles from his snow pile that he is a Hellknight officer and he could arrest Nissa for violating the anti-spellcasting provisions, but Nissa only throws another snow ball at the pile of snow. When Daryle and Darelle begin to chase them, they all scatter, and Nissa runs to her uncle's house and closes the door.
The sisters wait for Gerald to pull himself out of the snow pile, and when he catches up with them Daryle knocks on the door to Abernard's residence. After a few seconds the door opens and a tall and beautiful woman appears. Daryle explains why they are here, and the woman invites them inside. She tells them her name is Cassandra, and she is Nissa's mother and Abernard's niece. She calls Nissa down to apologize to Gerald, but the child instead taunts him again before running upstairs. Cassandra tells them that Nissa's innate magical abilities have been hard to control, and that she's getting herself in quite a bit of trouble.
As they discuss the situation in town and recent events, it becomes clear to Daryle and Darelle that Cassandra has more than a passing interest in Gerald. The house has resumed its actual proportions, and a loud crash can be heard from upstairs. Daryle decides to investigates, and she ascends to the third floor, where she finds the door to the library closed. Nissa is on the other side and she seems to be searching something. The child has wizard locked the doors and Daryle can't get in. She runs downstairs and tells Cassandra. She runs up the stairs and returns with a chastised Nissa, who does give Gerald a heartfelt apology before going to her room.
Gerald then tells Cassandra that he is feeling sick. Cassandra examines his scar and tells him that she concurs with Dr. Mordel's opinion. She herself dabbles in healing and has some experience in the matter. Gerald invites her to participate in Dr. Mordel's examination on the 9th. She agrees.
After a few more moments, the Coopers leave Abernard's house and return to Darelle's house. Cassandra invites Gerald over any time. The sorcerer politely declines. The Coopers have dinner, then they retire by the fireplace and spend the evening in quiet contemplation.
A few hours after midnight, they are awakened by the sound of wolf howls in the distance. There are no wolves in the area, having been hunted down decades ago. As the rangers listen, they can hear at leas three wolves, maybe four. Daryle wonders if it is due to a green storm. They dress quickly, then head out of Darelle's house and to the wall. Daryle tells the others she suspects that the wolves may be none other than the Millers, which would explain a few things.
The Coopers find Walter and Rainulf on guard duty on that particular section of the wall.They report that they haven't seen the wolves, but they definitely heard them in the northeast fields. That's in the direction of the Emerald Spire. The Coopers resolve to go hunting the next day.
Calistril 2, 4712
As soon as the gates open the Coopers race out of Fort Inevitable and head towards the Emerald Spire. Darelle is worried about her dry blue crystals, while Daryle and Gerald are eager to catch up to the wolves. They quickly locate tracks, which indicate that there are three wolves. But the tracks are huge, half as big as the biggest wolves. Darelle spots some loose fur, so Daryle collects a few samples to bring back to Dr. Mordel.
Eventually the tracks indicate that the wolves took off very quickly. The Coopers pick up the pace, and come upon a bloody scene. The wolf tracks merge with the tracks of a human, and a bloody scene shows that human came to a brutal end. Gerald examines the boot tracks and discovers that they are Hellknight booths. The body seems to have been pulled away by the wolves.
A few clearings away, they discover a badly chewed up body, with the head missing. The body is still garbed in a Hellknight uniform. Daryle collects personnel effects from the pockets, and they bury the body under a cairn.
Following the wolf tracks, they then discover that the wolves themselves fell into a goblin trap. Two were captured in nets, while one fought but was eventually subdued. All three wolves were dragged back to the Emerald Spire.
The Coopers enter the Emerald Spire through the secret tunnel and then descend to the 7th level, where they collect the barrel of dark blue crystal. They then head home again. Returning to Fort Inevitable, Daryle hands the pouch back to Maralictor Wirt. She tells them that these effects belonged to Armand, a Hellknight who was posted in Dimsdale. The closest farm was that of the Redwoods. What was Armand doing out there?
As they head home, the Coopers come upon a commotion outside of the Juliver Arms. The crowd is cheering loudly. Taking a closer look, they see that the Millers are showing off their sled and their equipment, claiming that they will storm the Spire tomorrow and will do a better job than the Coopers. If the Millers are here, who are the wolves?
It's a beautiful winter day in Fort Inevitable. Snow fell last night, and the entire town is covered by about six inches. Children are outside playing, and Hellknights patrol the streets with a smile on their faces.
