Pharast 1, 4712
Following the confrontation with the magma dragons, the party is winded but excited. They managed to slaughter two dragons! After taking a breather, they decide to continue exploring this level of the Emerald Spire. After all, there shouldn't be much left to chart. Thorne and Rowen are exhausted after this battle and managed to recuperate two of the bolts of dragon slaying +10. They decide it would be wiser for them to return to Fort Inevitable and place the bolts in a safe place. They use the rope back to the Spire, and, using the token, transport away from this level.
Roscoe, Darelle, and Daryle decide to remain and continue their exploration. They struggle to string a rope between the Spire and the edge of the cave on the other side of the Spire, but eventually they succeed. Roscoe is the first one across, followed closely by his sisters. This large cave slopes down and eventually leads to the staircase to the eleventh level, but what immediately attracts the Coopers' attention is the presence of a hobgoblin chained to the wall. Wearing only a loin cloth and worn leather boots, he seems dehydrated but still aware. His gear and backpack are piled nearby. He appears to be a sacrifice delivered to the dragons. Darelle notices that though he is worse for wear for having been here, he has not been affected by the extreme heat.
Roscoe examines the creature, and discovers that the symbol that was present on the mechanical dogs that attacked Fort Inevitable a while back are also present on the manacles. Could it be that whomever delivered the hobgoblin to the dragon is connected to the maker of the dogs? Daryle notes that this symbol is similar in many ways to the one Klarklosh used on his machines. The hobgolbin, who identifies himself as Omok, states that he saw a bunch of angry goblins who ambushed him. He was hunting them down when he came upon these goblins. He was taking advantage of the town's disarray to plunder the Emerald Spire. His story seems confused, and Daryle gets in his face trying to assert the truth. Omok is all over the place, but she's eventually convince that he tells a version of the truth, though she plans on keeping a close eye on him.
After much questioning, Roscoe unchains the hobgoblin and agrees to let him accompany them on their quest. Darelle heals him and helps him with water and food. Omok dresses himself and is finally ready. The party moves down the cave and comes upon what looks like a large aquarium window. On the other side is a pool of water that reaches up to eye level at the window. Beyond that is a small ledge that connects to a tunnel, and on that ledge is the dragons' hoard. But how do they get there? They search for a secret passage in their current cave, but they cannot find one. Reluctantly they decide to backtrack to the main cave and look there. Eventually, they discover a secret tunnel which leads to a small river of lava.
Omok is the first one to cross, after stripping down. Unfortunately for him, his pants, which he had placed on his head, fall in the lava and burn to ashes. Roscoe follows. The sisters look at each other. There is no way Daryle will remove her pants, and Daryle is wearing a dress. They decide to string another rope across the river, and successfully cross it.
In the dragons' hoard, aside from the usual coinage and gems, they discover five strange items. The biggest of them, which immediately attracts Omok's attention, is a large steel case featuring skulls and various evil looking runes around it. Roscoe casts detect evil and is almost blinded. Clearly, whatever this is should not be left behind. Meanwhile, Darelle and Daryle find a miniature wooden sculpture of a tree, a large leather belt with golden runes, a long sword that faintly shimmers, and a potion. The twins pick up the items while Roscoe and Omok argue about what to do with the case. Omok attempts to open it, but it is locked. They eventually decide they will carry it with them. Unfortunately, it is too big for one, so both of them must take it along.
Returning to the staircase after struggling to get the case over the lava, the Coopers decide to head down to the 11th level. Roscoe and Omok are carrying the steel case between themselves, with Darelle up front and Daryle closing the march. They descend about 150 feet when they finally emerge from the magma formed tunnels into a large made area. The floors are made of flagstones, while small continual lights give off a faint light. The Spire is in this room, and Daryle locates the level's name, Yarrik. Across from the Spire is a set of bronze double doors that are covered with seals made of cloth that is now threadbare it is so old, as well as runes inscribed around the door frame. The doors push inside the room. Clearly, someone a long time ago wanted to keep something locked behind these doors. But the seals show that they have not been disturbed in eons.
Darelle knocks on the door. No one answers, and no sound can be heard from the other side. After much debate, Roscoe and Omok leave the chest by the Spire. Daryle spends time examining the runes, and discovers a few words she's familiar with. She picks up the words beware, Yarrik, and curse. Omok attempts to open the door, but it is locked, and the seal remains intact. Roscoe and Omok decide to use the magical steel chest to batter the door down. Their swing is so powerful that the double doors swing open. The steel case pops open as well, and a large book falls out. Made of humanoid skin and covered in lettering written in blood, the book oozes evil. Omok looks at the name, and he immediately recognizes that the party is in possession of a chapter from the Book of the Damned. No one touches the book, and Roscoe carefully wraps it back up into the steel case. Omok and the Hellknight return the chest to the Spire.
A large hallway heads to another set of bronze doors. Side passages leave on either side. Two automatons stand guard, and as the Coopers come closer they activate and begin to fight. Darelle attempts to retrieve the chest but she's not strong enough to move it. Omok uses his ring of the Ram to push backward one of the automatons. Roscoe, and Daryle batter the creatures, while Darelle uses the sword she found and discovers its true nature. The Coopers emerge triumphant after a few minutes of intense combat. But with the combat concluded, the doors to this level close, and the Coopers are locked in!
Before opening the door, Roscoe decides to head into one of the side corridors. He can see a door, but for every step he takes the door seems to get further and further. After struggling for what feels like an hour, he reaches the door, but it turns out to be a fake. He backtracks to a perpendicular corridor and discovers another hallway. The same thing happens. He attempts to walk backwards, forward, and by marking the wall but every time it takes roughly an hour to cross what looks like a 40 feet corridor.
Meanwhile, Darelle wanders in after her brother, but then loses sight of her. She experiences the same feeling as Roscoe did. Eventually she reaches the first fake door. She decide to tie a rope on the handle to help her, and she strings it along behind her. She eventually reaches the perpendicular hallway as well, and hears Roscoe's faint yells.
Daryle and Omok were still in the main corridor when Darelle and Roscoe vanished, and they follow along. Daryle quickly figures out something is not right, and she begins to draw in chalk on the wall. She runs out of chalk before she runs out of wall, but eventually they reach the fake door. They decide to head back to the main corridor, and they emerge from the side hallway roughly eight hours later, exhausted from their trip. Roscoe is next eight hours later than the first two, followed by Darelle four hours after that. All told, various members of the party spent twenty hours in the side corridors. They decide to rest for the night.
