Fooling the Splinters

Erastus 7, 4711

Returned from the Spire, Roscoe, Darelle and Daryle gather in Roscoe’s dwelling above the Juliver Inn. They have left messages for Thorne in all of his haunts, urging him to find them there so they can share the bad news about Gerald.

In the wee hours of the night, Thorne finally arrives. He reveals he is aware that Gerald has been taken prisoner by the brigands and will be turned over to Klarkosh in the morning.

Gerald is currently the captive of the Splinters Cutthroat Gang, a group that dwells on the 3^rd level of the Emerald Spire. They are led by Tarrin Dars, and she is always looking for old books. Thorne happens to know that she would most likely trade Gerald for a grimoire called Words Behind the Mask by the god Norgurber, god of thieves and murder. Thorne also happens to know that Abernard Royst, one of Gerald’s mentors and the local sage, owns a copy of this book.

Erastus 8, 4711

The Coopers thus head to Abernard’s house and rouse the old sage from his bed. After a short exchange, he lets them in his house. A small cottage on the outside, Abernard’s home is larger on the inside. In the discussions that ensue, Abernard denies owning a copy of this heretical book, and he stirs the Coopers towards creating an illusory copy instead. Identical to the actual item, the book will furthermore be implanted with a suggestion and be guarded with various spells that will provide evocation, abjuration and evil. For all intents and purposes, this book will look exactly like the original.

Armed with the book, the Coopers head out back to the Spire and enter through a little-used tunnel leading about 1.5 miles through the underground into the 3^rd level of the Spire. Led by Thorne, they arrive at the Splinters’ headquarters. Thorne connects with Tarrin, and strikes a bargain with her to exchange the book for Gerald. The trade is performed, and the party leaves with Gerald, but not before Thorne suggests to Tarrin that “he is important to Norgurber and he must be listened to.” Tarrin seems to fall for the suggestion. She immediately begins perusing through the book. Thorne departs the temple where Tarrin was worshiping and informs Maskus, her lieutenant that she is not to be disturbed for the next three days, even if Klarkosh comes to collect the prisoner.

During the trek back home the Coopers discuss the possibility of returning to the Spire with another person looking like Gerald and passing it as him.

The Coopers return to Fort Inevitable and deliver Gerald to the tender care of Dr. Mordel. Thorne goes to visit Karlyle the Butcher and manages to secure a captive. It turns out that Karlyle has recently come into possession of a priest of the Living God, and he matches Gerald’s description fairly well.

Karlyle delivers the priest to an abandoned shed outside the walls of Fort Inevitable, and the Coopers take the man in a wheelbarrow back to the Splinters. Maskus is confused at first, but when Thorne recounts how he conned Gerald’s friends and captured him again, he is pleased. He informs Thorne that Klarkosh has not yet come by, but it is not uncommon for him to be days or weeks late. Guards come and take the priest away.

Thorne returns inside the temple to talk to Tarrin, and he realizes that she has gone the deep end. The suggestion spell combined with the illusory ritual book, has worked too well, and now Tarrin is busy studying the book to discover the ritual she needs to bring Norgurber back by opening a portal. Thorn decides to leave her, but as he exits he pretends to have been sent on an errand from the Splinters' leader. 

He informs members of the gang that he must go and count the treasure of gold to see if Tarrin has enough to cast the ritual. The guards laugh and point at the door next to the Temple. Thorne opens the door, then enters. The guards begin placing bets. Suddenly the bed rises and a Gold Golem attacks. The Coopers join in the battle, but after an unequal battle they are forced to escape. Fortunately, in the battle and the gambling that ensued they were able to grab eight precious books off Tarrin's shelves: 

1. The Dreams of the Gods
2. Twilight's Burning Ceremonies
3. The Vacant Prophecies
4. The Mind's Voyages
5. The Discord of Night Swords
6. The Sons of Darkness
7. The Spiritual Flames
8. Grod's Erotic Orcish Poetry 

Armed with a wheel barrel filled with these books, the Coopers headed back to Fort Inevitable.

Of course this would happen to Gerald

Erastus 3, 4711

In the morning, the Coopers search the rest of the room. Roscoe seizes two bone priests outfits, while Gerald grabs a black ritual candle.

