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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Aug 2004 : 18:49:25
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Over the course of the winter it came to pass that some of the folk of Hap became plagued with terrible dreams, with a few of such folk dying in their sleep as a result. As was eventually revealed, each dreamt of being pursued through the forest by some hideous dogfaced fiend, which, after a long drawn out pursuit, would corner and torment them, until at last it grew bored and prepared to deliver a death blow. None of the living could recall that blow falling.
Amongst those afflicted with these dreams was Hector, and he knew from the emerald glow of the dog-fiend's eyes that it was sent by the Nameless Fiend, who had glowing pin-pricks of green for eyes.
At length, and with the folk of the hamlet and tower tired from many restless and sleepless nights, it came to pass that Hector awoke shrieking from his night-terror, only to find the dog-faced fiend from his dreams perched at the edge of his bed. A fight ensued that eventually brought the attention of, first, Hrek and then Tyros. Between the three of them they manage to either slay or drive the fiend off. Either way, it did not return for the rest of the winter.
Gossip however began to circulate that Hector carried somekind of unholy curse.
There was much talk over the remains of the winter of the journey out to the Sword Coast and Candlekeep come spring, and the lass Delleah yearned to accompany the band on the journey. Thus did Hector extend to her the offer to accompany them, and neither Tyros nor Hrek could find much reason forbid her. They were confident in the bands ability to defend her should the need arise, and in truth, they expected little enough trouble on the journey, and even less at the destination. And so, with her father's permission, Delleah rode out with Hector, Tyros, Salleece, and Hrek with the coming of spring.
They made their way, first, to Ordulin, where they met up with Corwin. Before long, Harmoth and Airovistus returned from a happy winter with their kin in Cormyr to join them, and with that, the lot of them departed.
As the band journeyed, avoiding Cormyr, they heard that the realm of the Purple Dragon had almost finished pacifying the Tunlanders. They would launch their campaign to "liberate" Daggerdale by next spring, if such a course was still considered imminently viable. It was also said that orc raids were proving to be more bothersome than usual in the Sunset Vale (as they also were in a largely disarmed Tunland), but for the most part the journey was uneventful.
As Tyros, Hrek, Harmoth, and Airovistus made for the town of Beregost, the others continued on to Candlekeep, where Corwin was thrilled to find a surprising number of books that dealt with the Survivor States in more than just a passing manner. He also found and copied a map of Hlondeth and Asram.
Unfortunately, it happened that Tyros and company found themselves cheated out of much of their money by a shrewd traveling merchant from Amn. He had sold them a number of trinkets which were special because, well, neither Tyros, Hrek, Harmoth, nor Airoviustus could quite remember why the crappy little toys were supposed to be special. They certainly seemed special at the time ...
And so, with no where near the coin necessary for the return to Sembia and/or Battledale, the band set to finding employment once they arrove back in Baldur's Gate. And soon enough it came to pass that the band was hired to guard a shipload of weapons out to the Moonshae Isles.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
Edited by - Beowulf on 19 Aug 2004 20:10:04 |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 19 Aug 2004 : 22:13:29
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Having at last arrived at their destination, a rustic town called Aithelar, the cargo was unloaded and the band prepared to accopmany it on the final leg of it's journey. As they made their way through town up to the humble castle that stood atop a nearby hill however, the caravan was attack. Try as they might, the band was pinned down by their assailants and could do little more then watch and vent as the bandits made off with the cargo.
Proceeding to the hall of Lord Cauldyth of Aithe, the band learned that there was a rising tide of evil rolling across the isles, led by an evil woman called the Dark Druidess. She had ordered and overseen the destruction of sacred groves, the slaughter and dismemberment of druids, and presumably had begun to work with her underlings to raise up the walking dead thorughout the lands. Without the blades the band had been hired to guard safely to the Lord of Aithe the Ffolk of Callidyr would be next to defenseless against the Dark Druidess and her minions.
And so, with the help of a guide, the band set off on the trail of the bandits and managed to tracked many of the weapon crates down. In the process they ran into Bry'th of Tiamat, who obviously had been restored to life since his death in Myth Drannor. He offered Hector the chance to return to the CoT, and when this was refused he warned that it was Isellishtra, the High Priestess of Tiamat and co-ruler of the CoT herself, that was overseeing the cults deeds and doings in the Moonshaes. With that he escaped with the might of a magic ring, covered by a couple of abishai and a number of undead.
When the minions of the cult were at last dealt with, a druid who had been their prison told the band that he overheard Bry'th speak of a secret base near Cantrev Dalton on occassion. And so, accompanying both the weapon-crates and the survivor back to Aithelar, the band next set out for Kingsbay in eastern Corwell at the encouragement and expense of Lord Cauldyth. He feared that they meant to pollute Myrlock Vale itself.
Making their way to Kingsbay, the band hired a guide and then struck out for Dalton. En route it came to pass that they were ambushed by a large gang of rogues led by Bry'th and Glistra. Before signaling the attack, Bry'th spoke with the band, revealing that they had long had a traitor in their midst. As he invited said triator to at last take his place at his and Glistra's side, all eyes turned to Hector and the insults began to fly. With Hrek on the verge of throttling the stripling, Tyros ordered the lot of them to clam it up and stormed over toward Bry'th and the warrior woman. After a long moment the ex-Zhentilar's hand moved to his sword hilt, and then he turned to take place alongside the cultists.
Again the insults flew, and as Hrek began to storm forward, the gang of bandits launched their attack. Certain of their demise, Bry'th, Glistra, and Tyros bid their former companions farewell and rode off.
Of course, even without Tyros' blade, the outlaws were not a match for the band. In the end, the wargs retreated and the band stood, quite a bit miffed, but victorious nevertheless.
Continuing on in their journey, the band soon arrived at the burned out remains of what was once Dalton. And while it was clear that much blood had been spilled here, there were no corpses. The guide said it was as though the dead simply got up and walked away.
That evening the guide related how the castle of Lord Cyndyllan Darkhorn, an early leader of the Ffolk, had once stood in this area, but that he eventually ran afoul of the elves of mythical Synnoria, who used their magic to reduce his mighty castle to ruins. Asking the guide if he could lead them to these ruins the band went on to discover the secret base Bry'th had mentioned, clearing it out of a gang of outlaws, and learning that Isellishtra was here to retreive the heart of Kazgoroth from the bottom of the Great Moonwell in Myrloch Vale.
It also came to pass that Hector discovered a secret tunnel in the ruin. Following it, he eventually came to a chamber in which a Fflokish hero, all decked out in in kilt, torc, and blue war paint sat encased in amber. Detecting a dweomer upon the amber, Hector attempt to dispel it and found himself confronted by some brutish demon fiend. With the aid of the others, the demon was at last defeated, but as the battle raged, the amber dissolved and the barbaric warrior, though somewhat senseless and disoriented, was nevertheless upon his feet and moving by the time it was over.
That evening the warrior explained that his name was Stradidar of Moray, whom the like of Corwin and Hector had most certainly heard of before from tales spun out of the Avatar Wars. The last thing he remembered was returning to the isles to find the High-King Tristan Kendrick slain and the lands of the Ffolk fallen into chaos. Kazgoroth stalked the land. Thus, with the aid of his constant companion, the Reacher of Moray's clan Mac Art, he worked to influence the Ffolk to accept Kendrick's young daughter Alicia as their new High Queen, bring the Ffolk of Gnarhelm into an alliance, and then beat the Northmen into submission. Finally, armed with the Sword of Cymrych Hugh, Stradidar went forth alone into Myrloch Vale and met Kazgoroth. The battle was vicious, but in the end, he stood victorious over the Beast. On his way out of Myloch Vale however, he was ambushed by the servants of the dead god Bhaal, who had a bit of a score to settle since the Avatar Wars. They used some magics to encase him in amber and then stashed him beneath the ruins of Darkhorn, while Midnight's gift to the Swordwielder upon her ascension to godhood made it impossible to scry the Morayan hero out. And so, he had been entrapped in the amber since the year 1360 by Dale Reckoning, and since the first year of the reign of High Queen Alicia Kendrick by the reckoning of the Ffolk.
By evening's end Stradidar had also learned of the bands purpose here in the isles ... for often the prescence of foreigners has meant the prescence of new troubles for the Ffolk. Hearing them out, Stradidar subsequently took the reigns and guided the band into Myrloch Vale where they met up with a native force of heroes, including the Swordwielder's old companions the Reacher and Illyass of Oman's Isle. Together they faced the forces of the Dark Druidess, an enormous dracohydra amongst them, and in the end the heroes were victorious. However, they could not stop Isellishtra from retreiving the heart of the Beast and vanishing from the isles with it.
In days to come, as the band regained their strength and enjoyed the hospitality of Caer Callidyr -- the only "hospitable" region of the Moonshaes according to Corwin -- it was explained that the prescence of Kazgoroth, or at least the potential for his presence, was integral to the overall health of the isles. With it's loss, both the Ffolk and the land itself would slowly stagnate, and eventually die. Thus it was that Stradidar, the Reacher, and Illyass all swore oaths before the High Queen to return to the mainland, never to return without the heart of Kazgoroth. And thus it was that the band departed the Moonshae's, and began the long journey back home with their new found allies.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
Edited by - Beowulf on 19 Aug 2004 22:25:52 |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 20 Aug 2004 : 19:50:39
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Making their way back to the mainland and then onward to Elturel, on the trail of the CoT, it came to pass that the band stumbled through a magical gate that landed them in some immense dungeon complex laden with vicious traps, terrible monsters, and much treaure. While seeking an exit, the band stumbled upon a a map of ancient Netheril (at it's zenith) which was painted upon a chamber wall. Needless to say perhaps, Corwin took the time to make a rough and hastey copy.
At last emerging from the dungeon, the band found themselves in the crumbled remains of some ancient city in the Anauroch, the southeastern reaches if the mountain range stretching along the eastern horizon were any indication. Corwin mused that, for all they knew, they might be standing in the ruins of Orolin -- "not to be confused with Ordulin" -- the capital of old Asram.
So, with full waterskins, but little food, the band struck out in a south, southeasterly direction. Luckily, when the survival skills of the islanders proved to be insufficient, Dawnpriestess Salleece called upon the might of Lathander and furnished them with food enough to sustain them in their journey.
Despite the preconceptions of those who never bothered to sound Tyros out on the matter, ie. everyone but Corwin, the Anauroch was not scorching hot, at least not this late in the year, but rather it was growing quite cold actually. Cold and dry. And absolutely freezing come nightfall.
For over a week the band travelled until it last reached the western reaches of the Moran River. Not long after it came ot pass that Hector had a dream ... he and his companions were making their way south, skirting the foothills of the mountain range. As they passed a great column of rock that shot some 100' out of the earth, the heavens rumbled and dark clouds began togather about it's summit. Standing at the apex of the column stood the Nameless Fiend, it's cloak fluttering in the wind and two of it's dog-faced terrors crouched at it's feet. The mage felt the Fiend's gaze fall upon him, and then shot awake in a cold sweat.