After recuperating the Coopers decide to proceed, since they are stuck anyway. They open the double doors, and in an octagonal room they find a statue in the far corner as well as a fountain in the middle. Suddenly three fire elementals appear, and they attack the group. The fighting is hard, and it seems that every time a spell is cast by one of the party members a fire ball emerges from the fountain and strikes that person. Daryle unleashes a series of arrows, while Omok repeatedly uses his ring of the Ram to damage the elementals. Darelle fights with her sword, while Roscoe lands some mighty blows against the enemy. Omok channels energy and heals the member of the group, and even Roscoe has to heal himself since he has suffered significant damage from the relentless elemental attack. Eventually, though, the Coopers are triumphant, but not before Darelle is swallowed inside one of the fire elementals before being rescued by her siblings. Following this encounter, Darelle feels strange. It is as if a part of the elemental power was left behind in her...
Friday, August 26, 2016
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, July 15, 2016
Burn, baby burn!
Calistril 26, 4712
It's a blistering cold and windy day in Fort Inevitable. The weather has been dry, but the winds over the last three days has created major drifts along the streets of the town. Hellknights have tried to keep up with the digging but it has been almost impossible to remove enough and keep the streets clear.
On this particular morning, the Coopers are dealing with the meteorological conditions. Gerald is outside the walls of the Fort using flaming sphere to melt some of the snow. Darelle visits Dr. Mordel's house. Daryle is out hunting big game. Roscoe has ordered the Hellknights to pile as much snow as possible on Lord Warden Way to block the worst of the wind.
At nine o'clock, the residents of Fort Inevitable feel the ground violently shake and the sound of an explosion spreads quickly. Windows are broken, dishes fall to the ground, chimneys collapse, and much property damage happens. People are stunned. What just happened?
A large blue cloud quickly raises from the area near Dr. Mordel's house and reaches up to the sky. At the same time, the pillar of smoke quickly spreads outwards. Houses catch on fire and begin burning down. Seeing this out of the window, Darelle helps Mordel and his assistant Erynna move the patients to the basement to escape from the flames. Gerald notices the smoke pillar and immediately returns to Fort Inevitable. Daryle bags an elk and sees the pillar raising. She rushes back to the town.
With the smoke rising and the fires spreading, Roscoe orders an evacuation of Fort Inevitable. Hellknights rush in to fight the fires, and with the help of the inhabitants they manage to put it out. The smoke was debilitating, however, and the fires felt more like acid than flames. Unfortunately, over 400 people, including 87 Hellknights, perished in the explosion and its aftermath.
Investigating the scene, Roscoe discovers a crater about 50 feet deep. He can clearly see one of the main sewer lines, but further down there is another, older tunnel that has been cut in two. Water is slowly pooling at the bottom of the crater, and soon it will reach up to that second tunnel. Roscoe decides to investigate. He climbs down to the sewer. The ground is covered with a scorching blue ash, and soon the Hellknight is covered in blue.
Roscoe explores the tunnels, and discovers a strange creature radiating a strong evil aura. With six legs, four arms, and a triangular head with eyes all around, the creature seemingly stops, scratshes something on the wall, and proceeds down the tunnel. Roscoe follows at a distance, and takes a look at the scratches. They appear to be some sort of runes. Roscoe defaces the runes, then returns above ground to gather some help.
With the situation now under control, Maralictor Wirt reports that over 70% of the dwellings withing Fort Inevitable have been destroyed, including Darelle's cute little house. Even if people bunk up in the remaining residences and surrounding farms, more than a thousand people will be homeless. With the granaries burned to the ground, there is enough food left to feed everyone for the next three weeks, but then starvation will set in. Roscoe orders that lumber be immediately felled and that temporary shelters be built. Campaign tents are to be pitched on the training field, and rations are halved to stretch out the food. Messages requesting assistance are sent to Dimsdale and to other surrounding localities. Gerald proposes building temporary snow shelters, and Roscoe grimly agrees that, though this may be one of Gerald's worse ideas, it is worth trying. With the evacuation proceeding apace and a plan in place, the Coopers head back to the newly discovered tunnel.
Darelle is the first to notice that the crater stands exactly where Abernard's house was located. And no one has seen Cassandra or Nissa since the day before. Could there be a link between their disappearance and this explosion?
Down in the tunnel, the Coopers realize that it is quite old. It may in fact predate the Emerald Spire itself, and its construction is not Azlanti. Roscoe describes the creature to his siblings, and they proceed down the tunnel. This tunnel is straight and never deviates left, right, or up and down. It is made of large stones that have been tight fitted, and there is no sign of humidity or water. The creature has a few hours on them, but Roscoe is convinced that it can't be too far ahead since it stopped every few feet to scribble on the walls.
After a hundred feet they find the first rune that has not been scratched out by Roscoe. Gerald examines it, and notices that it is some sort of summoning rune. The creature appears not to know what it is trying to summon, but the rune repeats itself enough that, whatever will come through when the ritual is done, will be big. Gerald copies the symbols to discover who they might have been. The Coopers then remove every rune that they find.
They eventually discover a small side room connected to the tunnel that allows for travel up and down a shaft. There are no signs that the creature climbed either up and down. Daryle drops a coin down the shaft and when the sound eventually comes back she knows that it is hundreds of feet deep.
Continuing on, the Coopers estimate that they walked out of town about two miles in the general direction of Mosswater, and the tunnel has not deviated from its course. They walk in a large room with strange machinery and gears made of a metal they have never seen before. The mechanical devices appear oiled and greased and ready to be turned on. A control panel with strange symbols, levers, and buttons is present in one of the corners. There are more levels of gears below and above. The creature's runes are scribbled all over, and the Coopers spend some time removing them. Gerald speculates that these gears, when activated, would open some large gate, and that if they did they might be able to pick up the point where the gates opened from Fort Inevitable.
Right next to the gear room is another large room with several stories of metal walkways along the walls, going up and down, with the tunnel continuing on. The creature itself is on the third level, still scribbling on the walls. Daryle looses an arrow, getting the creature's attention. It jumps down, summons two large air elementals, and attacks. The creature's blows are vicious and dangerous, but eventually the Coopers prevail and Gerald manages not to die in the process.