Aidan decides to explore the room next door, and gets smashed when the ceiling drops on him. The chest he tried to open was a trap. Aidan repeats the process several times, while Gerald also becomes a victim of the roof trap.

Feeling slightly refreshed, the Coopers decide to finish exploring this level of the Emerald Spire. They head towards one of the rooms left behind. Upon opening the door, they discover the moon spiders' nest. Roscoe comes up with a clever plan to incinerate the babies that rush at them, and after setting it up with Darelle and Daryle, the spiders die in a fiery inferno. Looting the room, they discover several cocoons of small spiders. Gerald grabs some of the webbing for spell components, while Daryle fills a small jar of moon spider eggs. Gerald decides to do the same, but he adds a ray of frost to freeze them inside his jar.

Returning towards the northeast corner of the dungeon, they enter a crypt with eight sarcophagi placed at equal distance from each other. Each one is inscribed in Azlani. Gerald carefully copies the name in passable Azlani: Valeros, Codwin, Kreedis, Jamus, Teedum, Carmoth, Delduin, and Aylsande. All but Aylsande are male. Upon touching one of the sarcophagi, the lids slide open and six skeletons emerge, charging the Coopers. Gerald manages to delay Aylsande by appealing to her mercy but the skeleton has been dead too long to recall its former life, and in the end she joins the fray.

Gerald is incapacitated, but Roscoe manages to turn the tide and slay the last skeleton in an epic battle. As a result, they get their hands on a crown, two bracers, a silken ceremonial armor, and a short sword for each skeleton. In the remaining two sarcophagi they discover two intact skeletons and also remove their equipment.

They also discover that one of the sarcophagi actually covers a staircase leading to the third level of the Emerald Spire. Having cleared the second level of the Spire, the Coopers decide to return to Fort Inevitable to rest and stock up on healing potions.

As payment for exiting the Spire, Daryle gives Greenhide one of the silken armor that had been badly damaged in the fight against the skeleton, but the goblin appears either not to notice or not to care and he thanks them.

Back at Fort Inevitable, Gerald presents the map of the 2nd level to Abernard Royst, and also inquires if the old sage knows the names Gerald discovered. Abernard tells him that he does not, but he will conduct some research and let the sorcerer know what he finds out.

Daryle sells one of the Azlani bracers to Tom Braddon, Thorn's employer at the General Store.

Roscoe reports on his mission to the Spire with Lady Commander Audara Drovust. She informs him that about two years ago, a large party of Hellknights led by Chaid DiViri entered the Spire and went as far as the 8th level of the dungeon. Upon their last trip outside the Spire, DiViri had reported there was a strange level below rumored to be connected to the plane of fire, with powerful lawful magic. So DiViri returned to the Spire with twenty-eight Hellknights. They were never seen again. Drovust entrusts Roscoe with finding any remains or items so that a proper chronicle can be written.


Erastus 6, 4711

After three days of rest, the Coopers purchase several scrolls and potions of healing. They head back to the Emerald Spire, and travel down to the 3rd level. There, they discover that a stair case leads down to the 4th level, but that the rest of this level has been barricaded by humans. After several conversations, they realize that these brigands know their brother Thorn, but they will not grant them passage through the 3rd level.

Gerald comes up with a clever plan. They are here to deliver the "magical" head of a skeletal cat to Klarkosh, the overlord of the first six levels, and they must take the head down personally.

Eventually, after several back and forth, the brigands agree to let one of the Coopers through the gate and take him down to see Klarkosh. The party agrees that it's a good idea, and Gerald volunteers for the courrier duty. So, of course, Gerald goes through the gate ...

After a few hours, with Gerald not returning, Roscoe, Darelle and Daryle return to Fort Inevitable, with a Cooper missing.

Gerald, you really shouldn't touch that!

Erastus 2, 4711

Following their fateful encounter at the ball last night, the Coopers decide to make themselves scarce in town so that rumors will die down. Gerald meets Karlyle the Butcher and purchases Grunk’s head. They trek to the Emerald Spire. Upon arrival, they notice that many more flags of the Dark Blood tribe flutter above hoisted masts spread out around the Spire. They count over forty of them. None of the outside fortifications have been repaired in the last few weeks, and there are no signs of goblins outside the Spire itself. However, the PCs have the feeling a malevolent presence is watching them. Entering the clearing surrounding the Spire, Gerald waves a white flag.