But a day or two later, the band travelled through an area that was near identical to that in his dream, and for a moment HEctor even saw the Nameless Fiend standing alone atop the column of stone, but by the time he called the attention of the others to it, it had vanished.
That night however, the band's camp was attack by one of the Fiend's dog-faced terrors. And while it was easily set to flight, it left nightmares in the minds of those who beheld it's terrible gaze, and continued to return on subsequent nights, until at length even the Reacher had begun to show the signs of fatigue. In the end, the dog-faced terror was either slain or banished, as with the previous year, but not before it had claimed the life of the fearless aetheling, Illyass Vandervin.
And so the band continued their grueling journey, briefly crossing paths with a great blue wyrm that ate Airovistus, until, while in the southeastern reaches of the southeastern reaches of the Great Waste, they came across a roving band of Lathanderites and Harpers led by the Morninglord Apollonius. They were part of a larger group that had been stationed at the remains of Harrowsmouth to ward the ruins against CoT incursion, thus insuring that Sammaster the Mad's phylactery was never unearthed, nor his remains ever recovered from their well warded tomb.
Having thus come into to some suitable gear and provisions, the group continued on their way until they at last reached the city of Tilverton, which was virtually overflowing with Purple Dragons readying to liberate Daggerdale come spring. And with the a few layers of snowfall already on the ground, the band decided that they would winter there. Before winter was out however, the dog-faced terror had returned to inflict it's night-terrors and, ultimately, to bare young Delleah off into the unknown.
It was thus resolved that matter of Hector's soul, the contract for it's possession, could no longer be ignored. It made a mockery of any thought of redemption or renewal. If the contract rested within the Ruins of the Lost, it must be found and destroyed. If the Fiend himself guarded it, he must then be overcome. And so the Dawnpriestess Salleece, who had grown quite fond of Delleah over the course of their travels, promised Hector her own full support, and also her aid in pleading the matter to the High Morninglord of the Dawn Tower once they arrove back in Ordulin.
While indebted to the band, the Brothers of Doom, Stradidar and the Reacher, had other matters to attend to, and so agreed to accompany them only so far as Ordulin, where the band would introduce them to some of the thinkers involved in all of this Tiamat business.
En route, the band heard the news of Zhentil Keep's destruction, and eventually made a brief stop in Hap. There they found that the construction of the new shrine was complete, and quite beautiful. It was now stewarded over by the Dawnpriestess Cathalandra Dovaer, who had been sent by the Dawn Tower but both Mumfrey and the folk of Hap had not but good to say of her. Also, the War Chancellor had heard the demands of Silas Genk and complied wholeheartedly, sending a War Watcher, one Elphron Pharlyn and a few assistants to oversee the wellbeing of the hamlet with the aid of Silas.
Gathering up the necessary coin and gear, the band shared their own news of Tyros' betrayal and Delleah's "death". One old timer cursed Hector for ever coming to Hap, perhaps merely stating outloud what was on everyone elses mind, but Cathalandra intervened and helped to easy the situation. Soon enough, the band departed again for Ordulin.
As they ventured over Blackfeather Bridge a paunchy merchant-wizard happened to recognize the Brothers of Doom. Apparently, he was once part of an adventuring company that accompanied the Moonshaevians into the ruins of Myth Drannor, but he somehow became seperated from the party and for a long, long time was trapped with the ruins. He blamed the Brothers of Doom for this, and thus launched a sudden and immediate attack upon seeing them. Conjuring forth a number of heat based creatures, and ultimately a fire elemental to hold off the band and surrounding guardmen and other interested parties, the conjuror then used his might to vanish with Stradidar and the Reacher. Thus, when at last the battle had ended, and the various memebers of the band had pulled themselves out of the River Ashaba, the legendary heroes were nowhere to be found. In fact, they reappeared in the middle of the arena at Hillsfar, but that is another story.
And so, after finally arriving back in Ordulin and pleading their case to the High Morninglord, the mission to retreive the rights to Hector's soul was given offical approval, and the band was joined by none other than the Morninglord Cuthbert of Marsember and the Dawnwarrior Arellius. Hector also took on another student, a mature man this time, already skilled in the Art, and one of Lathander's faithful. His name was Draynor. He had a bit of a foppish twist, and both he and Hector became such good friends in the days leading up to the journey to retrieve his soul, that Draynor elected to accompany him.
It was during this time that Tyros arrove back in Ordulin ...
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 21 Aug 2004 : 04:16:43
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And so it was that Tyros rode into Ordulin with a grizzled, stubly looking man of average height and muscular build, and "some slight and dainty half-elf trollop". Making their way to the Six Candles Inn, Tyros and his new companions found Hrek and the rest of the gang giving Barlow a hard time, declaring the ex-Zhentilar a traitous coward and demanding that the innkeeper hand all of the goods Tyros had left here over to them. When Tyros interrupted them, Hrek flew at him and a duel broke out. It was quickly brought to an end however, by Barlow, who spoke toward Tyros' good character and warned that any further threats or violence would quickly be brought to the attention of the Guard.
With order thus restored, Tyros demanded to know what all of this "traitorous coward" business was about. After a bit of verbal friction, Harmoth related the tale of Tyros' betrayal, following which the Calauntan let out a mirthless laugh and set to explaining how he had been taken captive by the CoT as soon as they arrived in the Moonshaes, during the ambush in Aithelar. He awakened to find himself in some CoT base, somewhere on the island of Corwell. He met the acquaintence of the High Priestess of Tiamat, and when she failed to seduce him to her cause, she had Bry'th and a number of other goons take him out to the middle of a vast swamp, beat him to a pulp, and then leave him for dead. Fortunately, he was found and nursed back to health by a hermit named Caedwell. When at last he regained his strength, the hermit gifted him with a simple shield and spear, and he eventually made his way out of the swamp and over to the City of Splendours. It was there that he met the acquaintence of his friends, Ohrorc and the beautiful and deadly Lilandryllacia. The three of them were hired to guide some rich merchant's brat to Shadowdale, hardly an uneventful journey, but the long and the short of it was that they reached the Dale and wintered there. With first thaw, they departed for Hap, where they received an interesting reception. Some local calling himself the "War Watcher" even sought to forbid Tyros access to his belongings in the tower ... which led to some bumps and bruises, and which will, no doubt, lead to even more grief in days to come.
Of them all, Corwin was the most forthcoming with apologies, while Hrek the coolest and least forthcoming. All however accepted Tyros' story, for the time being, and even found his friends to be good company. After much talk, especially regarding their experiences at the hands of the minions of the Nameless Fiend, and particularly of the loss of Delleah, Tyros agreed to accompany the band out to the Ruins of the Lost, with both Ohrorc and Lil deciding to chip in their aid as well.
When all was said and done a gathered force consisting of Morninglord Cuthbert, Dawnpriestess Salleece, Dawnwarrior Arellius, Draynor, Hrek, Hector, Harmoth, Corwin, Tyros, Lil (wizard/fighter), and Ohrorc (fighter) departed Ordulin, bound for Yhaunn, and ultimately the Eastern Shaar and the Ruins of the Lost.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 22 Aug 2004 : 06:48:42
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And so it was in late spring that the band set out from Ordulin, making their way first to Arrabar by ship, and then moving on to Innarlith. Once in that region, they immediately found themselves the "victims" of a number of revenge attacks launched by the Cult of Pazuzu against Tyros, Corwin, and Harmoth for their deeds the last time they were through this way. With the help of Mellisinder however, the source of these attacks was quickly tracked down and dealt with, following which the band enjoyed a brief, but relaxing stay in Innarlith. The councilman was very disappointed to hear of Yolandra's death in the House of Toil and Sweat, although no one let on the precise circumstances of her death, ie. at the hands of Hector. He also warned the band to be careful as they journeyed eastward as some unknown force at last claimed the life of the God-King Gilgeam and Unther now lay in chaos.
Pressing on to Hardcastle, the band came under the attack of the Sons of Jesuah as they prepared for their journey to the Ruins of the Lost. The righteous fanatics sought the death of the "Dark One", Hector Sirus, for his trespasses upon the Ruins of the Lost and the violation of the Sacred Commandments of Jesuah ... not to mention for the foul murder of their former leader Mosias and the lammasu Messanepadda.
Finally making their way out of Hardcastle, the band of Lathanderites and their allies braved many more dangers before at last coming to the spot where the ruin should have stood. What they found however, was a sturdy tower surrounded by a collection of pavillions. Fortunately, most of this camp stood empty and it was a small matter for the band to gain entry into the tower, which Hector believed stood upon the lair of the Nameless Fiend. Within they found a room that appeared to be a trophy room, containing such items as the skull of a bronze dragon, along with a variety of other skulls, the battle standards of a number of Shaarite tribes, and the sword and severed wings of a Ninshubu. Also, a portrait hung on the wall, depicting a dark haired, heavily muscled warrior that bore a striking resemblence to Krelshaw of Hillsfar.
So, defeating the few defenders of the towers upper levels, they sought out and found an entrance leading ever downward, into the lair of the Nameless Fiend. As with Hector's last visit, the door sealed shut behind them as soon as the last person entered the lair's entry hall. And yet it was not the fiend who appeared in the room opposite the entry, but rather a short, hooded figure.
The figure drew it's hood back to reveal the face of Delleah. And yet she had an uncharacteristic wantonness to her, which was hardly dispelled when she advanced upon Hector, dropped her robe, and all that. While the lass sought to seduce the mage back to the path of darkness, Hector nevertheless mustered the will to resist, prompting an attack. And so the battle raged until a well aimed blow caused Delleah to shatter apart into over a dozen 1' beings that looked like evil Hector's.
After much combat and the death of both Ohrorc and Draynor, the band at last defeated all of the demonic minions of the Fiend, penetrated the Scrollroom, and recovered the contract for Hector's soul. Before they could escape with it however, the room grew cold and the Nameless Fiend appeared. He mocked Hector for the witless and impulsive foul that he was, and told of how, forsooth, the Elders were glad to at last be rid of such worthless property as the Cormyrean's fickle soul. The souls of his friends however, well, that was another matter altogether, and the Fiend continued to speak ... of how the corruption of their purity would undoubtedly produce as sweet a nectar as had the corruption of young Delleah herself. The Morninglord Cuthbert sought to nay say the Fiend, but it merely accused the Lathanderite of arrogance, and assured him that if divinity itself could not resist the corrupting influence of the powers he served, then neither could a mere mortal.