Trekking back to Fort Inevitable, Roscoe crosses over the crater, and takes a look in the other tunnel. There are no runes carved in the walls on this side. The creature seems to have appeared at the bottom of the crater. Roscoe orders that Hellknights cement and waterproof a wall to close both of the tunnels, before the crater itself is filled with rubble. The other section of the tunnel seemed to lead in a straight line in the direction of the Emerald Spire...
It's a blistering cold and windy day in Fort Inevitable. The weather has been dry, but the winds over the last three days has created major drifts along the streets of the town. Hellknights have tried to keep up with the digging but it has been almost impossible to remove enough and keep the streets clear.
On this particular morning, the Coopers are dealing with the meteorological conditions. Gerald is outside the walls of the Fort using flaming sphere to melt some of the snow. Darelle visits Dr. Mordel's house. Daryle is out hunting big game. Roscoe has ordered the Hellknights to pile as much snow as possible on Lord Warden Way to block the worst of the wind.
At nine o'clock, the residents of Fort Inevitable feel the ground violently shake and the sound of an explosion spreads quickly. Windows are broken, dishes fall to the ground, chimneys collapse, and much property damage happens. People are stunned. What just happened?
A large blue cloud quickly raises from the area near Dr. Mordel's house and reaches up to the sky. At the same time, the pillar of smoke quickly spreads outwards. Houses catch on fire and begin burning down. Seeing this out of the window, Darelle helps Mordel and his assistant Erynna move the patients to the basement to escape from the flames. Gerald notices the smoke pillar and immediately returns to Fort Inevitable. Daryle bags an elk and sees the pillar raising. She rushes back to the town.
With the smoke rising and the fires spreading, Roscoe orders an evacuation of Fort Inevitable. Hellknights rush in to fight the fires, and with the help of the inhabitants they manage to put it out. The smoke was debilitating, however, and the fires felt more like acid than flames. Unfortunately, over 400 people, including 87 Hellknights, perished in the explosion and its aftermath.
Investigating the scene, Roscoe discovers a crater about 50 feet deep. He can clearly see one of the main sewer lines, but further down there is another, older tunnel that has been cut in two. Water is slowly pooling at the bottom of the crater, and soon it will reach up to that second tunnel. Roscoe decides to investigate. He climbs down to the sewer. The ground is covered with a scorching blue ash, and soon the Hellknight is covered in blue.
Roscoe explores the tunnels, and discovers a strange creature radiating a strong evil aura. With six legs, four arms, and a triangular head with eyes all around, the creature seemingly stops, scratshes something on the wall, and proceeds down the tunnel. Roscoe follows at a distance, and takes a look at the scratches. They appear to be some sort of runes. Roscoe defaces the runes, then returns above ground to gather some help.
With the situation now under control, Maralictor Wirt reports that over 70% of the dwellings withing Fort Inevitable have been destroyed, including Darelle's cute little house. Even if people bunk up in the remaining residences and surrounding farms, more than a thousand people will be homeless. With the granaries burned to the ground, there is enough food left to feed everyone for the next three weeks, but then starvation will set in. Roscoe orders that lumber be immediately felled and that temporary shelters be built. Campaign tents are to be pitched on the training field, and rations are halved to stretch out the food. Messages requesting assistance are sent to Dimsdale and to other surrounding localities. Gerald proposes building temporary snow shelters, and Roscoe grimly agrees that, though this may be one of Gerald's worse ideas, it is worth trying. With the evacuation proceeding apace and a plan in place, the Coopers head back to the newly discovered tunnel.
Darelle is the first to notice that the crater stands exactly where Abernard's house was located. And no one has seen Cassandra or Nissa since the day before. Could there be a link between their disappearance and this explosion?
Down in the tunnel, the Coopers realize that it is quite old. It may in fact predate the Emerald Spire itself, and its construction is not Azlanti. Roscoe describes the creature to his siblings, and they proceed down the tunnel. This tunnel is straight and never deviates left, right, or up and down. It is made of large stones that have been tight fitted, and there is no sign of humidity or water. The creature has a few hours on them, but Roscoe is convinced that it can't be too far ahead since it stopped every few feet to scribble on the walls.
After a hundred feet they find the first rune that has not been scratched out by Roscoe. Gerald examines it, and notices that it is some sort of summoning rune. The creature appears not to know what it is trying to summon, but the rune repeats itself enough that, whatever will come through when the ritual is done, will be big. Gerald copies the symbols to discover who they might have been. The Coopers then remove every rune that they find.
They eventually discover a small side room connected to the tunnel that allows for travel up and down a shaft. There are no signs that the creature climbed either up and down. Daryle drops a coin down the shaft and when the sound eventually comes back she knows that it is hundreds of feet deep.
Continuing on, the Coopers estimate that they walked out of town about two miles in the general direction of Mosswater, and the tunnel has not deviated from its course. They walk in a large room with strange machinery and gears made of a metal they have never seen before. The mechanical devices appear oiled and greased and ready to be turned on. A control panel with strange symbols, levers, and buttons is present in one of the corners. There are more levels of gears below and above. The creature's runes are scribbled all over, and the Coopers spend some time removing them. Gerald speculates that these gears, when activated, would open some large gate, and that if they did they might be able to pick up the point where the gates opened from Fort Inevitable.
Right next to the gear room is another large room with several stories of metal walkways along the walls, going up and down, with the tunnel continuing on. The creature itself is on the third level, still scribbling on the walls. Daryle looses an arrow, getting the creature's attention. It jumps down, summons two large air elementals, and attacks. The creature's blows are vicious and dangerous, but eventually the Coopers prevail and Gerald manages not to die in the process.
Trekking back to Fort Inevitable, Roscoe crosses over the crater, and takes a look in the other tunnel. There are no runes carved in the walls on this side. The creature seems to have appeared at the bottom of the crater. Roscoe orders that Hellknights cement and waterproof a wall to close both of the tunnels, before the crater itself is filled with rubble. The other section of the tunnel seemed to lead in a straight line in the direction of the Emerald Spire...