The party is eventually greeted by two goblin riders. When shown Grunk’s head, they return to the Spire, and Greenhide himself rides out. Having fulfilled their part of the bargain, the Coopers are now allowed to enter the Spire through the front door, head down the hall, and access the lower levels of the Spire. Greenhide provides them with a bone rune token that will allow them to challenge the goblin sentinels and enter the Spire.


They come to the stairs heading down. They prudently close the door behind them and head down. After about forty feet, they hear shuffling sounds. Two zombie goblins are standing guard near the bottom of the steps. A couple of arrows dispatch the zombies, but as they fall they make a racket. Obviously someone now knows they are here.

Exploring the room, they discover that moon spiders are present throughout the level, and that a strange green luminosity dimly illuminate the hallways. Aside from the zombie corpses, they discover a small torch in one of the corners. One of the door is locked, so they head out another door. They discover a hallway with two doors. They slug through layers of wet spider webs, and open the first door. This room contains a table pushed against a wall on top of which lie three bodies, two humanoids and one moon spider. It appears someone has been trying to rebuild the corpses by mixing and matching arms and legs. A large spool of thread, a few needles, and a ball of wax complete the room.

The rest of the party heads out, triggers a trap, and Daryle and Aidan both fall in, impaling themselves. Darelle and Roscoe come to their rescue, after Darelle fetched Gerald who was busy mapping the room. 

As they carefully make their way across the trap to the other set of doors Gerald returns to the room and touches the wax. A cage immediately drops on top of him from the ceiling, and one of the wretched creations animates and begins to fight him. Daryle rushes back inside to help him, but as the first monster is slain another one arises. Finally, the spider itself animates, and attacks. Meanwhile, Darelle is confronted by a large skeleton just inside the cage that dropped from the ceiling. She slays it, and its bones fall all over the floor. The power of the Spire is powerful, however, and the skeleton reconstitutes itself. Darelle watches in horror as sinews and muscles begin to thread themselves back on the skeleton. A more forceful attack finally slays the skeleton a second time. The party then needs to spend some time healing themselves.

Following the hallway, they arrive at another room even more full of spider webs. They discover a dead body in the middle, but are suddenly attacked by a moon spider. The party suffers significant damage, but manages to slay the spider. The room yields no valuable.

They enter another hallway, and detect another trap. The massive door in front of them opens up and reveals a large hall with a throne upon which rests a skeleton wearing a set of priestly robes. A large tapestry hangs along the entire length of the hall. Roscoe attacks the skeleton and smashes it to bits, while Aidan heads for a table full of objects.

As skeletons come out from behind the tapestry, Roscoe and Darelle fight valiantly, while Daryle twice suffers the effects of fear and runs away. As Gerald falls unconscious, the battle turns against the Coopers. Fortunately, amazing sword work by Darelle and Roscoe saves the day, and as the Bone Priest becomes visible, they concentrate their efforts on him and manage to slay him. They revive Gerald, who is now both weak and feeble.

Exhausted and tired, the Coopers decide to spend the night in the room, after securing the access points. 

Never buy a dress at the caravan clothier

Sarenith 21, 4711

Roscoe is on maneuvers with a Hellknight company. Originally dispatched to secure the route to Mosswater, the Hellknights encountered a large pack of dire wolves led by a trio of mean-looking ogres. The company suffered through two months of chasing the pack and the ogres over hostile terrain, and after countless casualties and sleepless nights the Hellknights at last engaged the ogres, and Roscoe was the one who delivered the killing blow to the female ogre.


Sarenith 30, 4711

Roscoe and the remaining Hellknights return to Fort Inevitable at the same time as the new company from Cheliax arrives at the fort, accompanied with the merchant’s caravan that comes by every three months. He reconnects with his siblings, and they are happy to see him.