For the last few days, Gerald has been feeling sick. He finally decides to talk to Doctor Mordel about the scar on the chest. Mordel examines him and advises him that whomever did this to him was very skilled, and either took something out of him or put something in. Unfortunately, the good doctor has no way of telling which of the two happened. Gerald asks him if using a gem of true seeing would reveal what had happened to him. Mordel looks pleased at the idea. He tells Gerald that this is brilliant and may lead to a novel way of treating patients. The doctor does not have such a gem on hand. Mordel tells Gerald that if he brings in this gem, he will gladly examine the sorcerer, and he will then write a paper about it for the Daggermark's Medical Treatises.
Gerald thinks that the Hellknights may have such a gem, so he heads to the citadel to talk with Léonche de Moustiers, Chamberlain of the Citadel. de Moustiers informs Gerald that the Hellknights have such a gem, but Gerald would need to leave behind enough valuable collateral. The sorcerer tells him that he has such an item, and he presents one of the funeral masks he discovered on the 7th level of the Emerald Spire. de Moustiers appraises the mask, and tells Gerald that it would be more than adequate. However, he flips through a large ledger book and advises Gerald that this item had not been declared at the last tax payment. Gerald is thus assessed 130 crowns for the underpayment of taxes, as well as 140 crowns more in penalties for non-payment of taxes. Furthermore, he says, this is a first offense and thus he is being fined. On a second offense, the penalties will be doubled, and on a third offense the penalty is death. Gerald states that if he finds the masks he will surrender them to the Hellknights in case they are dangerous. de Moustiers thanks Gerald and will take him up on that offer. Gerald makes an appointment to get the gem on Calistril 9.
Meanwhile, Darelle decides she will investigate the vial of dark blue crystal powder she collected on the 7th level of the Emerald Spire. She asks Mordel if he knows what it is, and he replies that he doesn't, but that there are a few people in town who might: Abernard, and Falandra Nolm, Gerald's employer. Darelle knows that Abernard is out of town, so she decides to talk to Falandra Nolm. Falandra agrees to look at the material, but her fee is a quarter of the item, in kind preferably, but she will take the value in gold if she must. Darelle agrees, and she takes out the vial. Falandra is stumped, but after some research she discovers a tome with information on this type of powder. She tells Darelle that when mixed with horse manure, it will create a small ball. When the ball is flattened and then thrown on the ground, it will transform into a crystal pegasus in various shades of blue. Darelle has enough to make six pegasus.
At the same time, Daryle drops off some of her skins to Karlyle the Butcher, then walks in the Juliver Arms to get the scuttlebutt on the Millers family. Word on the street is that they are preparing to head out to the Emerald Spire. Unlike the Coopers, they claim they should be able to clear the tower in no time.
Finally, in the late afternoon, the three siblings meet again in the street on their way to Darelle's house for dinner. Suddenly Gerald gets hit in the head by a large snowball, and he falls face first in the snow covering the ground. Laughter can be heard from behind the Coopers. Daryle turns around quickly, and sees a bunch of kids a few houses back. One the children moves forward and taunts Gerald. The Coopers recognize Nissa, Abernard's niece, whom they encountered a few months ago. When Gerald refuses to get up, she casts a spell and a giant snowbank falls on him, burying him under a gigantic pile of snow. The children laugh louder. Gerald grumbles from his snow pile that he is a Hellknight officer and he could arrest Nissa for violating the anti-spellcasting provisions, but Nissa only throws another snow ball at the pile of snow. When Daryle and Darelle begin to chase them, they all scatter, and Nissa runs to her uncle's house and closes the door.
The sisters wait for Gerald to pull himself out of the snow pile, and when he catches up with them Daryle knocks on the door to Abernard's residence. After a few seconds the door opens and a tall and beautiful woman appears. Daryle explains why they are here, and the woman invites them inside. She tells them her name is Cassandra, and she is Nissa's mother and Abernard's niece. She calls Nissa down to apologize to Gerald, but the child instead taunts him again before running upstairs. Cassandra tells them that Nissa's innate magical abilities have been hard to control, and that she's getting herself in quite a bit of trouble.
As they discuss the situation in town and recent events, it becomes clear to Daryle and Darelle that Cassandra has more than a passing interest in Gerald. The house has resumed its actual proportions, and a loud crash can be heard from upstairs. Daryle decides to investigates, and she ascends to the third floor, where she finds the door to the library closed. Nissa is on the other side and she seems to be searching something. The child has wizard locked the doors and Daryle can't get in. She runs downstairs and tells Cassandra. She runs up the stairs and returns with a chastised Nissa, who does give Gerald a heartfelt apology before going to her room.