Monday, July 11, 2016
The Shadowborn Legacy
Calistril 14, 4712, continued
Having discovered that the Shadowborns hailed from the town of Xer and owned the Ivymore estate, Darelle and Daryle continue their search through the pile of paperwork they grabbed on the third floor of the official archives of Razmiran. They come across several scraps of information found in the archives of Throneskeep about Karolina Shadowborn's mission.
Daryle discovers this short piece of paper placed between a ledger book on the revenues of grazing sheep on common lands in Xer, written by Karolina Dundurst. The handwriting is the same, and the sheet of paper appears to have come from a personal journal.
Karolina Shadowborn's death date took place a few days after this last entry. Meanwhile, Darelle comes across this last piece of information within the quail book near the end:
The twins head down the corridor and come down the staircase between the East and West wings. A large window provides an excellent view to the Great Cathedral and the gigantic portrait of the Living God. As they head down to the second floor, a creature appears in front of them. The creature is tall, lean, and a light shade of purple. Horns stick out everywhere. The demon, for clearly that is what the creature is, offers the Coopers their lives in exchange for the information they gained. He enthralls Darelle, and now both Coopers are at his mercy. They decide to fight back, but in the short battle Darelle falls down the stairs. Feeling overpowered, the two agree to the demon's conditions. In exchange for what they discovered, he will let them leave and they will have to take their chances with the patrols, since the bells have now tolled for curfew. The Coopers reveal what little information they found, and the demon, true to his word, lets them go. They are rather surprised, but, after several harrowing minutes manage to regain their lodgings. They decide that in the morning they will depart for Xer and see if they can get more information at Ivymore.
Calistril 15, 4712
Following morning prayers and breakfast, the Coopers set out of Throneskeep and head to Xer, a two days trip. They expect to be challenged, but they are allowed to regain their equipment and leave the city.
Calistril 17, 4712
Mid morning, Darelle and Daryle arrive on the outskirts of Xer, in the small village of Blair upon Verdant. They come upon an auction in the center of the village, and realize, to their horror, that the manor has just been purchased by ... the Millers. Sneaking in the manor house, they find the library and discover the first book, The Rules of Chaos. Daryle takes it and places it in her backpack, and they head out.
Over the course of the trip, bad things keep happening. They are ambushed by bandits. Daryle's backpack breaks at the seams and the book falls in the mud. Darelle realizes that her purse has a hole in it and all of her coins are gone. The cold snaps Daryle's bow string and somehow she cannot find any more. One of the horse breaks a leg. The other horse is killed when a branch falls on its head. On the third day, they stop by a small shrine of Iomedae manned by a local priest. They ask the priest to bless the book. He takes one look at it, and tells them this is a foul book, and that there is no power he can grant that would protect the wielder of the book. He does provide them with holy water, and Daryle liberally sprays the book, to no obvious reaction. Misfortune continues to plague them along the way.
Calistril 23, 4712
Daryle and Darelle arrive back in Fort Inevitable. They speculate that Abernard may be in possession of one of the six books already. The old man is out of town, and Daryle would rather not meet with Cassandra and Nissa, so they agree to meet with Dr. Mordel. After discussing the item and the information they discovered, Dr. Mordel advises them that this book has a different power and he cannot counteract it. But during this discussion the Coopers come to the conclusion that they will need to secure all six books so that the arch demon can be called forth and killed. After considering several places where to dispose of the book, including in the magma underneath the Emerad Spire, they decide to place it on the tomb of Karolina. And magically, the bad luck stops ... for now.
Having discovered that the Shadowborns hailed from the town of Xer and owned the Ivymore estate, Darelle and Daryle continue their search through the pile of paperwork they grabbed on the third floor of the official archives of Razmiran. They come across several scraps of information found in the archives of Throneskeep about Karolina Shadowborn's mission.
Daryle discovers this short piece of paper placed between a ledger book on the revenues of grazing sheep on common lands in Xer, written by Karolina Dundurst. The handwriting is the same, and the sheet of paper appears to have come from a personal journal.
24 Pharast 3514After further digging, Daryle also finds this scrap of information in a tax record ledger of the year 3519 for the area of Xer.
Dlagro'azdra's was true and did afflict me and my line with a curse. In my hour of glory he managed to hide a sliver of spirit in my own soul! Now I feel it in my bones, in my blood. I must be careful and guarded lest he takes control.
13 Neth, 3522More research in a portfolio containing maps of the Xer area from the 3600s leads Daryle to the following journal scrap:
My second born has been corrupted by the curse. This morning I was given the irrefutable proof in a most horrifying way. She is so young and so unaware, she can't control herself. It pains me to the point of hopelessness, but in good faith the gods will forever forgive me if I release her from this terrible existence. Tonight I shall poison her bedtime drink. I am miserable and doomed, now of the Shadowborn! I cannot escape this new fate.
21 Pharast 3514While Darelle stumbles upon a treatise that discusses the myriad ways the quail was hunted in the Xer area, Daryle comes across the following in an old family history of the Steadfast clan:
Success! I can't believe this sacred ritual succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. The spirit of the arch demon has been caught and divided into six parts, each in its own evil book. I have attempted to destroy these books, but even the breath of the most powerful dragon has been unable to even damage the pages. I will now make it my mission to disperse these books throughout Golarion so they can never be reunited. To ensure secrecy, I will carry out this mission myself and not leave any record of the dark places where I will leave these books.
3 Arodus 3531
Alas, I have discovered a flaw in my ritual. Over time the bonds will fail, and the parts of the spirit Dlagro'azdra will escape. I am old now, and can't remember where I placed these books. Our best hope lie in the books remaining undiscovered, for the longer the demon remains imprisoned, the weaker he becomes. But if the slivers of his spirit escape, they will seek and find each other. I retained The Rules of Chaos in my personal library, and I have instructed my children to remain vigilant and to tell their children both about the curse that afflicts us and about the lesser demons that may come looking for this book. Our hope then will be to reunite the books, release the demon and, as he will be at his weakest, slay him for good. I regret that my line will have to deal with my mistakes...