Erastus 1st, 4711

On the first day of the quarter all residents of Fort Inevitable and surrounding areas are invited to come to the Citadel field and participate in the quarterly celebration of Hellknight rule. A large contingent of Hellknights flanks the field in their dress uniforms, and flags and banners flutter in the wind. The scaffold has been built, and as the crowd gathers for the enforcement of the rule of law and the punishment of crimes. The Coopers are in the crowd and applaud as the Lady Commander Audara Drovust takes the platform.

The Lady Commander reports that this has been one of the most peaceful quarter in recent memory, with only two criminals to be punished. The first is Jeremy Zelnaux, former owner of Zelnaux Winery, for fraud, extortion and willful rejection of the legitimate authority of the Hellknights. The halfling is quickly hung.

The second condemned is a bugbear named Grunk, whom the Coopers encountered in the Emerald Spire. Brought out covered in chains and gagged, Grunk is condemned to death for trespassing and assaulting a representative of the Lady Commander in the course of his legitimate duties, an offense that automatically incurs the penalty of death with extreme prejudice. Grunk is lowered in a pit and then buried until only his head sticks out. The citizens of Fort Inevitable are then invited to throw rocks at his head until death occurs. The Coopers happily participate in the stoning.

The Lady Commander then asks the Cooper triplets to come to the platform. For their services rendered at the Zelnaux Winery in Dimsdale, they are awarded the First Level of the Crow. And they are invited to attend the Lady Commander’s Grand Ball, held tonight outside on the Citadel grounds. Not having appropriate clothing, the Coopers need to go shopping for ball outfits.

Gerald, Roscoe and Darelle go to Mirelenda the clothier in Fort Inevitable. Darelle purchases a pink puffy dress with an equally pink shawl and a pink hat adorned with a bird’s nest and a live pink bird. Gerald gets a plain but stylish grey and black outfit. He also buys a nice lilac scarf for Daryle. Roscoe purchases black fineries which include a puffy shirt and a large gold cod piece, a cape, black shoes adorned with gold buckles. Finally, he gets a large brimmed black hat with three gold feathers.

Daryle decides to go shopping outside of the walls to the merchant’s caravan. One of the clothiers that rides in the quarterly caravant is back, and he offers her two different outfits. One was worn by a noblewoman but she returned it because it did not fit properly. Made of the finest lilac silk, he is willing to part with it for a modest sum. The dress fits perfectly, so Daryle decides to take it. She also goes to Gertrand Yeldun, the moneychanger, and rents a silver necklace with a large amethyst set in the middle for the night.

During the ball each Cooper is approached by the Lady Commander, who thanks them for their hard work on behalf of the Hellknights. Darelle dances with other teens, while Roscoe regales young ladies with stories of his military exploits. Gerald and his turtle eat food at the buffet, while Daryle hangs out near the bar. When the Lady Commander begins speaking with Daryle, the latter’s dress peels off her and attacks the Commander. Both Roscoe and Darelle notice, and begin heading that way. For all intents and purposes, it looks like Daryle is attacking the Lady Commander, and Hellknights react as such, charging towards their Commander. The Coopers are eventually able to convince the Lady Commander, who came out bloodied from her battle with the dress, that they didn’t know anything about it. Daryle tells them where she bought the dress, and Hellknights are immediately dispatched to arrest the merchant.

 

The Silver Demon comes to play

Sarenith 3, 4711.

The Coopers are spending time in Fort Inevitable, awaiting the return of Roscoe from his extended patrol with the Hellknights. Darelle has been working with Doctor Mordrel for the last two weeks, learning about healing and medicine. Mordrel approaches her one day after a long day with a proposition. He admits to her that he is more informed about her brother Thorne than he led her to believe when she first met him. In fact, he was aware that Thorne had some illegitimate dealings with denizens of Fort Inevitable, and that they had done some business together.

Mordel requests a favor. He has a patient who needs to be smuggled out of Fort Inevitable, and he is willing to pay 500 crowns for this dangerous mission. Darelle tells him that she will discuss it with her siblings and get back in touch with him the following day.

Back at the farm, the Coopers discuss the situation. Smuggling out Mordel's patient provides them with some much needed income, and leaves Mordel owing them a favor. On the other hand, if they are caught their lives will be forfeit as smugglers. It's an incredibly risky proposition, but they agree that they must help Mordel.