And so the battle was joined and desperately waged, with first Hrek, and then Cuthbert, and finally Arellius falling to the Fiend, until at length, Tyros scored a righteous blow that caused the Fiend to vanish. Thence, with the contract they had come for, Tyros guided Lil, Corwin, Hector, Harmoth, and Salleece out of lair. Later that night however, the Fiend appeared in their camp and took Salleece. Her distant and agonized shrieks followed the survivors for the remainder of the night.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
Edited by - Beowulf on 22 Aug 2004 07:10:37 |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 22 Aug 2004 : 18:29:03
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Having departed the ruin, Hector quickly destroyed the contract for his soul and made ready Hrek's severed head for travel. As they made their way west for Innarlith once more, the band took care to dress native and keep a low profile, so as to avoid any Shaarite assassins or demon cultists that might be on the look out for them. At last arriving, they once again enjoyed Mellisinder's hospitality and lingered for a time.
As luck would have it however, it came to pass that a demoness beloved by a powerful fiend named Gangrallor was peeking in on the mortal realm and took a fancy to lustful Harmoth. This inspired great jealously when the feral beast learned of it, and so he ordered his minions to abduct the mortal. Thus, it was that the band had to venture into the Abyss itself to save their friend.
With the aid of Mellisinder and his friends, the band eventually made their way to a vast plain of cracked and broken obsidian, at the centre of which stood a great peak called the Mountain of Anguish, set against a murky, red sky. Hector's locate person spell twisted in a unique way due to the inherent chaos of the plane, such that he knew Harmoth was being held in a fetid cave at the foot of the mountain. He also knew exactly how to get there. And so the band set out across the blackened plain.
The journey was difficult as the region reaked heavily of infection, filth, and vomit, and often would they come across rivers of blood steaked and infectious mucus, alive with flies and humanheaded worms that giggled endlessly and maniacally at the vile obscenities they would utter without end. They had to follow one such river for a long while, until at length it fell up into a great black hole that was opened in the sky. Some amount of time after leaving the mucus falls behind, the band came upon a great gorge some 500' across and an easy 200' down, and perhaps miles long, with a frail looking rope bridge strung between the two opposing sides. As the band was about half way across, a great rumbling began and the crevice floor opened to reveal row upon endless row of wicked and jaggedy teeth. A unholy stench arose from the depths of the crevice, along with a chorus of anguished cries and screams, as though from a million distant throats. As the band neared the otherside, they saw three winged demons fly up out of the pit, each carrying a shrieking soul.
As they grew ever closer to their destination, it also came to pass that a great storm cloud began to roll in. It was ridden by a great, fat, red skinned demon bearing a great pitchfork. He would use this to stab into the cloud, with quite abit of zeal at times, and this apparently produced the thunder. As the cloud grew closer however, the band realized that it was not thunder they heard, but rather more cries of agony. Likewise, the rain was not water, but blood and gore, and the cloud itself was made up of millions of dark, twisted souls.
At long last, the band penetrated the cavern containing Harmoth. Defeating the flylike demons that guard him (until Gangrallor himself could arrive), the band liberated their friend and then used a magical item provided by Mellisinder to escape back to the mortal world.
Arriving back in the Burning Hand, Azuth's temple in Innarlith, the band quickly learned that much had changed since their departure. For one thing, nearly a year had passed. In that time, a coup had taken place in which Pristolep the Purple deposed the former Ransar of Innarlith, Aubrin, and set himself up as the new ruler. During the course of this coup, a number of councilmen, almost all supporters of Aubrin, Mellisinder amongst them, were killed via either assassination or in violent street batteles.
With the help of one of the lesser priests of Azuth, the band escaped Innarlith before anything ill could befall them, and began their journey north through Sespech to the Chondathan captial of Arrabar and thence onward to Sembia.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 22 Aug 2004 : 22:03:44
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During the course of their journey home, it was noticed that Drexle's mark had at some point disappeared from the azure tattoo on their arms.
Arriving back in Ordulin in the spring of the year 1371 DR, the band found that things had hardly been uneventful during their abscence. For starters, with the destruction of (the majourity of) Zhentil Keep, the Cormyreans had an easy go of liberating Daggerdale during the summer of '69. By mid-season, all resistence had been broken and the lordship of the new province awarded to Thracian Cormaeril, the husband of Silver Morn and father of Randal the Younger. While the remaining Dales resented this move, Cormyr quickly silenced them by pointing out the disregard, and even open contempt, that the other Dales traditionally afforded the "good folk of Daggerdale".
It was also over the winter of '69/'70 that the force stationed at Harrowsmouth was attcked and destroyed. Scouts reported that the tomb containing Sammaster's remains had be breached and the tomb-guardians apparently slain.
By late winter however, the CoT had been tracked to a castle of bone in the heart of the Battle of the Bones. A great battle was fought there between the forces of the CoT, headed by Isellishtra and her co-ruler the chief cult wizard and Wearer of the Purple, Elzundracandros, and an allied troop made up of Harpers, Lathanderites, and number of famous Cormyreans. When all was said and done, Elzundracandros had been slain, the true Tome of the Dragon destroyed, while the castle of bone had collapsed in on itself, killing Isellishtra and burying both the Necronomicon and Sammaster's phylactery in the castle sub-basement, beneath tons of rubble and bone. No survivors of the cult could be found. And of the forces of goodness, only a mere handful ever returned to their homes to tell the tale.
For a time the band lingered in Ordulin, relaxing after their long (costly) and eventful journey, but it soon came to pass that the Sembia cell of the Cult of the Dragon ambushed the lot of them one night at the Six Candles Inn. The inn was set ablaze, patrons were struck down to rise up moments later as zombies, warriors stormed the place, and more horrid things even still.
When all was said and down, the band managed to defeat their assaillents and escape the blaze, along with Barlow, but felt that, maybe, their time in Ordulin had come. Perhaps even their time together.
And so it was that Tyros and Lil first accompanied Barlow to Tantras, where the innkeeper had grown up, before continuing on to Zhentil Keep. Apparently, Lord Orgauth had not only survived the Keep's fall, but had also emerged as it's sole ruler.
As for Corwin, Hector, and Harmoth, they rode westward along the East Way bound for Cormyr and their hometowns. As they grew ever closer, they heard ever more news of a great battle fought within the northern reaches of Old Cormyr between the Purple Dragons and a vast army of orcii led by a great red wyrm. The northern communites were ravaged, Arabel sacked, and King Azoun IV himself slain, but in the end, the dragon and her army had been vanquished and scattered.
Such was the state of affairs when the trio of Cormyreans at last rode into Arabel. Once there, they further learned of a veritable army of undead that apparently had washed throught the Sunset and Tunland Vales at the end of the last season. Apparently, this was accompanied by some strange fireworks over the area of the Darkhold, and has thus been chalked up to another ploy by the Zhentarim ... though everyone is damned if they can find any logic to it.
Before they could continue on their journey, the lot of them were drafted into the service of the Wyvernspur's and the Knights of Immeresk, a secretative organization of nobles and their supporters working toward the reestablishment of the olden kingdom of Immeresk. With the help of a number of other agents, the trio was to seek out the lair and treasure horde of the slain red wyrm, but it eventually came to pass that the band ran across a troop of Tiamat cultists in the mountains northwest of Tyrluk. One of these proved to be a powerful blue dragon, and the band quickly found itself playing the role of the anvil yet again. Hector was carried off by the blue dragon, and all of the others slain. All save for Corwin, who managed to escape and make his way back to eastern Cormyr, where he would remain for a time in the service of Immeresk.
As for Hector, when he awoke, he sat stripped and shackled in a stinking, windowless cell. He soon learned that he was the prisoner of Bry'th, whom, along with Gregorious and Glistra, and a small number of others, had survived the assualt by the forces of goodness to carry their high priestess, the Necronomicon, and both Sammaster's ashes and phylactery out of the ruin and to the safety of an old retreat. Bry'th further revealed how the CoT had at lasted succeeded in both restoring Sammaster to life and conjuring Tiamat into the mortal realm. He boasted that the fulfillment of the prophecy of Maglas, was at hand, and that soon mankind would thrown down and scattered ... save of course for the loyal servants of the Chaos Queen. When Hector asked what the CoT wanted from him, Bry'th laughed and told the Cormyrean that his knowledged of the CoT had long since grown obslete and that he was beneath the notice of both the Chaos Queen and her First Speaker. However, as fate had delivered the traitorous mage to the CoT, Bry'th was given permission to seize the oppurtunity. And so it was that Bry'th began a long, drawn out and methodical torture of Hector there in the dungeons beneath the Darkhold.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2004 : 00:08:33
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And so it was that Tyros and Lil arrove in the remains of Zhentil Keep in the year 1371 DR. The half-elven sword-dancer did not linger long however, as she found the confines of the Keep to bleak and oppressive for her sensiblilities. And so it was that Tyros and Lilandryllacia parted company, she for the fairer pastures of Shadowdale and beyond.
As for Tyros, he had little time for heartbreak, as he quickly noted that something dire was amiss with the good Lord of Zhentil Keep. From the get go, Orgauth had been too open, even affectionate, with Tyros. And if that was not unnerving enough, the Lord, whose wife and offspring had been slain in the destruction of the Keep, was now keeping company with a local whore of noble tastes, the "Lady" Desmonda, who was herself more affectionate with Tyros than the Calauntian would have considered due.
And so Tyros began to snoop and question. Those few survivors that had any real inkling of the man beleived that the war, the death of his loved ones, had simply changed the man, plain and simple. As time passed however, it came to pass that Lord Orgauth summoned Tyros to him, and placed him in charge of a unit of Zhentilar. According to Orgauth, the efforts to rebuild and resettle the northern "ruins" had lately been set back due to a number of disappearances. Some folk claimed to have seen dark figures coming and going from the sewers, and some attributed the disappearances to a return of the Night Plague. Thus, Tyros was to lead his Zhentilar into the sewers and ascertain the truth of the matter.
As luck would have it, the Calauntian stumbled right into the middle of an all out war between the forces of a banelich, and a burnbones in the services of Cyric. In the process, virtually all of the Zhentilar were slain, and Tyros barely escaped with his life.
Returning to report his findings to Orgauth, Tyros did not linger any longer in the Keep than weather and common sense demanded. And so, in the early spring of 1372 DR. Tyros bid his mentor a fond farewell and then set out south, bound for "Shadowdale and beyond".
He eventually came to rest in Tilverton. And there he ran into Corwin, who was on an intelligence gathering mission for the Knights of Immeresk. The Arabellan adventurer related how Hector and Harmoth had been slain late last year. Before long however, the city found itself under attack by a host of abishai, a number of draconic hybrids, and what some survivors would report as being an immense fiveheaded dracohydra.