Karolina Shadowborn's death date took place a few days after this last entry. Meanwhile, Darelle comes across this last piece of information within the quail book near the end:
14 Gozran, 3512
I am convinced I can imprison Dlagro'azdra through this ritual. The end results remain hazy, however, and I am not sure what physical form his prison will take. I will practice it on several lesser demons first to study the effects and refine the methodology.The process takes long, and outside it is almost dusk. Needing to be back at their inn before curfew, the Coopers decide to leave. Getting out from under the table, they startle the old archivist who drops a stack of loose sheets on the floor. He asks them if they were successful in their searches, and both Coopers equivocate. The archivist asks Darelle if she would be willing to help him by placing his stack of paper on top of one of the cabinets. Reluctantly, she agrees. The archivist falls in step with Daryle and tells her a boring story about the latest documents he discovered. She does not pay attention to him and therefore misses him casting a spell. Suddenly, she feels more inclined towards the kind old man and when he asks her again what they discovered, she begins telling him what they learned. Darelle overhears the conversation and signals to her sister to stop talking. The archivist attempts to convince Darelle to share their information with them, and that he can provide them with a pass allowing them to travel on the streets after curfew in exchange. Darelle refuses and succeeds in pulling her sister away.
The twins head down the corridor and come down the staircase between the East and West wings. A large window provides an excellent view to the Great Cathedral and the gigantic portrait of the Living God. As they head down to the second floor, a creature appears in front of them. The creature is tall, lean, and a light shade of purple. Horns stick out everywhere. The demon, for clearly that is what the creature is, offers the Coopers their lives in exchange for the information they gained. He enthralls Darelle, and now both Coopers are at his mercy. They decide to fight back, but in the short battle Darelle falls down the stairs. Feeling overpowered, the two agree to the demon's conditions. In exchange for what they discovered, he will let them leave and they will have to take their chances with the patrols, since the bells have now tolled for curfew. The Coopers reveal what little information they found, and the demon, true to his word, lets them go. They are rather surprised, but, after several harrowing minutes manage to regain their lodgings. They decide that in the morning they will depart for Xer and see if they can get more information at Ivymore.
Calistril 15, 4712
Following morning prayers and breakfast, the Coopers set out of Throneskeep and head to Xer, a two days trip. They expect to be challenged, but they are allowed to regain their equipment and leave the city.
Calistril 17, 4712
Mid morning, Darelle and Daryle arrive on the outskirts of Xer, in the small village of Blair upon Verdant. They come upon an auction in the center of the village, and realize, to their horror, that the manor has just been purchased by ... the Millers. Sneaking in the manor house, they find the library and discover the first book, The Rules of Chaos. Daryle takes it and places it in her backpack, and they head out.
Over the course of the trip, bad things keep happening. They are ambushed by bandits. Daryle's backpack breaks at the seams and the book falls in the mud. Darelle realizes that her purse has a hole in it and all of her coins are gone. The cold snaps Daryle's bow string and somehow she cannot find any more. One of the horse breaks a leg. The other horse is killed when a branch falls on its head. On the third day, they stop by a small shrine of Iomedae manned by a local priest. They ask the priest to bless the book. He takes one look at it, and tells them this is a foul book, and that there is no power he can grant that would protect the wielder of the book. He does provide them with holy water, and Daryle liberally sprays the book, to no obvious reaction. Misfortune continues to plague them along the way.
Calistril 23, 4712
Daryle and Darelle arrive back in Fort Inevitable. They speculate that Abernard may be in possession of one of the six books already. The old man is out of town, and Daryle would rather not meet with Cassandra and Nissa, so they agree to meet with Dr. Mordel. After discussing the item and the information they discovered, Dr. Mordel advises them that this book has a different power and he cannot counteract it. But during this discussion the Coopers come to the conclusion that they will need to secure all six books so that the arch demon can be called forth and killed. After considering several places where to dispose of the book, including in the magma underneath the Emerad Spire, they decide to place it on the tomb of Karolina. And magically, the bad luck stops ... for now.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Razmir's Archives
Calistril 7, 4712
After their discovery of the crypt underneath the mausoleum, Darelle and Daryle spend time exploring the meager records left behind in Shadowborn Manor's library. After a day and a half of searching, they decide that they will not find any more information about the origins of the family, whether in their book Shadowborn, Leaders of the River, or from any of the archival material present in the manor.
They thus decide to travel to Thronestep, the capital of Razmiran. There the government archives may contain more information about their family. This could be dangerous, however, as there is still a price on their heads for having escaped the evil clutches of the Living God over a year ago. They will disguise themselves so they appear to not be related. The Coopers will travel overland, avoiding Mosswater and its creatures. The trip there should take between six and eight days. The Coopers ride to Fort Inevitable where they notify their brothers. They then begin the trek back to their homeland.
Calistril 9, 4712
Gerald borrows the gem of true seeing from the Hellknights, and he heads to Dr. Mordel. There he meets both the good doctor and Cassandra. Mordel uses the gem and examines the scar on Gerald's chest. Once again he remarks that the cut was done by a professional and was very precise, more precise in fact that even Mordel could achieve. After carefully looking through the gem, the doctor passes it to Cassandra and asks her what she sees. She reports that she sees a large gem embedded in Gerald's heart. She casts identify on the gem, and she detects necromancy and abjuration. Gerald tells the story of his birth and how his father was of the fey. Sometimes he leaves no tracks. He also has a few extra spells, such as a deep slumber. The sorcerer speculates that the gem may or may not be compatible with the bloodline. Could it be acting as a mild poison to him? Cassandra speculates that maybe it is a tracker for scrying, but then Mordel points out it would have been easier to hide the gem in a different spot, such as the buttocks, somewhere the scar would not have been seen. No, clearly Greenhide wanted Gerald to know something had been done to him. But what exactly? In any case, there is no way to remove the gem at the moment without killing Gerald. Mordel also points out that the only person in the area who could have made such a precise cut is Karlyle the Butcher.
Gerald then heads home to do more research on the six funeral masks he found on the 7th level of the Emerald Spire. These masks were used in Sartoss' evil rituals. The masks themselves are made with tarnished gold and feature several gems inlaid in various locations to lend a shimmering effect to the mask. Each mask uses different gems: peridot, topaz, citrine, garnet, tumaline and zircon. Many gems are missing from each mask. The craftmanship is exquisite, but the masks themselves are non-magical.
Calistril 10, 4712
Gerald goes to Falandra Nolm's bookstore and borrows some of her books to do further research on the masks. He eventually comes across several ancient references to the Children of Kabess, an obscure Azlanti cult who worshipped a demon lord. The Children of Kabess all wore elaborate funeral masks to demonstrate their willingness to die in service of their lord. It is rumored that the Masks could be used as focus for spells or as components of ancient rituals. They haven't been seen in over 10,000 years and are presumed destroyed during Earthfall.