Sarenith 4, 4711

The Coopers return to Mordel's office. At the Juliver Gate they notice that the guard has been tripled, and everyone is being searched going in or out. They hear the rumor that someone was gruesomely murdered last night, and the killer has not yet been found.

After an hour the Coopers are searched and let inside the fort, and they head to the clinic where they meet Peter Ardra, the son of one of the convicted and executed conspirators of the Lord Commander's assassination three years ago. Since then, Ardra tells them, he's been drumming up support and financing for an overthrow of the Hellknights.

Mordel tells the Coopers that Ardra was attacked by a very agile creature near the forest entrance to the sewers. This creature was humanoid in shape but moved very quickly. He slashed it with his sword, but was immediately sprayed with a silvery liquid. He managed to escape down into the tunnel, but by the time he had reached Mordel's clinic he had a fever and was shaking uncontrollably. Mordel then noticed that Ardra's blood was slowly been transmuted into silver. With a steady dose of medicine and with all the skills he could he managed to save Ardra's life, but he cannot successfully reverse this transmutation. For that, Ardra must go to a specialist in Daggermark. Ardra can walk, but he can't run, let alone fight, so he must be safely escorted away from the town.

Gerald jokes that Ardra could become a werewolf hunter, for if a werewolf were to take a bite, he would immediately encounter pure silver. Daryle tells him that it's not funny, the poor man in his condition. The Coopers agree to help Ardra leave the town. They devise a quick plan. Daryle will talk to Maralictor Wirt at the Mosswater Gate and see if they can get a permit to hunt goblins in the sewers. Then, they will smuggle Ardra through the small branch that runs by Mordrel's house and into the forest, from which he will be able to reach a wagon that will take him down to Daggermark.

Daryle  thus goes to the Mosswater Gate. Maralictor Wirt is busily engaged in the searching at the gate, and tells Daryle that now is not a good time to talk. She confirms that there was a murder, and that patrols are combing the streets and the sewers looking for clues or the killer. She agrees to provide Daryle and her twins with a license to hunt goblins in the sewer. But, she tells Daryle, at sundown the Hellknights will flood the sewers, flushing out anyone hiding there. The challenge passkey is "Who comes?" while the answer passkey is "Well met." Several patrols are already down in the sewers, looking for last night's killer.

The Coopers head down in the sewers, and for the first few hours they scour the tunnels underneath the town. In the distance they see two different patrols pass by, and are challenged once. With no results, they decide to pass by Mordel's house, so they head down one of the older tunnels. Daryle notices that the doctor's basement wall is visible from the tunnel, when Mordel said that it should not be. 

A few hundred feet in the tunnels they encounter another Hellknight patrol, led by Captain Ulrik. After exchanging passcodes, the captain advises the Coopers his patrol has seen nothing down this tunnel. At this very moment, one of the guards disappears in the shadows, wailing and abruptly becoming silent. A humanoid silvery creature stands at the back of the patrol, and begins to slaughter them. The Coopers and the Hellknights begin to fight, but their weapons appear to not affect the Silver Demon. The Demon leaps over the patrol, and makes straight for Gerald. Enough damage is done that the Demon runs away down the sewers, back towards the town. The Coopers and the remaining Hellknights give chase, but lose sight of it before the intersection. 

The party splits up, with Gerald heading towards the surface to bring back reinforcement. Daryle and Darelle head towards the lake with Captain Ulrik. They corner the Silver Demon by the lake, and after a great battle the Coopers are victorious.

The state of siege over Fort Inevitable is lifted, and the Coopers are informed they will be awarded the First Level of the Crow during the quarterly ceremony on Erastus 1st, and they will also be invited to the Lady Commander's annual grand ball.

That night, they smuggle Ardra out of the town. They relay their fight with the Silver Demon to Dr. Mordel and to Abernard Royst. Abernard tells Gerald that the Silver Demon always attack in threes ....

Bargaining with goblins and bugbears

Desnus 17, 4711

With Roscoe gone on patrol with a squad of Hellknights, the Cooper triplets decide this would be a good time to head out to the Emerald Spire to see if they can finally discover the entrance to the lower levels. However, the sudden revival of their brother Thorne changes their plan. They'll take him along with them.