In the end, Tyros and Corwin fought their way out of the doomed city, and made their way back to Arabel. As for Tilverton, it was laid to waste and largely reduced to rubble.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 07 Sep 2004 : 20:43:42
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Neither Tyros nor Corwin lingered for very long in Arabel. After informing the Knights of Immeresk of the destruction of Tilverton, the duo wished the group luck in their ventures in the days to come and then struck out southward along Calantar's Way. And not long after their departure, the nobles and lords and knights of Immeresk firmly declared their independence from the Crown of Cormyr, along with their desire for continued peace and cooperation.
As these evetns began to unfold, Corwin and Tyros came to rest in the city-state of Teziir, a young, but sprawling port city situated on the southeastern shores of the Dragonmere. Once there, they ran into a mixed band of young adventurers, mostly from the lands around Iriaebor. Their names were Lacander the Bard (homely, but glib, the rustic son of an ex-Harper who settled in a small hamlet about a half-day north of Iriaebor), Melvarin (a towering and heavily muslced warrior from a hamlet just outside of Iriaebor), Ellisha (a fair wizardress from Iriaebor), Herodyn of Hluthvar (a rather impious paladin of Torm), Izuldrayn of Tantras (a Harper, an older and powerful wizard), and his aid Yasil of Tantras (Yasillynn, bard).
According to Lacander, he, Melvarin, and Herodyn were veterans of the "Second Orc Wars" that had been plaguing the Sunset Vale for the past 3 years. While that war had seemed to at last relent, it next came to pass that a horde of undead poured into the Vale from the north, while earlier this spring ('72) Iriaebor suffered a raid from a handful of dragons and a horde of winged devils. He went on to explain how they themselves would be working with the Dawn Alliance to clear the Vale and protect lands around Iriaebor and Berdusk, but it had come to pass that Herodyn was chosen, by his god, to seek out and destroy a number of evil beings ... each of which they had since found to be somehow connected to Sammaster and the CotD.
Thus had the band journeyed, first, to the Moonshae Isles where they uncovered an axe of great magical might that would aid them greatly in their task, and then to Teziir, where they had since tracked and killed a former servant of Sammaster once known as Skaverdast. With his death, they were preparing to set out, first for Tantras, and then onto Zhentil Keep "in search of our next victim" as Herodyn put it.
Noting the oppurtunity, the need for both coin and strong, trustworthy company, Corwin spoke (perhaps out of turn) of his and Tyros' familiarity with the Keep, and remarked that they might be of some assistence thereabouts. And despite some friction between Melvarin and Tyros, who taught the young Iriaebian the difference between "strong" and "able", both he and Corwin joined up with the band.
Arriving in Tantras, Izuldrayn began to conduct his business there, while Corwin and Tyros spent some time visiting with Barlow. During that time, Melvarin, one of the few who could touch the mystical axe without suffering harm, found himself tempted by Herodyn to take it up. And once the powerful young warrior did, he found a darkness falling over him, accompanied by a great hatred for wizards ... which grew from the powerful barbarbian chief whose spirit had been used to fashion the axe long ago. Thus did Herodyn lead Melvarin out into the night, to lay in wait for Izuldrayn as he returned from somekind of "secret" meeting with the local disciples of Torm. Apparently, Herodyn had been acting with increasing impiety, brutality, and engaging in all manner of "deviant" sexual practices, including a night he spent with Melvarin ("the Orc-Chic-buggerer"), since Torm had laid the quest upon him. Izuldrayn had thus resolved to consult the High Disciples of Torm on the matter. And so, when Melvarin and the mature wizard at last ran into each other, the warrior lured him to an alley, and there, with Herodyn standing as witness, he murdered him with the axe.
So it was that Melvarin and Herodyn, who had since stashed the axe out of hand, awakened the rest of the band, minus Yasil, early that morning. They said that Izuldrayn had uncovered some dire news that he and Yasil needed to tend to, and that it would be best if the band departed Tantras with all due haste. And so they set out on a ship full of rather shadey looking characters, eventually putting into port at Scardale town.
Now, Scardale town was no longer what it once was, formerly or subsequently. Less than 5 years ago a hideous plague had broken out in the area, and in it's face the various forces occupying the dale withdrew. In due time the plague subsided, but lawlessness had already taken root. And so it was that Scardale town became a haven for bandits and pirates, falling evermore under the control of the self-styled Bandit-Lord Dirk the Hatchette.
Nevertheless, the band kept a low profile, and would have safely made it out of town if Yasil had not sailed into the harbour hot upon their heels and with a ship full of fighting men to back her up.
Confronting them in the saloon and accusing Herodyn of murder most foul, Yasil demanded that the Hluthvaran accompany her back to Tantras to face charges for his crime. With that, a free-for-all melee broke out between Yasil and hers, the various rogues of Scardale, and the band. As it raged, Melvarin took out the axe and with it felled a local spellcaster, and another that backed Yasil, before turning on Ellisha, and slaying her, amongst a number of others still. He was soon disarmed by Tyros, but had little time to mourn his unintended action as the melee continued to rage. And as it continued Herodyn was himself struck as greivous blow that made his skin twist, contort, and then melt away. Standing in his stead was a naked woman of voluptuous build, with birdlike wings, chalk white skin, fangs, blood red lips, and glaring hatred for eyes. For a moment, silence reigned. And then, with a shriek of anger, the erinyes flew out of the saloon, abandoning both the town and all in it.
Soon after, the bandit forces of Dirk the Hatchette stormed the saloon. With the aid of reinforcements, Yasil and her warriors, were able to retreat to their vessel and flee, but Tyros, Corwin and Melvarin found themselves surrounded, and thus surrendered. They were consequently stripped of a good deal of their belongings, the axe included, and told to get out of town ... Corwin with an icy glare from Tyros. That night however, after Corwin told Melvarin of Hap and Lathander's Blood, the Iriaebian warrior snuck back into the vicinity of the town in search of his friends corpses. He returned with Lacanbder's body, but Ellisha's was no where to be found.
And so it was that the trio made their way through the Scar to Featherfalls, before turning NW along the trail running past Hap and on into Battledale.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2004 : 23:09:16
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As the trio made their way ever closer to the small hamlet of Hap, they came upon Fengle's Freehold, a "keep on the borderlands" between Featherdale, Harrowdale and Battledale. It was hastily erected by the forces of Lashan during his short reign, but was abandoned soon after his fall due to a lack of interest and frequent troubles with orcii.
Then, in the year 1368 DR the son of a merchant from Feather Falls decided he wanted to clear the old trail from the Falls to Hap, and reopen the keep as a rest stop for travellers and merchants. Initially, orcii proved to be a problem around the FreeHold, but a band of young adventurers from Hap and Featherfalls managed to root out their lair and break their power in the year 1369 DR. Rumor had it that the caves that the orcii had holed up in were connected to another cavern complex, but when the younglings from Featherfalls returned to investigate, they never returned.
In any event, while spending the night in the safety of the keep, Melvarin had a dream in which he saw a black, squat and twisted castle surrounded by a great maze. It was situated in the middle of a great wasteland and stood beneath a sickly green sky. His spirit seemed to soar toward the castle, making its way through the maze with amazing haste, until finally comming to rest in the dungeon of the castle. He seemed to be standing before a cell door, and within he could see a beautiful young woman with brown hair and eyes in a tattered old robe. Apparently noting his prescence, the young maid moved to the door and whispered to Melvarin, begging for him to help her, saying that she did not belong in this place. Before the warrior could act or reply, the creak and slam of a door echoed from down the long shadowy corridor. Soonafter, the shadow of some chittering insectoid fiend appeared on the wall near a bend in the corridor, and Melvarin noted a look of panic and fear wash over the girl's face. At that point, Melvarin awoke.
This dream continued to plague the Iriaebian each night as he and his companions continued on their journey to Hap, but he did not know what to make of it. Thus, he said little to nothing of it.
And so it was that the trio at last arrove in Hap, where Corwin quickly set to cleaning the smear to Tyros' name that he and the others had left during their last time through. While the new War Watcher, Kaylor Vilnus, thought Tyros' actions were severe enough to bring before the War Chancellor himself, the opinion of Silas and the townsfolk ultimately swayed him to let the matter rest.
With that taken care of, the lot of them retired to the Millery Inn where Silas related all that had transpired over the past 3 or so years ... for they had hardly been uneventful, as seems to be Hap's curse.
No sooner had Tyros passed through, back in 1369, than the dead began to rise from their graves. Thanks to a group of meddling kids however -- including Dawnpriest Handyllan, Yohann the Tyros-trained-warrior, Silas's wizardress daughter Sillania, the fighting brothers Jed and Jethro, as well as a couple of others -- the undead plague was tracked to a couple of local eccentrics and brought to an end. They had been engaged in some form of demon worship, and it was discovered that the symbols they wore were also found in a cavern system beneath Haptooth Hill ... where a great drawbridge spanned a great crevice to what appeared to be a great set of stone doubledoors carved with the symbol. As it turned out however, these double doors were no doors at all, but merely images of doors carved into the surrounding rock. Some folk whispered that Hector had brought this evil to Hap.
With the dead buried and staying that way once more, the local heroes heard of Fengle's Freehold, and travelled down there for a time. Upon their return however, it so happened that a band of grim and evil folk rode into the hamlet, led by a man calling himself Bry'th of Tiamat. He questioned into the fate of Drexle and his library, and when the folk told him little, he led his fellows up to Haptooth.
In the meantime, the Hapsters organized a party and went to confront that Cultists at Haptooth Hill. Needless to say perhaps, a pitched battle was fought, and a number of Hapsters were slain. When the survivors at last made it back to Hap, later that night, they told War Watcher Elphron of their fate, and that the CoT was hot on their heels. With the best warriors of the hamlet already dead or severely wounded, Elphron ordered riders to make for Essembra and the Abbey of the Sword, while he surrendered the remained of his force.
This turned out to be a grave error however, as the men were bound and crammed into the local jail, while the women were beaten and/or raped, and the cultists had the run of the town. When Yohann's father heard his wife's shrieks, amidst the chorus of others, he kicked up a fuss, and was poked with a spear for his troubles. He was dead by morning.
Come morning, the shrieks and cries had ceased, and the hamlet lay still. A couple of younger boys eventually snuck into the "jailhouse" and released the men, who sooner discovered the extent to which the hamlet and the woman folk had been abused. It was not pretty. But of it all the fate of Lathander's Openhand was perhaps the most horrific, for not only had it been vandalized and Mumfrey knocked senseless upon it's floor, but a dead boy lay beside him, while Cathalandra's corpse laid naked and violated upon the altar, and the Blood of Lathander was nowhere to be found.
A band of able bodied men, including Yohann, Handyllan, and Elphron, soon set out in pursuit of the dark riders, and found the Blood of Lathander soon enough, laying near a scorched pouch near the trails edge. It was returned to Hap, but the evildoers made good their escape. Moreover, while the Blood of Lathander healed and restored life to a number of the wounded and fallen, some were not so "fortunate" ... the Dawnpriestess Cathalandra amongst them.