The masks are slightly smoke-stained, and require a good cleaning and polishing. If properly cleaned, they would be incredibly valuable, despite missing several gems each and their overall poor condition after being used by Sartoss.
Calistril 14, 4712
The Coopers sisters arrive in the capital of Razmiran after an uneventful seven day trip. The city of Thronestep is only forty years old, and was built on the shores of Lake Encarthan by the Living God himself to serve as the glorious capital of his growing empire. The heart of the city is made of expensive and beautiful masonry and exotic wood from throughout the Inner Sea. But the city has grown too large too quickly, as the slums outside the city walls attest. Never having visited such a large city, Daryle and Darelle are suitably impressed, despite the chills they see at the number of soldiers deployed in the street and the omnipresent Mask of Razmir on unfurled banners and flattering portraits of the Living God placed everywhere. The streets are packed with people and wagons, and the noise is deafening.
Searching for suitable lodging, the Coopers eventually elect to stay at Merciful Inn, located inside the walls close to one of the many gates. The inn appears well run, and has a stable where they can leave their horses. They exchange pleasantries with the owner, who asks them if they are here to celebrate Razmir's historic speech, which he will pronounce tomorrow. He tells them that rumors abound that the Living God will announce new measures concerning the healing of the nation with a renewed call for religious crusades against all of their neighbors. The Coopers reply they were unaware the great Razmir would appear on the balcony of his palace, but now that they knew they would surely attend. In their room they find another portrait of Razmir. The eyes seem to be following them wherever they go. Daryle decides to cover it with a blanket.
Since the day is still young, the sisters decide to go to the Razmiran archives. The inn owner provides them with helpful directions, and they head into the heart of Thronestep. They cross over the large Absolution Bridge and enter the government quarter on the Holy Island. The Coopers are surprised that there are not as many soldiers in the streets as there are in Fort Inevitable.
The Coopers head to the archives. Located in the heart of the government sector, the archives sits across from the grand Cathedral of the Living God. The archives are housed in a large gothic building with a large portrait of Razmir on the outside. They enter the building, and head to the large counter in the center of the entrance hall. After a few questions and answers from the archivist manning the desk, they are directed to the second floor, in the north wing of the building. There Darelle discovers tax records of the Shadowborn family, that indicates several individuals departed what became Razmiran for the River Kingdoms back in 4132, after selling their estate, Ivymore, as well as their possessions. The archivist on this level tells them that older records are likely to be found in the Xer area, located on the third floor in the east wing.
The east wing's third floor is covered by large piles of books, papers, maps, and other archival materials. No one appears to be here. How will they find what they're looking for? A small voice suddenly arises from behind a gigantic pile. An old wizened man carefully steps over large volumes strewn on the floor, and tells them he's the archivist in this section. Darelle asks him where they could find familial information from the Xer area from the 3900s. The archivist asks them if there's anything they are specifically looking for, but Darelle dodges the question. The man sighs, and directs them towards one of the alcove. He tells them he's afraid not much has been cataloged and classified in this section since the archives moved here thirty odd years ago, and he wishes them luck.
The Coopers locate the alcove, and, hiding behind a desk stacked with materials, begin sifting through old records...
After their discovery of the crypt underneath the mausoleum, Darelle and Daryle spend time exploring the meager records left behind in Shadowborn Manor's library. After a day and a half of searching, they decide that they will not find any more information about the origins of the family, whether in their book Shadowborn, Leaders of the River, or from any of the archival material present in the manor.
They thus decide to travel to Thronestep, the capital of Razmiran. There the government archives may contain more information about their family. This could be dangerous, however, as there is still a price on their heads for having escaped the evil clutches of the Living God over a year ago. They will disguise themselves so they appear to not be related. The Coopers will travel overland, avoiding Mosswater and its creatures. The trip there should take between six and eight days. The Coopers ride to Fort Inevitable where they notify their brothers. They then begin the trek back to their homeland.
Calistril 9, 4712
Gerald borrows the gem of true seeing from the Hellknights, and he heads to Dr. Mordel. There he meets both the good doctor and Cassandra. Mordel uses the gem and examines the scar on Gerald's chest. Once again he remarks that the cut was done by a professional and was very precise, more precise in fact that even Mordel could achieve. After carefully looking through the gem, the doctor passes it to Cassandra and asks her what she sees. She reports that she sees a large gem embedded in Gerald's heart. She casts identify on the gem, and she detects necromancy and abjuration. Gerald tells the story of his birth and how his father was of the fey. Sometimes he leaves no tracks. He also has a few extra spells, such as a deep slumber. The sorcerer speculates that the gem may or may not be compatible with the bloodline. Could it be acting as a mild poison to him? Cassandra speculates that maybe it is a tracker for scrying, but then Mordel points out it would have been easier to hide the gem in a different spot, such as the buttocks, somewhere the scar would not have been seen. No, clearly Greenhide wanted Gerald to know something had been done to him. But what exactly? In any case, there is no way to remove the gem at the moment without killing Gerald. Mordel also points out that the only person in the area who could have made such a precise cut is Karlyle the Butcher.
Gerald then heads home to do more research on the six funeral masks he found on the 7th level of the Emerald Spire. These masks were used in Sartoss' evil rituals. The masks themselves are made with tarnished gold and feature several gems inlaid in various locations to lend a shimmering effect to the mask. Each mask uses different gems: peridot, topaz, citrine, garnet, tumaline and zircon. Many gems are missing from each mask. The craftmanship is exquisite, but the masks themselves are non-magical.
Calistril 10, 4712
Gerald goes to Falandra Nolm's bookstore and borrows some of her books to do further research on the masks. He eventually comes across several ancient references to the Children of Kabess, an obscure Azlanti cult who worshipped a demon lord. The Children of Kabess all wore elaborate funeral masks to demonstrate their willingness to die in service of their lord. It is rumored that the Masks could be used as focus for spells or as components of ancient rituals. They haven't been seen in over 10,000 years and are presumed destroyed during Earthfall.
The masks are slightly smoke-stained, and require a good cleaning and polishing. If properly cleaned, they would be incredibly valuable, despite missing several gems each and their overall poor condition after being used by Sartoss.