Of course, Thorne, having finally returned to the world of the living from his encounter with the Creepy Crawly was immediately greeted by the Crawly's head, which Gerald had stuffed and placed above his bed. Hearing the cries, Gerald rushed in the room, wearing the hide of a giant bee, further scaring Thorne. After an hour of calm and soothing words from his sisters, and reproachful glances to Gerald, the family finally heads out to the Spire.

The trip there is uneventful, and reveals that there have been no changes since last month when they were here. Entering through one of the secret doors, they notice that the ruins appear to now be abandoned. Room after room shows no sign of current inhabitants, save for the dining hall where up to 17 goblins could eat at once. There, the remains of a few disgusting meals show that some goblins do in fact remain.

The Coopers do come across a locked door leading to a room ravaged by time, save a corner where a four-post Azlant bed remains, still covered in fine sheets and pillows. A force field prevents anyone from entering the corner, and it is as if the bed was patiently waiting for its master's return.

While exploring the eastern section of the Spire, Daryle notices the presence of four goblins riding war dogs outside, carefully making their way towards the main entrance. She can tell that they carry the banner of the Dark Blood tribe, whom Daryle and her other triplets encountered in the woods a few months back.

The Coopers begin bracing doors and preparing themselves for assault, but nothing comes. They decide to continue exploring the Spire, and eventually discover the way down. Before heading down, however, they decide to head up the flight of stairs they discovered during their last trip.

At the top they are greeted by a barricade behind which are two goblins and a giant bugbear. The fearful goblins identify him as Grunk, leader of the splintered branch of the Dark Blood tribe, having wrestled leadership from Greenhide. Tense negotiations ensue, and Grunk talks the Coopers into going outside and bringing him Greenhide's head in exchange for riches. As a token, he awards them with a bauble worth about 150 crowns.

The Coopers head out, and immediately spot Greenhide's soldiers surrounding the Spire. Over 25 goblins stand around, ready to assault the fortress. Brandishing a white flag, goblin riders come over and escort Gerald to Greenhide's command post. There, Gerald attempts to conduct careful negotiation, trying to play the two factions together. The initial plan of killing Greenhide is put aside as it becomes clear that the latter is more likely to triumph over Grunk and his dwindling force. Gerald thus strikes a bargain with Greenhide. In exchange for Grunk's head, the Coopers will be allowed to enter the Spire at anytime, provided that they immediately head down to the lower levels to deal with Klarkosh, the master of the lower levels and the one who supported Grunk's bid for power.

The Coopers return to the Spire and attempt to negotiate with Grunk in order to enter the barricade and kill him. Unfortunately for them, Grunk is clever and he does not fall for their attempts at conning him. With the sounds of goblins entering and searching the ruined ground floor, the Coopers become pressed for time, and they force the barricade. Unfortunately, Grunk has escaped, using magical means, and they spot him running towards the edge of the clearing with two small chests under his arms. A search of the broken upper floor of the Spire reveals a few precious items strewn across the floor, but nothing else.

Believing themselves to be in danger, the Coopers hide themselves in a closet, and emerge three hours later after the Dark Bloods are done ransacking the rooms. They quietly come down the stairs, and make their way to the secret exit. Strangely, no goblins challenge their escape.

The Coopers return home weary but elated to have successfully conquered the first level of the Emerald Spire!

When haflings have a bee problem ... they call the Coopers

Gorzan 20, 4711

On a bright and sunny morning, Darelle is woken up by her aunt. She tells her that she has a visitor who wishes to see her, and it’s rather urgent. When she comes downstairs, she is greeted by a small Halfling wearing a green tunic and brown trousers. He introduces himself as Shim Longbranch, and tells her the tale of his small village of Dimsdale, about a half day away from Fort Inevitable. Giant bees have taken residence in the covered bridge, which is the only road link for miles around. This has stopped commerce and prevents the village’s residents from reaching their fields on the other side of the bridge. Having heard of Darelle’s abilities with animals, he’s been tasked by the village mayor to see if she would come and help them solve this stingy problem.