Word of these events were sent to the Dawn Tower in Ordulin soon after, and they resolved to have the Blood of Lathander carried to Ordulin for it's own protection. Thus, a troop of Dawnwarriors and Lathanderite warriors (paladin vs. regular warrior that is nevertheless a staunch Lathanderite) were sent to the hamlet to collect the Blood. While en route, and for the duration of their stay however, a number of the Lathanderites had visions and received other omens that discouraged this course of action.
And so it was that this troop departed, only for a dozen to return late in the year, led by the Dawnlord Dorian Glimmerling. He submitted his service and that of his band to the wisdom of Dawnpriest Mumfrey and the protection of the Blood of Lathander.
Over the course of the winter, it once again came to pass that the folk of Hap were plagued by night-terrors, from which some folk woke up dead. In some cases, they woke up undead, as the dead began to walk once more. The Lathanderites were quick to take up arms against this evil, fighting back the undead and penetrating Haptooth Hill, where they found that the stone facade of doubledoors had opened to reveal a gate into another world, a dark and nightmarish world. Moreover, they learned that a self-styled "Witch-Queen" was at the heart of the recent troubles, and that this Witch-Queen was none other than Delleah.
And so a great battle was fought beneath Haptooth Hill which eventually drew in the Namless Fiend, and culminated in Dorian sacrificing himself in order to free Delleah from the Fiend's hold and drive it back through the gate.
Thus was Delleah at last returned to Hap. And yet, she was not as she was before, and hardly did more than sit and stare off into some unseen distance. Beyond Dorian himself, Elphron had also fallen in the battle, and Dawnpriest Mumfrey as well. And so it was that Handyllan assumed the steward of the shrine, with the full support of the remaining Dawnwarriors, while the Kaylor was made the new War Watcher of Hap by summer of 70'.
As Melvarin heard these tales, what various folk had to say of this girl Delleah, and of what lay beyond the gate beneath Haptooth Hill, he began to realize that this Dellaeh was the same as the girl from his dreams ....
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
Edited by - Beowulf on 08 Sep 2004 23:41:52 |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 10 Sep 2004 : 17:17:12
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Having recognized Delleah as the girl from his dreams, Melvarin related his dream to the gathered company. According to Dawnpriest Handyllan, what the Iriaebian saw must have been a part of Delleah's soul, perhaps her innocence, and clearly, it was still trapped within the realm of the Fiend. Thus, why that part of her that was in Hap did little other than sit and stare.
And so it was that Melvarin, Tyros, and Corwin joined forces with a trio of Dawnwarriors, and passed through the gate beneath Haptooth Hill. The warrior from Iriaebor led the way, navigating the maze as though he had made the journey on a number of occassions, and despite some resistence from both the demonic and the damned, the band at last penetrated to the twisted castles dungeon and located Delleah in the torture chamber. To their surprise, they also found the Dawnpriestess Salleece.
Freeing the lasses, the band began to fight their way out of the dungeon and most certainly would have perished if Sallece had not guided them to a room filled with numerous dimensional portals, eaching standing open and revealing a variety of differing locales. Defeating the chamber guardians, the band frantically searched for a portal leading to Hap. In the process, Tyros stumbled upon a portal leading to a dungeon cell, in which huddled the whimpering form of Hector Sirus.
After a portal to Hap was at last found, Tyros told Corwin that, for some idiotic reason that he could not quite fathom, he intended to pass through the other portal and attempt a rescue of Hector. And so it was that Corwin wished his friend luck and bid him farewell. 
Passing throug hte portal into the cell, Tyros first roused and then alerted Hector to what was up, before using the picks he got from Corwin to open the cell door. Once out, Tyros quickly began to clue into the fact that he was in the dungeon of the Darkhold, and began to recall something that Orgauth had once told him ... about a "secret" tunnel in the depths of the dungeon that, supposedly, could be used as an exit.
With the help of a guard, a former Zhent who, along with numerous other Zhentarim, had bowed down to Tiamat upon her conquest of the Darkhold, Tyros located this tunnel. And though the tunnels' end was filled with water, the trio rolled the dice, dove in, and ultimately found themselves emerging in a slime covered pond beyond the perimetre of the castle. Well, Tyros and Hector did anyway. Neither knew the fate of their Zhentarim guide.
From there, Tyros managed to requisition some horses and supplies from one of the many orc camps that surrounded the Darkhold, and despite some troubles along the "road", the two ultimately made it to the Crimson Fortress, newly erected on the remains of Asbravn. Following their questioning at the gate, the duo was quickly seperated and forced to undergo what was, at least for Tyros, a grueling interrogation ... mostly thanks to the Z tattoo he sported on his left shoulder.
As for Hector, he eventually made passing mention of the Brothers of Doom, Stradidar and the Reacher of the mighty clans of Moray, and as luck would have it, not only were these legendary heroes active in the Vale, but the Reacher just happened to be right there in the Fortress as they spoke. Thence was the Reacher brought in to identify and vouche for the Wheloonian, who enjoyed delicate and courteous treatment from that point until his final release.
Needless to say perhaps, as things began to go well for Hector, so to did they begin to lighten for Tyros. Having told the Allies of pond that they escaped from, with Hector relating much more besides, the two were released onto the Fortress grounds, but told not to leave.
They met again at the Sunrise Inn, where Hector was already having some drinks with the Reacher. Apparrently, Stradidar was currently off leading somekind of search and destroy mission, but as fate would have it, the Reacher immediately took a strong disliking to Tyros. And so, after numerous insults, and despite Hector's pleas for peace, as well as Tyros' own better judgement, the ex-Zhentilar had at last had enough. He attacked the Reacher. And while he did get in a couple of good blows, one of which even staggered the short, stocky Morayan, in the end he was out matched and pummeled right and bloody.
As the Reacher basked in the glory heaped upon him by the common soldiers that filled the inn's taproom, Hector helped Tyros to a table. And the Calauntan took the gesture for what it was worth ... grudgingly.
The following day, Tyros and Hector were summoned to the prescence of High Commander Ambrosis Truesilver ....
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 10 Sep 2004 : 22:27:00
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Just prior to Tyros' fisticuff with the Reacher, Hector had asked the Morayan about the experience at Blackfeather Bridge, where he and Stradidar disapeared to, and how they came to arrive here in the Sunset Vale? In turn, the Reacher told of how the foul wizard they faced at Blackfeather Bridge had teleported himself and Stradidar into the arena at Hillsfar. Of how the arena's crowd went wild as they slaughtered wave after wave of fighting men and other monstrosities .... even as they did as prisoners of Maalthir in years past. At length it came to pass that the vengeful Lord of Hillsfar ordered a number of wizards in his service to launch a magical assualt on the terrible duo, and it was at that point that the Brothers of Doom stormed the gate, fought there way into the arena's interior, and ultimately escaped via the same secret passage they had used in years past.
From Hillsfar, they made their way down to Ordulin, where they found that Hector and his band had already departed for the Eastern Shaar. Thus, they decided to pick up the trail of the CoT, where they had left off .... in Elturel. And so they journeyed eastward along the Eastway, out of Sembia, through the Dalelands, and across the northern reaches of Old Cormyr. Not since the Avatar Wars had the Brothers ridden this path, and just as then they left the road behind as the emerged onto the Tunland and made for Yellowsnake Pass.
Arriving in Hills Edge, the Brothers of Doom learned that a great battle had only recently been waged between a force of famous Cormyreans and their Harpers allies against the Cult of Tiamat in the Battle of the Bones. According to the rumor, the forces of goodness had succeeding in destroying the cult and the survivors had since retired to Berdusk for the winter.
And so the Brothers of Doom left off the familiar path that had, in years now past, led to the death of Bhaal, and rode southward down the Dawn Trail (Dusk Trail to Eastern Mapmakers) and on to Berdusk. Once there they were told that if the CoT had this "heart of Kazgoroth" that they were searching for, it was still probably somewhere in the Battle of the Bones. With the season at it's end however, the Brothers decided to put off an expedition to the Battle of the Bones until spring.
As the year ran down, they heard of a great undead horde that had over run the Vale, including Asvravn ... which had only recently covered from the two beatings it took during the Second Orc Wars ... and so decided to join the Berduskan Gauntlet sent to reclaim the area. With the aid of an Iriaebian Shield, this task was quickly acomplished. It was decided that a great effort would be made to erect a massive fortress upon this site come spring.
The following spring the Brothers set out for the Battle of the Bones along with a Harper and a few Helmites, who were massing in the area in hopes of retaking Hluthvar from the undead horde.
In the mean time, the Alliance had sent a scouting party up the Dawn Trail, and first to within sight of the Darkhold. When this party failed to return, they sent a smaller, more powerful force to Hluthvar. This band returned to tell of numerous undead roaming the lands, particularly around the township. Some of these undead were reported to have been acting under with cunning, under the command of ghouls and wights.
Returning from the Battle of the Bones empty handed, but with reports of significantly less undead romaning that area, the Brothers of Doom once again signed on with the Alliance.
Another winter passed, with the break of last spring ('72) a great host of Helmites, complimented by the forces of the Alliance (the Brothers of Doom amongst them), rode forth to reclaim Hluthvar. As they neared the walled town, they witnessed a great host of winged fiends flying southward.
Trusting in the skill of their fellows, the crusaders continued their advance, cleaving through a number of undead patrols, and at last penetrating into the town. It was here however that the heavy fighting began, as some of the ghouls and wights showed themselves capable of casting spells, which smote down more than one wizard and priest. Moreover, the temple of Helm had become the hold of a great dracolich named Threshlengor the Merciless. While the mightiest heroes of the gathered force were able to best this horror, it's phylactery could not be found before scouts reported that the horde of winged fiends that had flown south was now returning. Sensing that the tide had turned, the men huddled in the ruins of Hluthvar until an oppurtune moment allowed them to effect a goodly, if fighting, retreat.
Returning to fairer pastures, the collective force learned that the Crimson Fortress had suffered some damage, while Iriaebor had received some heavy damage, along with numerous hamlets into between the two. Apparently, three dragons had also been involved in this raid. Thus it was that folk began to whisper what Stradidar and the Reacher had been saying all along ... the the CoT was not dead, and that, over a dozen dead heroes of high calibre or not, this was all the CoT's doing.
As an inordinate number of Helmites from across the Western Heartland flocked to the Crimson Fortress, with the full approval of the powers that be, a suicide mission was organized to scout out the Darkhold and at last determine their hand in all of this. Of all those who ventured forth, only the Brothers of Doom managed to return. And with mounting impatience they reported that the Darkhold was over-run by a non-Zhentish force made up of some men, but mostly orcii, bugbears, and numerous winged beings of draconic appearance. More tellingly, the Darhold flew the standard of a fiveheaded dragon.