Gerald then tells Cassandra that he is feeling sick. Cassandra examines his scar and tells him that she concurs with Dr. Mordel's opinion. She herself dabbles in healing and has some experience in the matter. Gerald invites her to participate in Dr. Mordel's examination on the 9th. She agrees.
After a few more moments, the Coopers leave Abernard's house and return to Darelle's house. Cassandra invites Gerald over any time. The sorcerer politely declines. The Coopers have dinner, then they retire by the fireplace and spend the evening in quiet contemplation.
A few hours after midnight, they are awakened by the sound of wolf howls in the distance. There are no wolves in the area, having been hunted down decades ago. As the rangers listen, they can hear at leas three wolves, maybe four. Daryle wonders if it is due to a green storm. They dress quickly, then head out of Darelle's house and to the wall. Daryle tells the others she suspects that the wolves may be none other than the Millers, which would explain a few things.
The Coopers find Walter and Rainulf on guard duty on that particular section of the wall.They report that they haven't seen the wolves, but they definitely heard them in the northeast fields. That's in the direction of the Emerald Spire. The Coopers resolve to go hunting the next day.
Calistril 2, 4712
As soon as the gates open the Coopers race out of Fort Inevitable and head towards the Emerald Spire. Darelle is worried about her dry blue crystals, while Daryle and Gerald are eager to catch up to the wolves. They quickly locate tracks, which indicate that there are three wolves. But the tracks are huge, half as big as the biggest wolves. Darelle spots some loose fur, so Daryle collects a few samples to bring back to Dr. Mordel.
Eventually the tracks indicate that the wolves took off very quickly. The Coopers pick up the pace, and come upon a bloody scene. The wolf tracks merge with the tracks of a human, and a bloody scene shows that human came to a brutal end. Gerald examines the boot tracks and discovers that they are Hellknight booths. The body seems to have been pulled away by the wolves.
A few clearings away, they discover a badly chewed up body, with the head missing. The body is still garbed in a Hellknight uniform. Daryle collects personnel effects from the pockets, and they bury the body under a cairn.
Following the wolf tracks, they then discover that the wolves themselves fell into a goblin trap. Two were captured in nets, while one fought but was eventually subdued. All three wolves were dragged back to the Emerald Spire.
The Coopers enter the Emerald Spire through the secret tunnel and then descend to the 7th level, where they collect the barrel of dark blue crystal. They then head home again. Returning to Fort Inevitable, Daryle hands the pouch back to Maralictor Wirt. She tells them that these effects belonged to Armand, a Hellknight who was posted in Dimsdale. The closest farm was that of the Redwoods. What was Armand doing out there?
As they head home, the Coopers come upon a commotion outside of the Juliver Arms. The crowd is cheering loudly. Taking a closer look, they see that the Millers are showing off their sled and their equipment, claiming that they will storm the Spire tomorrow and will do a better job than the Coopers. If the Millers are here, who are the wolves?
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Kids and magic don't mix
Erastus 11, 4711
After being sedated for three days, Gerald awakens in Dr. Mordel's house, confused as to what happened to him. All he remembers is going in to the brigands' lair and walking through the fortified door with a supposedly magical cat's skull. He was promptly dragged inside and a hood was placed on his head. After meandering throughout the level, he was eventually hit on the head and fell unconscious. He awoke to find himself tied and hooded.
Later on in the day (or was it night) a couple of guards came in, punched him in the face, and dragged him out. It seems like his brother Thorne was there, but that's can be right. At any rate, when he finally awakes Gerald steps out of the room with bandaged hands and a black eye.
He slowly gets out of bed, and wanders out of the small bedroom. He encounters Erynna, Dr. Mordel's assistant, coming up the stairs. She tells him to go lay down, she will get the good doctor.
Dr. Mordel tells Gerald that there was a terrible battle during the Coopers' rescue attempt, and Gerald's hands were cut off and severely crushed. Fortunately, Mordel was able to save them, but they needed to be healed through a process only known to Mordel. In the meantime, he had sewed two small goblin right hands that worked. Gerald was crestfallen.
Soon Darelle and Daryle arrived, and were rejoiced to see Gerald finally back to his former self. While Gerald had been unconscious, they had caught up on Fort Inevitable news, including the fact that no goblins have been turned in for a bounty in the last ten days. The Coopers suspect that Greenhide may be mustering his forces and gathering to himself all the goblins from the area. For what purpose, they are not sure.