Dimsdale is known for the quality of its wines and its winery, Zelnaux Wines. These are traded throughout the northeast River Kingdoms and are appreciated even further afield. The lack of an accessible road is blocking the delivery of wine and other merchandises.

Accompanied by Daryle and Gerald, Darelle and Shim head back to the village, where they meet Dunleaf Appletop, the mayor. Another Halfling, the mayor tells them that the small detachment of Hellknights charged the bridge two days ago and got themselves killed in the process, except for one survivor currently being cared for in the town hall. He is worried that if the plight of the village reaches Fort Inevitable, the Hellknights will be happy to intervene, but it will cost the villagers even more money than what is being raised in taxes at the moment. Appletop wishes to avoid this possibility at all costs.

The Coopers interview Alexus Longleaf, the only surviving Hellknight, but are unable to get much information from him. He has been stung repeatedly, however, and even his armor is punctured with two holes the size of a child’s fist.

Gerald and Darelle take a trip to the bridge just outside of town, and see that the entire inside of the bridge is covered in wax, with a small entry guarded by a giant bee about three feet tall. Gerald sketches the bridge and the bee, while Darelle senses that the bee is not hostile but will protect its home.

Daryle, meanwhile, heads down the river and comes up the other side, facing a similar wax wall with a guard. She returns to the village, and the Coopers begin hatching a plan. They will locate the fields in which the bees spend most of their days. There they will ambush them and kill them, thereby reducing the number of bees left at the hive. Once there, they will also build two large piles of wood and they will attempt to smoke out the bees.

Before they are able to put their plan into motion, however, the vineyard is attacked by the bees, which come and feed off the nectar in the large grape vats. Darelle is inspired by what she sees. What if she could somehow poison the bees? 


Gorzan 21, 4711

Darelle heads into the woods, and discovers some longwart she can use. She spends the morning preparing her potion, and in the afternoon mixes it with the vats' contents. Meanwhile, Daryle follows the worker bees to a field a few miles away from the village, and eventually returns to the village by way of the vineyard's vats. That evening, Gerald notices something that chills his very soul. A hill giant comes down the river, and stops at the bridge. He takes off the roof, and collects honey in a large pot before replacing the roof and heading back up river. The Coopers now know who owns the hive.



Gorzan 22, 4711

In the morning the Coopers execute their plan. They follow the bees, who travel to the field with difficulties, and are quickly disabled. Nevertheless, the fighting is fierce and Gerald feels the sting of the giant bees several times before the battle is won and all bees are slaughtered.

They quickly return to the village, and cross the river to find the other bees. Daryle takes this opportunity to search the body of the Hellknight still left at the bottom of the bridge, and she discovers a healing potion which Gerald uses immediately. The Hellknight also has a wet map that shows another location where the bees were originally located.

Searching on the other side they are unable to find the working bees. They however discover the former site of the hive. It looks like it has been moved recently, and, strangely, the hive was smoked before it was moved, and some of the wood remains in good condition. Investigating the wood, the Coopers realize that the wood was originally Zelnaux Winery barrels. What would these barrels do all the way out here?

Darelle discovers the giant's tracks. These lead over the ridge and down a ravine. The Coopers follow the tracks all the way to the giant's underground lair. There they find a large distillery where the giant has been processing his bees' honey into mead. There is also further evidence here that links the giant to Zelnaux.

The Coopers immediately return to Dimsdale and inform mayor Appletop of their discoveries. They confront Zelnaux, who claims not to know how his barrels ended up in the giant's possession. Attacked once again by bees, the Coopers decide to return to Fort Inevitable and notify the Hellknights of their discoveries. Maralictor Wirt tells Daryle that she will send a detachment immediately to surprise the giant as he retrieves honey from his hives. If everything holds up, there should be a financial reward for them since both the winery and the giant are currently avoiding taxes on their operations.


Gorzan 24, 4711

The Coopers return to meet with Maralictor Wirt in the morning. She tells them that due to their dilligent efforts, the hill giant, who is named Byrsag, was "convinced" to work for the Hellknights, and will continue to provide the vineyard with his honey. For their efforts and as a reward for securing this deal, the Coopers are awarded 113 crowns, which have been deposited free of charge at the Chancellery.