Such were the tales told by the Reacher, amidst much digression regarding the Avatar Wars, the death of Bhaal and Myrkul, the sissiness of Cyric, and the rightly meted out abuse that Stradidar and the Reacher had heaped upon the shifty eyed wretch.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 11 Sep 2004 : 19:52:37
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Having been summoned into the prescence of High Commander Ambrosis Truesilver of the Crimson Fortress, Tyros and Hector found themselves joined by the Reacher and a handful of others .... each a powerful hero in their own right. The High Commander went over the history of the conflict to date, adding that the recent troubles in Cormyr might also be tied into this. Tyros suggested that this was likely as he and a friend had seen Tiamat lead the destruction of Tilverton with their own eyes.
When all was said and down Ambrosis offered Tyros and Hector a goodly reward (much coin, plus a fair magical tome for Hector) if they would guide the assembled band back to the pond they had used to escape the Darkhold. The two agreed, and after Tyros hired a messenger to ride to Hap and inform Corwin of the situation, the lot of them departed. When they at last arrived however, they found that an ambush had been set at the pond. As the CoT was clearly aware of the tunnel, the secret entrance had suddenly lost it's value. Nevertheless, the band had been equiped with a couple of rings capable of teleportation, so no sooner had the ambush been sprung, then the good guys made good their escape.
Arriving, not in the Crimson Fortress, but in the city-state of Berdusk, Hector and Tyros were invited to take part in a council session being held in Twilight Hall. There was much talk and discussion of the CoT, the CotD, the undead horde that spread through the Sunset Vale, the black wyrm that reportedly helped breach the walls of Hluthvar on behalf of the undead horde, the fall of the Darkhold, the death of King Azoun the Elder at the jaws of a red wyrm, the sacking of Arabel by that red wyrm's minions, the destruction of Tilverton by a host of draconic hybrids reportedly led by this "Tiamat" herself, the raid on Iriaebor which included 3 dragons, and the prophecies of Maglas.
Most folk agreed that if the various cells of the CotD were too mass and unite, and if their draconic might and vision was further bolstered by the prescence of a draconic deity, the fulfillment of the prophecy of Maglas was a strong possiblity, perhaps even an eventuality.
As such, the gathered folk decided that the call must go out, and a great muster begin. With all due haste would Hluthvar have to be regained, to be used as a launching point into the Far Hills. And at all cost, the well nigh impregnable Darkhold woud have to fall, and the power of Tiamat and hier minions be broken.
Of course, the enemy was largly winged, and the worst of them were nestled behind one of the most impregnable structures known to man or dwarf. If the Darkhold was an easy nut to crack, it would have fallen long ago. And yet those who have held it, have always held it for a very long time ... and always made it's conquorers sell their lives dearly in it's taking. With its current guardians, who outmatched the giants and undead hordes and legions of Zhentarim by a long shot, the task might be well night impossible.
Of course, everything is impossible ... until it isn't. And some folk, perhaps wiser than others, spoke of an ancient time unknown to most men. A time when men still lived in caves and the culture of the elfinkind was yet young and innocent. A time when dragons, far more numerous and powerful than even the mightiest known today, ruled over all the lands unchallenged. And yet while it might have seemed an impossible task at the time, the elves eventually rose up to throw off the yoke of the wyrmkind. It is whispered that they were aided in this task by their high god, who bequeethed upon them either one, or perhaps five orbs capable of challenging, and even taming, the dreaded wyrms ... the Orb/s of Dragonkind.
At length it was decided that, even as the Allies prepared for all out war, five bands would be formed to ride out on a quest for these Orb/s of Dragonkind. If all else failed, and these orbs did exist, they could make a significant difference in the final reckoning.
And so it was that Tyros and Hector found themselves caught up in the quest, and placed into some right powerful company.
There was Vandril Scatterstar of Iriaebor, a middle aged man of average height and build, with long brown hair, combed back, and goatee. He was the son of a well-to-do merchant, and had long since grown into a powerful mage, with a very strong work ethic. While a sober and tolerant man, Vandril has little taste for lazy beggars or their high born counterparts.
There was Brutus of Waterdeep, a heavily muscled northman of some 30 years with long blonde hair, goatee, and icy blue eyes. He was the son of a seafaring merchant from Waterdeep, who didn't take to the water as much as other of his kind, and so involved himself more in overland trade (and adventure). He settled in Berdusk some 5 years ago and has a vested interest in the well being of the area. Brutus is a friendly and outgoing soul, so long as he is not crossed, and prefers to wield a war hammer.
Outstripiing even Brutus in size and strength was Baldred of Berdusk, a kind and merciful warrior with brown hair and some 37 years. Sworn to the service of Helm, the warrior dressed in platemail and wielded a great twohanded sword.
Next there was Voldreena of Berdusk, a noblewoman of haughty disposition, refined tastes, and sharp intellect. She had brown hair and eyes, was about 30 years old, and was renowned for her skill as a tombraider.
At Voldreena's side stood a man of slender build dressed in the solid grays of a priest of Ilmater. His name was Landrian. He had been raised as an orphan in Ilmater's former Abbey in Asbravn, and had grown in the service of Ilmater. Carrying some 39 years beneath his belt, the priest had long been a friend and companion of the Lady Voldreena.
Finally, to Voldreena's otherside stood a knightly figure of strong build, dark hair and moustache, and some 30 odd winters. His name was Heudeen, a proud and brave Berduskan, who, like Voldreena, was of noble birth.
Having been given the task of locating the Green Orb, the newly formed fellowship spoke muchly about where to begin their quest. At length it was decided that they would begin with Myth Drannor. And so the lot of them were teleported to the area around Essembra, where they purchased provisions before moving onto Hap. Hopefully they would find Corwin still there, for he had put a good deal of study into Myth Drannor since his first journey to the fabled elfin ruin.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 12 Sep 2004 : 17:24:20
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Arriving in Hap the questing band was soon introduced by Tyros to Corwin, Melvarin, and Lacander ... who were preparing to set on the morrow for Iriaebor. There was an immediate friction between Corwin and Voldreena, who considered the presumtuous peasant a mere graverobber. And while she did not hold Tyros in the same slight regard as his "good friend" -- save for the fact that he was yet another big smelly brute -- her good friend, the Disciple Landrian of Ilmater most certainly did. Having taken an immediate liking to the suffering Hector, the priest's line of questioning eventually led into a deal of information regarding Tyros, most specifically regarding his brutal ways. Thus, while the man of mercy did his best to contain his self-righteous disdain, it was hardly absent in the eyes of the greater world.
In any event, after introductions were though, Tyros informed his friend of the Orb/s of Dragonkind, the quest that they were on, and how they were hoping that Myth Drannor might hold some clue of them. For his own part, Corwin recalled reading of a great building within Myth Drannor, called Uvaeren's Legacy, which was said to have stood empty of scroll or tome, and yet to have been a storehouse of lore unequaled in all the fabled city. It is said that the lore of Uvaeren's Legacy was somehow magically encoded into the structure itself, and released by using the right combinations of such things as sounds, scents, and/or lights at the appropriate places. Of course, few if any folk alive today had any inkling of what the precise "keys" might be or where in the building they might "fit" ... if the building still even stood.
There were however two chambers that Corwin had read of that held promise. The first was called something like the Lorespirits room. It was said to somehow "contain" the dead spirits of numerous dead scholars, and these could be channelled and questioned. However, according to legend these spirits were at times inclined to keep the body they were inhabitting in order to recommence with their earthly lives. The second chamber was said to be a towering room, the walls of which were covered with crystals. At the centre sat a great chair, and apparently elves were able to sit in this chair and both send and receive memories into the various crystals. Unfortunately, any non-elf that attempts to access these crystals risks insanity.
As it was, Silas and Sillania overheard the plight of their friends, and told them that, while most of the elves had long since left Faerun for the West, a number of communities still existed in the northern reaches of the woods ... which the locals call Tangled Trees. Sillania had herself studied magic under the tutelage of the elves of the community known as Seven Oaks, about a weeks travel from Hap.
After much discussion, it was decided that Sillania would lead this goodly band of adventurers to Seven Oaks, where they might bespeech the elves for their assistence.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
Edited by - Beowulf on 12 Sep 2004 18:13:26 |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 13 Sep 2004 : 20:02:26
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Having made their way to the elfin village of Seven Oaks, under elven escort for the last leg of the journey, the band was introduced to the village elder Elzarin Fairdweomer. He spoke much with Sillania, whom he refered to as "Breecelynn", but while he was hospitaable and friendly to the other humans, he was hesitant to offer them any assistance.
Before a definitive answer could be given however, a young wild elf bust into the meeting hall. He was hysterical about something, and spoke frantically in the sing-song tongue of the elfinfolk, but soon enough the other elves milling about calmed the youth down. He then related his tale in a more intelligable manner.
Sillania explained to her companions that the wild elf's name was Landrollynn. He had wnadered alone into Seven Oaks some 8 years ago and was taken in by the community. Sillania and her other elf friends use to play with him. Anyway, with Landrollynn relating his tale, Sillania played interpreter for the band. He said that he and a few others were out beyond Leblan's Bridge -- beyond which lurks the Witching Wood, which is off limits and roundly shunned by all sensible beings of good -- swimming at Drazzlandor's Pond, when a trio of trolls fell upon them. For his own part, Landrollynn ran and came straight here to the hall, but he beleived that the others were carried off.
As the youthful elf calmed down, the others began to speak amongst themselves. Ultimately, Elzarin came before the band and promised that the elfar would aid them in both locating Uvaeren's Legacy in Myth Drannor and accessing the lore therein, if the band would in turn go forth now, with all haste, and either rescue their young .... or avenge them.
And so it was that the band accepted the task and set out with the foremost warrior and tracker of Seven Oaks, Callaidrian Moonglow. Crossing the elgent stone bridge that was Leblan's Bridge, the band proceeded to the pond, and there fond signs of trolls and struggle, but not enough blood to suggest death. The tracks head NW straight into the Witching Wood, where it was siad dwelt an old crone who devoured all those she captured.
Though dark was quickly falling, the band decided to press on through the night, and on into the morrow. Around midday it came to pass that they found one of the missing elves, naked, wounded, and in a state of shock. Thus it was that Lacander, Melvarin, and Sillania were oreder to accomapny the elf back to Seven Oaks while the rest fo the party pressed on.
Later that night it came to pass that nearly a half dozen trolls fell upon the camp. While the band was not caught totally unprepared, and managed to drive the fiends off, the was no sign of Brutus when all was said and done. No signs at all. Not even to the eyes of Callaidrian.