Calistril 14, 4712
The Coopers sisters arrive in the capital of Razmiran after an uneventful seven day trip. The city of Thronestep is only forty years old, and was built on the shores of Lake Encarthan by the Living God himself to serve as the glorious capital of his growing empire. The heart of the city is made of expensive and beautiful masonry and exotic wood from throughout the Inner Sea. But the city has grown too large too quickly, as the slums outside the city walls attest. Never having visited such a large city, Daryle and Darelle are suitably impressed, despite the chills they see at the number of soldiers deployed in the street and the omnipresent Mask of Razmir on unfurled banners and flattering portraits of the Living God placed everywhere. The streets are packed with people and wagons, and the noise is deafening.
Searching for suitable lodging, the Coopers eventually elect to stay at Merciful Inn, located inside the walls close to one of the many gates. The inn appears well run, and has a stable where they can leave their horses. They exchange pleasantries with the owner, who asks them if they are here to celebrate Razmir's historic speech, which he will pronounce tomorrow. He tells them that rumors abound that the Living God will announce new measures concerning the healing of the nation with a renewed call for religious crusades against all of their neighbors. The Coopers reply they were unaware the great Razmir would appear on the balcony of his palace, but now that they knew they would surely attend. In their room they find another portrait of Razmir. The eyes seem to be following them wherever they go. Daryle decides to cover it with a blanket.
Since the day is still young, the sisters decide to go to the Razmiran archives. The inn owner provides them with helpful directions, and they head into the heart of Thronestep. They cross over the large Absolution Bridge and enter the government quarter on the Holy Island. The Coopers are surprised that there are not as many soldiers in the streets as there are in Fort Inevitable.
The Coopers head to the archives. Located in the heart of the government sector, the archives sits across from the grand Cathedral of the Living God. The archives are housed in a large gothic building with a large portrait of Razmir on the outside. They enter the building, and head to the large counter in the center of the entrance hall. After a few questions and answers from the archivist manning the desk, they are directed to the second floor, in the north wing of the building. There Darelle discovers tax records of the Shadowborn family, that indicates several individuals departed what became Razmiran for the River Kingdoms back in 4132, after selling their estate, Ivymore, as well as their possessions. The archivist on this level tells them that older records are likely to be found in the Xer area, located on the third floor in the east wing.
The east wing's third floor is covered by large piles of books, papers, maps, and other archival materials. No one appears to be here. How will they find what they're looking for? A small voice suddenly arises from behind a gigantic pile. An old wizened man carefully steps over large volumes strewn on the floor, and tells them he's the archivist in this section. Darelle asks him where they could find familial information from the Xer area from the 3900s. The archivist asks them if there's anything they are specifically looking for, but Darelle dodges the question. The man sighs, and directs them towards one of the alcove. He tells them he's afraid not much has been cataloged and classified in this section since the archives moved here thirty odd years ago, and he wishes them luck.
The Coopers locate the alcove, and, hiding behind a desk stacked with materials, begin sifting through old records...
Friday, July 1, 2016
Tale of the Crypt
Calistril 4, 4712
Daryle spends the morning in town and she hears the gossip that the Millers have returned from their trip to the Emerald Spire and turned in over 20 pairs of goblin ears. Daryle suspects that they are a plant for Razmir.
The Coopers are relaxing in the evening with a nice glass of wine and a good book in the newly renovated library. Darelle is reading River Kingdoms Herbs: Not Just Folk Remedies, while Daryle is consulting an ancient tome about the history of the Shadowborn family, titled Shadowborn, Leaders of the River. She comes across a very strange reference to the mausoleum that sits in the corner of the estate. It appears that it was once part of a much larger crypt. Daryle tells her sister, and they vow to explore it come morning.
Calistril 5, 4712
Daryle continued to read the book last night, and she tells her sister that the last people buried here were buried over four hundred years ago. The dates span from 4218 to 4323. Shadowborn Manor was built in 4087, and the Shadowborn family itself can trace its origins from roughly 3550.
Daryle decides to search the tomb where they first discovered the dirt. She digs for fifteen minutes, but she finds nothing.
The sisters move to the left, and look at the second tomb. It is that of Anna Tirolia Shadowborn, wife of Baltazar Shadowborn, (4190-4245) the last male identified in her book as having been buried here. The corpse is wearing black funeral garb but holds a very well preserved carnation. Darelle takes a closer look and discovers that the carnation is in fact real, and appears to be as old as the body itself. She leaves the flower behind.
Lukas Shadowborn, brother of Baltazar (4231-4281). He had two broken legs, which predated his death by a few years. It would have been very difficult for him to walk. Most likely it would have been the result of accident or warfare.
Leopolda Shadowborn (4301-4323), sister of Perisic and Rudolf, was Johann's third child. Her extremities are tainted green and orange, suggesting she was poisoned. Twenty-two years old when she died, there are no records indicating that she was married to anyone, which Darelle finds strange
Rudolf (4290-4321) was Johann's second son. He also shows signs of having been poisoned. He too did not seem to have a spouse.
Perisic (4285-4298) was Johann's first son. He also shows signs of having been poisoned at the age of thirteen.
Aman Shadowborn (4277-4301) was Johann's wife. She also holds a faded red carnation. The Coopers decide not to touch that one either.
Johann Shadowborn (4210-4298) was Baltazar's brother. The body that once was Johann emerges shrouded in darkness, and casts deeper darkness. Everything goes dark. He casts ray of enfeeblement, and Darelle is hit. Fortunately, Daryle comes to her rescue and the two of them are able to neutralize this threat. All of these names are mentioned in Daryle's history book. But where is Baltazar's tomb?
Under Aman's tomb is a secret passage down, so Darelle and Daryle move Aman in Johann's now emptied tomb, and the Coopes pivot Aman's tomb, revealing a set of stairs. After a descent of about 20 feet they enter a large room with five more tombs.
The Coopers continue to explore the vast rooms that lay underneath Shadowborn Manor and discover countless tombs. Each large room contains tombs organized in rough centuries. In the last (or first) room built, they find tombs with inscriptions dating from the 3600s. Strangely, many candles line the walls and are burning. When Darelle takes a closer look, the candles suddenly attack, and the Coopers must defend themselves.