They also devised a plot to deal with the Splinters who dwell on the 3rd level of the Spire. Darelle has already created a poison based on a mix of plants saps, and Thorne has delivered it into the water supply. In the next 24 hours, all of the brigands will be violently affected and will be in no shape to fight. Thorne also reports that Tarrin, leader of the Splinters, is still reading the fake copy of Words Behind the Mask. And the brigands themselves report hearing a lot of goblin noises coming from the 2nd level.
Having some time to themselves, the Coopers decide to escort Gerald to visit Abernard Royst so he can turn in his map of the 2nd level and collect some much needed gold. On the way there, they stop at the Temple to pick up more scrolls of cure medium wounds. Coming out, Gerald bumps into a small child and sends her sprawling to the ground. Getting up and dusting herself off, she accuses Gerald of being mean spirited. That's when he notices that his newly purchased scrolls are gone. The girl immediately takes off, moving surprisingly quickly. Gerald begins chasing after her, but he is soon stopped by a Hellknight patrol that claims the girls accused him of attacking her. Meanwhile, Daryle sprints down the next alley and comes out. But the girl is gone. The only house on this block in which she could have taken refuge is Abernard's cottage.
After much discussion, Hellknight officers enter the cottage using the spare key (whose location Thorne reveals), but they do not find the girl. They advise Gerald to file a report of theft at the fortress. With the patrol gone, the Coopers enter the house.
The first thing they notice is that Abernard's house does not look any different than the last time they were here, but somehow the Hellknights did not notice that it is so much bigger on the inside than on the outside. On one of the walls in the hall Darelle notices a series of family portraits, and the girl can be clearly seen in one of them alongside Abernard. At first, the Coopers suspect that she is some sort of spirit, and they attempt to discover whether she's taken refuge in the painting. After a few minutes of examinations, however, they decide that it really is a painting, and they begin searching the house.
The downstairs looks like it has not been cleaned for a few weeks. There are dirty plates everywhere, and the food pantry has been raided. The Coopers head upstairs. In the first bedroom they enter they discover a sleeping ogre in what is obviously Abernard's bedroom. Daryle carefully locks the door and they move down the hall. They come across what appears to be a guess room that has been completely thorn apart. It looks like a girl is currently living in this room. In it they discover a small spellbook with the name Nissa on it.
After an encounter with a few deadly plants, the Coopers finally ascend the stairs to the third floor. There they discover Abernard's workshop and his library. Gerald uses magic and discovers that many of the books in this room have magical auras. A corner of the room also feels particularly evil. On the large working table is a big book. Gerald notices that this book is the actual grimoire called Words Behind the Mask by the god Norgurber, god of thieves and murder, that Abernard had created a copy of to fool the Splinters. The book itself was turned to a summoning ritual.
Behind large doors they hear Nissa yelling at something. After several heated exchanges, they are able to open the doors and enter into Abernard's alchemy lab. Nissa was busy trying to conjure Abernard back from his two dimensional state inside a pentagram drawn on the floor of the lab. After a battle during which Thorne is covered with leaves and Daryle takes a lot of damage, Nissa is tackled to the floor, and her rod of wonder.
After some research Gerald discovers how to undo the ritual cast by Abernard, and the old sage is brought back from his limbo. Abernard reveals that following the creation of the fake grimoire he became very interested in one of the rituals that could summon a devil that would do his bidding and rescue Gerald.
Unfortunately, his niece Nissa, an apprentice wizard, disrupted the ritual and Abernard became caught in a two-dimensional gate. Left to his own devices, Nissa did her best to rescue her uncle, but was unable to do so. She discovered Abernard's stash of magical items, including several cursed items, which changed her personality and magnified her egotistical tendencies.
Abernard thanks the Coopers profusely and reward them with the rod of wonder.
After being sedated for three days, Gerald awakens in Dr. Mordel's house, confused as to what happened to him. All he remembers is going in to the brigands' lair and walking through the fortified door with a supposedly magical cat's skull. He was promptly dragged inside and a hood was placed on his head. After meandering throughout the level, he was eventually hit on the head and fell unconscious. He awoke to find himself tied and hooded.
Later on in the day (or was it night) a couple of guards came in, punched him in the face, and dragged him out. It seems like his brother Thorne was there, but that's can be right. At any rate, when he finally awakes Gerald steps out of the room with bandaged hands and a black eye.
He slowly gets out of bed, and wanders out of the small bedroom. He encounters Erynna, Dr. Mordel's assistant, coming up the stairs. She tells him to go lay down, she will get the good doctor.