On the following evening, even as the band neared the lair of the trolls, it came to pass that Vandril had a horrible dream in which the band was walking casually along a forest trail and joking, while the elfin youths were being devoured by trolls and other hideous fiends. He was awakened, along with most of the rest of the camp, by a great and resounding roar from somewhere in the bush. When all was said and done however, no source could be found. Both Voldreena and Disciple Landrian however, were gone without a trace.
Late the following day, the band at last tracked the trolls to an old decrepit, covered bridge. Beneath this bridge the found the lair of the trolls and set upon them. When the last was slain however, and a thorough search conducted, all that was found was bones, bones, and more bones. And so they set up camp.
Over supper it came to pass that Sillania ran into camp, hysterical, saying that something had ambushed them and taken the others to a nearby house. Gesturing the band to follow quickly, Sillania led them to this place. Storming in through the front door, the band found themselves in a dim living room filled with a number of old, deficated corpses. On the far side of the large room sat two bent old crones, snickering away before a bubbling cauldron.
A moment later, the corpses that filled the room rose up to assail the band, soon to be joined by a couple of great ogre corpses that came lumbering into the room from the hallway. Before all was said and done the hags had themselves entered the fray, with strength far greater, overwhelming even, then their slight size would suggest. However, while the battle was vicious and hard fought, the heroes triumphed in the end.
Soon enough, they managed to locate a holding cell within the home's kitchen, and therein they found the elves, Brutus, Voldreena, Melvarin, Lacander, and even Sillania ....
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 14 Sep 2004 : 21:21:03
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Arriving back in Seven Oaks with the remaining kinder-elves, the band was thanked for their deeds and enjoyed the hospitality of the community for about a week. During that time Lacander greatly increased his knowledge of the elfin tongue, and also learned how to play the elfin flute and a number of their tunes ... mostly from the elfin maiden who was to lead them to Myth Drannor. She was introduced as Corralyntha Hawksong. It was explained that her ancestors had lived in the ill-fated city before it's fall. Corralyntha would lead the band to the Hawksong Crypt beneath their mansion in Myth Drannor, and pinpoint the location with the help of the crypt's guardian, Corrallanthor Hawksong.
Neither Tyros nor Corwin nor Hector were unfamiliar with such "guardians", knowing them to be honourable lich-like elves called "baelnorn" in the elfin tongue.
At length, the band bid farewell to the elves of Seven Oaks, as well as to Melvarin, Lacander, and Sillania, who would be heading back to Hap. Their path carried them, quicker than they might have expected under Corrallyntha's lead, first to Essembra, then up Rauthauvyr's Road to the so-called "Lost Trail" leading to Myth Drannor.
But a half day from the ruin they came upon two old elfin towers standing on either side of the road. These had been refortified and garrisoned by a large troop of what appeared to be Red Plumes, but with Corrallyntha's aid and magic this obstacle was easily circumnavigated. And so, after battling their way past a pack of worgs, along with a couple of etins who happened on by, the band made it to the old Hawksong mansion, and there had to battle yet again. This time against a gaggle of gargoyles that had taken up residence in the upper reaches of the mansion.
At last penetrating to the mansion's cyrpt, the baelnorn soon revealed to his descendant that Uvaeren's Legacy sits in the eastern outskirts of the city, on the road once known as the Street of Sorrows. He described it as a great, 4 storied building, domed at it's southern most region, with 3 entrances, each flanked by statues of elven scholars. It warned however that the building was locked down and could only be opened via the use of a "scholar's stone". Fortunately, the baelnorn knew that one of these was located in the nearby temple to Oghma, in a pocket dimension accessed from a private area. He further related that in order to open the gate into this pocket, one would first have to play the elfin song of creation, and then ring the chamber's gong. With that, the gate would open. Before final entry could be gained however, the band would have to battle their past the pocket's guardian ... a ferocious demon named Shattatterroth.
With this information the band made their way to the nearby temple, and nearly fell prey to an enormous murder of stirges that made their home in the main worship hall. Finding an alternative entry, they at last reached the private worship hall, performed the ritual and fought Shattatterroth. With the demons defeat, the band at last entered the small pocket dimension and claimed the stone. The stone itself was small, oval, and well polished. On one face it bore a rune that looked half way between an Os rune and a musical notation.
Making their back to the Hawkmoon mansion, the band found a defensible room, that wasn't a death trap at the same time, and spent the night.
The following day, Tyros, Corwin, Baldred, Hector and Corrallyntha ventured along the outskirts of the ruined city to it's eastern reaches. After witnessing a pitched battle fought between some Red Plumes and a gang of trolls, the band found and entered Uvaeren's Legacy. It appeared to be empty. Locating the entry to the memory chamber, Corrallyntha left the others behind as she herself went in.
In the meantime, with one entry still opened, it came to pass that a great behir wandered in, but Tyros, Baldred, Hector and Corwin quickly dispatched it. Soonafter, Corrallyntha emerged from the chamber.
Before leaving the ancient structure, Corwin had the elfwif tell all she had learned of the Orb/s of Dragonkind, particularly of the Green Orb, if such a thing existed. and so she did ....
Little is known about the true origin of the Orbs of Dragonkind, but according to legend Corellon Larethian appeared to elfkind soon after they began to unlock the secrets of magic. He bequeathed upon the elves 5 orbs of great power that would give them the necessary might to throw of the yoke of wyrmkind and enable both their culture and magical might to flourish. And so it was, with legend going on to tell how many an elfin knight used one orb or another to master and slay dragon after dragon, until at length legend became history and the great elfin civilizations of Aryvander, Illefarn, Meyeritar, Shantel Othreier, and Keltormir had emerged along the west coast of Faerun.
By this time, with the mastery of elfin magic and the great reduction in the might and numbers of dragonkind, the need for the Orbs had diminished substantially. Nevertheless, they continued to hold symbolic value and so each of the great elfin civilization kept one within its greatest temple to Corellon.
Throughout the course of the Crown Wars, which raged from -12,000 DR to -9,000 DR, history began to lose track of the fabled Orbs. It is believed that, at one time, the realm of Aryvander had come into possession of at least three of them via it‘s conquests, while the dark elves of Ilythiir are known to have used enslaved dragons to destroy the realm of Shantel Othreier.
As for the Green Orb, it is known to have been carried eastward in the wake of the Fifth Crown Wars to the great forest Arcorar, now known as Cormanthor. It was brought forth from the remains of Aryvander to help the pioneers deal with the great number of dragons that made their home in the verdant wood.
Eventually the great elfin realms of Rystall, Jhyrennstar, Uvaeren, and Sembreholm sprung into being within Arcorar, and of these Uvaeren was the greatest. So rich in knowledge were the elves of Uvaeren, that their land became known as the Lorelands. Amongst their many fabled librariums, it is told that none rivalled that of Intevar‘s, for it is said to have contained the collective knowledge of all elves. And amongst its many grand temples, it is said that none rivalled that of Corellon Larethian, for it was here that the Green Orb was housed.
The glory of Uvaeren however, was brought to an abrupt end in the year -5,000 DR, when a great meteor fell from the heavens and devastated the Lorelands. While it is unknown if the temple in any way survived this destruction, the remaining ruins were in the hands of the increasingly present Drow within 100 years, and they held them until at last forced out in the year -1,354 DR; roughly 2,600 years after the birth of the city of Cormanthor (-3983 DR).
Little mention is ever again made of the Green Orb, save one...
In the year -982 DR a green dragon of great power named Venominhandar began to rampage in the south eastern woods. Such was the potency and endurance of this wyrm that the elves of Cormanthyr quickly called for a quest, to the ruins of Corellon’s temple in old Uvaeren, there to find and retrieve the Green Orb of Dragonkind. The questing elves however, never returned, and the might of Venom as he came to be called, continued to wax.
For over 700 years Venom plagued the elves, destroying their communities, driving them out, and using his fell magic to twist and tangle the woods of the great domain he had claimed in the southeast. His personal power was unrivalled amongst dragonkind, and he commanded a veritable army of wyverns, black dragons and green dragons. Nevertheless, it was in the year -206 DR. that the elfin hero Jassin Aunglor, armed with a fabled moonblade, at last challenged Venom himself. This took place in the wyrm’s lair beneath Haptooth Hill, and it was here that both Venom and Jassin met their ends, as the cavern complex the wyrm inhabited collapsed in upon them.
Of Venom’s offspring, only the terrible wyrm named Sessrellastrin (aka Manastorm) is known to have outlived her father. Her lair is thought to have been located somewhere south of her sires, but she was last seen bathing in a river in the year -204 DR, and both her fate and the location of her lair are unknown.
Some scholars believe that Venom’s initial rampages were strategically aimed at forcing the elves to reveal the location of the Green Orb. They believe that the band of elves sent to locate and retrieve the orb were somehow followed by agents of the wyrm, and eventually slaughtered by them. With their murder, or so the theories go, these agents brought the Orb back to Venom, who then used it’s power to raise and command his draconic army. Other scholars have denounced such theories as overly speculative, and say that Venom was more likely a mere throw back to the more fearsome dragons of the elder age.
As for the Orb; the more conservative scholars believe that it was destroyed when the meteor hit Uvaeren and wiped it from the face of Faerun. Others still argue that it was borne off into the Underdark during the 4,000 years that the Drow controlled the ruins.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2004 : 19:07:03
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And so it was that the band left Uvaeren's Legacy and returned to the Hawksong mansion, taking the Scholars Stone with them. Upon their return, the band gathered their companions and decided that they must make a stop in Ordulin before returning to Hap. Thus, with the Stone safely in the keeping of Corrallanthor, the band made for the portal they knew of and quickly found themselves in the wood just outside of Ordulin soon after.
Arriving, they were greeted by a number of surprised Sembian warriors, who had long since turned the Darnarest's ruin into an outpost. Within the hour however, the band and it's elfin companion were sent on their way ... mostly thanks to the fact that they were the reason why the government even knew this gate existed.
Making their way to the Hub, the band found itself lodging at the Black Lion Inn, and then set about their business. Corwin touched base with his various contacts, selling some of the precious coins and art objects they carried out of the Witching Wood, and putting the more expensive and/or peculiar items on the market. Hector briefly touched base with the folk at the Dawn Tower before setting about with Vandril to obtain a very expensive mirror, and then to refit and upgrade his lab in Haptooth Tower ... for the mages had much work ahead of them.
As for the others, they busied themselves collecting the necessary provisions and luxuries they would be requiring for the winter in Haptooth Tower ... the grounds of which contained at least three other modest dwellings, a barracks (since taken over by the Servants of the Dawn), and a small shrine to Lathander.
Within the space of a week the band had completed its business and, with the exception of Corwin, who chose to winter in Ordulin, they set out on their return journey to Hap. This was much to the relief of Corralyntha, who was always safe, amidst such company as Baldred, Tyros, Vandril, and Brutus, but nevertheless shocked by the bigotry found in Sembia.