After defeating the candles, they explore the room and find yet another secret passage, this time leading to a smaller room containing one tomb. The inscription on it reveals it to be that of Karolina Shadowborn (? - 3531). Carefully opening the lid, they discover a well-preserved body wearing a beautiful white dress. She is also surrounded by red carnations that have not been faded by time. The white dress shimmers in the low light, and Darelle decides to carefully remove it from the body after a small female voice whispers in her ear that the dress should belong to her. She is now in possession of the Shadowborn dress. Both Coopers pick up a red carnation, then respectfully close the lid to the tomb.
They retrace their steps and enter an unexplored room. The tombs in this room are small. Daryle realizes that there have been no other children's tombs since the first room on this level. These are all the resting place of dead children. A sobbing sound emerges from the back of the room. The Coopers cautiously enter the room and walk towards the back. Two small children made of ash emerge from behind one of the tombs and open up their arms, as if meaning to be hugged. Daryle and Darelle launch arrows, which burn instantly when they hit the young ones. They continue forward and hug Darelle, who is immediately badly burned. The battle continues until Daryle realize that they in fact want hugs. She bends down and hugs one of the children, taking some damage but releasing his soul. Darelle does the same.
They check the room to see if any other ash children remain, but they do not discover any. They check each tomb, and realize that all of the young bodies in this room have been poisoned by a similar poison to the ones in the mausoleum. Why would anyone need to poison children?
Daryle spends the morning in town and she hears the gossip that the Millers have returned from their trip to the Emerald Spire and turned in over 20 pairs of goblin ears. Daryle suspects that they are a plant for Razmir.
The Coopers are relaxing in the evening with a nice glass of wine and a good book in the newly renovated library. Darelle is reading River Kingdoms Herbs: Not Just Folk Remedies, while Daryle is consulting an ancient tome about the history of the Shadowborn family, titled Shadowborn, Leaders of the River. She comes across a very strange reference to the mausoleum that sits in the corner of the estate. It appears that it was once part of a much larger crypt. Daryle tells her sister, and they vow to explore it come morning.
Calistril 5, 4712
Daryle continued to read the book last night, and she tells her sister that the last people buried here were buried over four hundred years ago. The dates span from 4218 to 4323. Shadowborn Manor was built in 4087, and the Shadowborn family itself can trace its origins from roughly 3550.
Daryle decides to search the tomb where they first discovered the dirt. She digs for fifteen minutes, but she finds nothing.
The sisters move to the left, and look at the second tomb. It is that of Anna Tirolia Shadowborn, wife of Baltazar Shadowborn, (4190-4245) the last male identified in her book as having been buried here. The corpse is wearing black funeral garb but holds a very well preserved carnation. Darelle takes a closer look and discovers that the carnation is in fact real, and appears to be as old as the body itself. She leaves the flower behind.
Lukas Shadowborn, brother of Baltazar (4231-4281). He had two broken legs, which predated his death by a few years. It would have been very difficult for him to walk. Most likely it would have been the result of accident or warfare.
Leopolda Shadowborn (4301-4323), sister of Perisic and Rudolf, was Johann's third child. Her extremities are tainted green and orange, suggesting she was poisoned. Twenty-two years old when she died, there are no records indicating that she was married to anyone, which Darelle finds strange
Rudolf (4290-4321) was Johann's second son. He also shows signs of having been poisoned. He too did not seem to have a spouse.
Perisic (4285-4298) was Johann's first son. He also shows signs of having been poisoned at the age of thirteen.
Aman Shadowborn (4277-4301) was Johann's wife. She also holds a faded red carnation. The Coopers decide not to touch that one either.
Johann Shadowborn (4210-4298) was Baltazar's brother. The body that once was Johann emerges shrouded in darkness, and casts deeper darkness. Everything goes dark. He casts ray of enfeeblement, and Darelle is hit. Fortunately, Daryle comes to her rescue and the two of them are able to neutralize this threat. All of these names are mentioned in Daryle's history book. But where is Baltazar's tomb?
Under Aman's tomb is a secret passage down, so Darelle and Daryle move Aman in Johann's now emptied tomb, and the Coopes pivot Aman's tomb, revealing a set of stairs. After a descent of about 20 feet they enter a large room with five more tombs.
- Matthias (4198-4279) and Maria Anna Shadowborn (4203-4254), husband and wife.
- Joseph (4200-4267) and Eleonora Magdelena Shadowborn (4199-4267), husband and wife.
- Margaret Teresa (4170-4208) is identified as Baltazar, Matthias and Joseph's mother. She never married and the father of the children is not identified in the book.
The Coopers continue to explore the vast rooms that lay underneath Shadowborn Manor and discover countless tombs. Each large room contains tombs organized in rough centuries. In the last (or first) room built, they find tombs with inscriptions dating from the 3600s. Strangely, many candles line the walls and are burning. When Darelle takes a closer look, the candles suddenly attack, and the Coopers must defend themselves.
After defeating the candles, they explore the room and find yet another secret passage, this time leading to a smaller room containing one tomb. The inscription on it reveals it to be that of Karolina Shadowborn (? - 3531). Carefully opening the lid, they discover a well-preserved body wearing a beautiful white dress. She is also surrounded by red carnations that have not been faded by time. The white dress shimmers in the low light, and Darelle decides to carefully remove it from the body after a small female voice whispers in her ear that the dress should belong to her. She is now in possession of the Shadowborn dress. Both Coopers pick up a red carnation, then respectfully close the lid to the tomb.
They retrace their steps and enter an unexplored room. The tombs in this room are small. Daryle realizes that there have been no other children's tombs since the first room on this level. These are all the resting place of dead children. A sobbing sound emerges from the back of the room. The Coopers cautiously enter the room and walk towards the back. Two small children made of ash emerge from behind one of the tombs and open up their arms, as if meaning to be hugged. Daryle and Darelle launch arrows, which burn instantly when they hit the young ones. They continue forward and hug Darelle, who is immediately badly burned. The battle continues until Daryle realize that they in fact want hugs. She bends down and hugs one of the children, taking some damage but releasing his soul. Darelle does the same.
They check the room to see if any other ash children remain, but they do not discover any. They check each tomb, and realize that all of the young bodies in this room have been poisoned by a similar poison to the ones in the mausoleum. Why would anyone need to poison children?
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 ...
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