Dr. Mordel tells Gerald that there was a terrible battle during the Coopers' rescue attempt, and Gerald's hands were cut off and severely crushed. Fortunately, Mordel was able to save them, but they needed to be healed through a process only known to Mordel. In the meantime, he had sewed two small goblin right hands that worked. Gerald was crestfallen.
Soon Darelle and Daryle arrived, and were rejoiced to see Gerald finally back to his former self. While Gerald had been unconscious, they had caught up on Fort Inevitable news, including the fact that no goblins have been turned in for a bounty in the last ten days. The Coopers suspect that Greenhide may be mustering his forces and gathering to himself all the goblins from the area. For what purpose, they are not sure.
They also devised a plot to deal with the Splinters who dwell on the 3rd level of the Spire. Darelle has already created a poison based on a mix of plants saps, and Thorne has delivered it into the water supply. In the next 24 hours, all of the brigands will be violently affected and will be in no shape to fight. Thorne also reports that Tarrin, leader of the Splinters, is still reading the fake copy of Words Behind the Mask. And the brigands themselves report hearing a lot of goblin noises coming from the 2nd level.
Having some time to themselves, the Coopers decide to escort Gerald to visit Abernard Royst so he can turn in his map of the 2nd level and collect some much needed gold. On the way there, they stop at the Temple to pick up more scrolls of cure medium wounds. Coming out, Gerald bumps into a small child and sends her sprawling to the ground. Getting up and dusting herself off, she accuses Gerald of being mean spirited. That's when he notices that his newly purchased scrolls are gone. The girl immediately takes off, moving surprisingly quickly. Gerald begins chasing after her, but he is soon stopped by a Hellknight patrol that claims the girls accused him of attacking her. Meanwhile, Daryle sprints down the next alley and comes out. But the girl is gone. The only house on this block in which she could have taken refuge is Abernard's cottage.
After much discussion, Hellknight officers enter the cottage using the spare key (whose location Thorne reveals), but they do not find the girl. They advise Gerald to file a report of theft at the fortress. With the patrol gone, the Coopers enter the house.
The first thing they notice is that Abernard's house does not look any different than the last time they were here, but somehow the Hellknights did not notice that it is so much bigger on the inside than on the outside. On one of the walls in the hall Darelle notices a series of family portraits, and the girl can be clearly seen in one of them alongside Abernard. At first, the Coopers suspect that she is some sort of spirit, and they attempt to discover whether she's taken refuge in the painting. After a few minutes of examinations, however, they decide that it really is a painting, and they begin searching the house.
The downstairs looks like it has not been cleaned for a few weeks. There are dirty plates everywhere, and the food pantry has been raided. The Coopers head upstairs. In the first bedroom they enter they discover a sleeping ogre in what is obviously Abernard's bedroom. Daryle carefully locks the door and they move down the hall. They come across what appears to be a guess room that has been completely thorn apart. It looks like a girl is currently living in this room. In it they discover a small spellbook with the name Nissa on it.
After an encounter with a few deadly plants, the Coopers finally ascend the stairs to the third floor. There they discover Abernard's workshop and his library. Gerald uses magic and discovers that many of the books in this room have magical auras. A corner of the room also feels particularly evil. On the large working table is a big book. Gerald notices that this book is the actual grimoire called Words Behind the Mask by the god Norgurber, god of thieves and murder, that Abernard had created a copy of to fool the Splinters. The book itself was turned to a summoning ritual.
Behind large doors they hear Nissa yelling at something. After several heated exchanges, they are able to open the doors and enter into Abernard's alchemy lab. Nissa was busy trying to conjure Abernard back from his two dimensional state inside a pentagram drawn on the floor of the lab. After a battle during which Thorne is covered with leaves and Daryle takes a lot of damage, Nissa is tackled to the floor, and her rod of wonder.
After some research Gerald discovers how to undo the ritual cast by Abernard, and the old sage is brought back from his limbo. Abernard reveals that following the creation of the fake grimoire he became very interested in one of the rituals that could summon a devil that would do his bidding and rescue Gerald.
Unfortunately, his niece Nissa, an apprentice wizard, disrupted the ritual and Abernard became caught in a two-dimensional gate. Left to his own devices, Nissa did her best to rescue her uncle, but was unable to do so. She discovered Abernard's stash of magical items, including several cursed items, which changed her personality and magnified her egotistical tendencies.
Abernard thanks the Coopers profusely and reward them with the rod of wonder.
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