En route to Hap however, it so happened that as the band camped within site of Northgate Keep (which protects Sembias northern border) one night, a force of CotD agents attacked them. This strike force was complimented by a number of dragonkin and a huge wyvern, which led the attack. Nevertheless, the band rose to the occasion and fought the ambushers back. And before the enemy could regroup, they hastily broke camp and triple timed it to Northgate.
In the morning Tyros and Vandril rode for Ordulin and Corwin, while the rest of the band pressed on for, and eventually came to rest in Hap. There they met up with Lacander, Melvarin, Ellisha and the small troop of moon elves that had accompanied them on their return. They had only recently made it back themselves, and all were pleased to see the others ... especially Corralyntha once again. Within the space of a couple of days Tyros, Vandril and Corwin also ride into town. Apparently, Corwin had noticed some people following him and watching him, and so ditched Ordulin for the time being, meeting up with Tyros and Vandril along the Rauthauvyr's Road.
Soon enough, Corralyntha and her companions bid the folk of Hap farewell. And not long after, the first snows of winter began to fall. As the others nestled in, acquainted themselves with both Hap and Haptooth, and found duties and pleasantries to busy themselves with over the winter, Hector and Vandril set to work researching one of Hector's old spells ... magic mirror. By the new year they had finished with this task. And so it was that Hector attempt to scry out the Orbs of Dragonkind. When this failed, they next tried to scry out the remains of Venominhandar, and thus locate his lair. The mirror revealed an area just up (and beneath) the northern slope of the Haptooth Hill. The diviner was also able to locate the remains of Venom's offspring Manastorm in a forest clearing filled with old dragon bones somewhere in southwestern Battledale, and he even managed to scry out the location of Corellon's Uvaeren temple; more or less a scattering of rubble, save for one intact archway, in a small wood in southwestern Misteldale. Finally, on behalf of Tyros, he learned that Lord Orgauth was dead and in the ground.
As soon as winter receded enough to make travel possible, Corwin, Vandril, and Hector sped with all due haste to Essembra, where, with the help of the local Gondians, they found someone capable of excavating Venom's lair. Returning with him to Hap, where a large work-team of locals awaited them, the lot of them set to work on the task at hand.
In the time, with Brutus left behind to oversee the work, the rest of the band, Lacander and Melvarin included, sped off for Misteldale.
Travelling up Rauthauvyr's Road to the junction where, nearby, stands the ancient Standing Stone, the band turned southwest down the Moonsea Ride, eventually passing through the length of the misty dale to Peldan's Trail.
Arriving at Peldan's Trail, the band found a sign post, marking a northward running branch as the trail to some place called Peldan's Helm, along with a pump, a horse pond, and a watchtower. Here they met the Riders, Vern and Halstrap, who told them of the barrow fields to the south and of the stories of terrible wraiths and undead the rise up to devour all who disturb the barrows and treasures they hold.
According to their tales, it was only a fortnight ago that a company of adventurers went that way ... never to return.
So, stashing their wagon and excess gear with the hospitable Riders of Misteldale, the band soon set off into the Barrow Fields. By noon they had discovered the small wood they were looking for, but search as they might, they could find no clues. So, having figured as much, they began to retire from the clearing when a bored Lacander was inspired to pluck out one of the elfin songs he had learned. Suddenly, a gate shimmering with a silvery-gold perimeter opened within the ruins only intact archway. As the others remained outside, Hector, Tyros, Corwin and Lacander passed into the gate, emerging into a a great and wondrous worship hall all set with altar, a great statue of a noble looking elf set behind the altar, and a number of smaller, warrior elf statues flanking the various doors of the chamber. Light seemed to flood in through the halls stained glass windows, and at the chambers centre sat a twisting pedestal that appeared to have been fashioned to hold a volleyball sized orb. It was empty however.
When the four left the temple, they found that time had somehow passed quicker in the real world. It was dusk. More poignantly, their comrades were locked in a battle with a horde of undead zombies and skeletons that were lumbering into the clearing from the Barrow Fields. Somewhere beyond the tress in the fields themselves, a booming voice could be heard, chanting, commanding the dead to rise and whelm over the living.
Fighting their way through the undead, the band stormed out of the wood, where they saw Bry'th, Gregorious, and Glistra standing atop a barrow some 100' or so in the distance. Standing amidst them were a number of black abishai, while undead continued to explode out of the ground. And so the battle continued. As it raged Bry'th boasted of how the Cult of Tiamat was wise to the Alliances quest, had in fact anticipated it quite some time ago. He boasted that one of the Orbs was already in the hands of the cult, and soon, they all would be. In the end however, with the heroes making short work of the CoT's minions, Bry'th and the other two used the might of a ring the priest of Tiamat wore to teleport away.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 21 Sep 2004 : 21:25:26
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Making their way back to Hap, the band discussed the possibility that the CoT already possessed the Green Orb. In the end it was decided that they would act under the assumption that Bry'th was either talking about one of the other Orbs, and not the Green Orb, or that he had simply been lying to dishearten them. It seemed very unlikey given all they knew that the CoT had the Green Orb.
And so they continued on their way. During their stop in Essembra the band heard that the break of spring had brought a rash of murders and mass murders to the western Moonsea region. Each of these involved fanatical groups, or lone zealots, that proclaimed the return of the Tyrant-God Bane to the Faerunian pantheon and demonstrated the fate that awaited all who might dare defy his supremacy.
At last arriving back in Hap, the band discovered that the work had been proceeding well under the watchful eye of Brutus. And so, after relating the news of their journey, and with little else to do for the time being, the more able bodied members of the band set to work helping with the excavation of Venominhandar's lair.
Within a week it came to pass that the brittle remains of an elfin skeleton were found still encased in a noble suit of chain relatively untouched by time. Likewise, the rune-cut longsword that was unearthed very near the elfin remains soon after. When the hasty hand of a worker sought to take up this sword -- clearly the moonblade of the elfin hero Jassin -- it rose up of its own accord. With a few swift, sure strokes the elfin blade hewed the Hapster down, following which it settled to the earth once more.
And so it was that a band, led by Lacander and Ellisha, set out for Seven Oaks to tell their elfin friends of this great and terrible find, in hopes that they might come and claim it.
In the meantime, the dig continued with hopefully zeal. Before long the cracked skull an enormous green dragon was unearthed, and then its entire frame. Furthermore, it was noted that the remains had all been found, not in the lair itself, but rather in a tunnel that most likely led into a greater cavern. And so it was that the digging continued further still, until at last they punched through a great whole in the granite floor that had clogged with collapsing rubble long before the massive cavern resting some 60' beneath ever began to fill.
After obtaining some suitable ropes, Corwin, Voldreena, Tyros, Hector, and Brutus descended into the cavern along with a few workers. It did not take long for one of the workers to find an excessively large horde of coins and other precious items upon one of the caverns many large "shelves". As the others came over and began to delight in the sheer abundance of it however, a number of dark, eerie, and ghostlike shapes began to rise out of the horde. Two workers immediately fell to the life draining touch of the horde wraiths. The third fell soon after. Thus was the unsuspecting band set into a quick and hasty retreat.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
Edited by - Beowulf on 22 Sep 2004 16:06:41 |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 22 Sep 2004 : 23:22:44
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Having made it back up the ropes unmolested, Tyros, Corwin and company soon gathered the others. After speaking of the wraiths that guarded the horde, the band decided that it would be best if they enlisted the aid of the local Lathanderites.
And so it was that Corwin and Hector made their way over to the recently renamed Chapel of the Crimson Dawn. There they met not only with the young Dawnpriest Handyllan, but also with Dawnpriestess Salleece. Both she and Delleah had come a long way since their imprisonment within the realm of the Fiend, and both had strong wills and much support in their recovery. And so it was that Corwin told the servants of Lathander of their discovery, of the dangers that guarded it, and then began to haggle over an acceptable cut. Hector argued fervently for a small cut for the Lathanderites, implying all the while that this was because he himself needed as large a cut as possible. And as he argued the otherwise brilliant and rosy Blood of Lathander took on a black-red hue and pulsed with such great displeasure. The Cormyrean mage quickly dropped the argument and agreed to a 60%-40% split between the band and the Lathanderites.
The next morning the band once again descended into the cavern, but this time with the Dawnpriestess Salleece, Dawnlord Haylon Brightblade, and nearly a half dozen other dawnwarriors of the small Order of the Crimson Dawn. When all were prepared, Hector cast a detect magic upon the horde. He saw that a number of items within the horde glowed with their own unique dweomers, but also that the horde itself was enchanted with some form of magic. Before he could discern more however, the wraiths began to rise up out of the horde once again.
When all was said and done however, the battle proved to be less than expected. The forces of goodness made short work of the dozen or so wraiths that protected the impressive horde. And while the heroes did have their own wounds, of both body and soul, to show for the battle, the Dawnpriestess promised that aid of the Lathander did not end when the last blow was struck, but rather when the last wound was healed.
And so gathering up the treasure, the victors set about sifting through and dividing it up.
As was stipulated, the band received all of the magical items of the treasure, which included a longsword, a couple of wands, some rings and scrolls, along with a number of potions, but the only orb within the horde was an small, fastball sized golden orb with no discernible magical properties.
When all was reckoned out the Lathanderites received roughly 8,000 gp in various coins of old elfin mint, various artsy objects, and gems. It was Handyllan's will that this be used to beautify and enrich both the Chapel of the Crimson Dawn and the surrounding community.
As the Lathanderites began to debate how to best go about this, the band quickly launched into discussions regarding their own affairs. Namely, the rediscovery of the Green Orb of Dragonkind. Apparently, Venom was too long dead for a speak with dead spell to be of much use -- not that anyone had one at the time -- and Hector knew of no other divinations that might help. As luck would have it however there was a priest scroll within Venom's horde, and it contained a spell that would enable a priest to question the stones themselves regarding all they might have witnessed over the centuries and millennia of their existence.
Thus did the band descend into the lair of Venom once more. The Disciple Landrian of Ilmater cast the spell from the old scroll and entered a trance. When all was said and done, Landrian related that the a green orb had indeed once been within the cavern, but that it was given by the wyrm that inhabited this cavern (Venom) to another of it's kind following a battle that claimed the life of the former's mate.
Returning to the discussion, the band next postulated that the other green dragon that Venom gave the Orb to was the greatest of his offspring, the dreaded Manastorm. As Hector had already determined via his magic mirror spell, the crumbling remains of Sessrellastrin rested in a forest glade, along with a number of other dragon skeletons, in southwestern Battledale, but he had failed to scry out the wyrm's lair. All they knew was that it was somewhere in the hills south of Hap.
As a speak with dead spell seemed as unlikely to reach Manastorm as Venom, the band decided to obtain another Stone Tell scroll from one of the temples in Ordulin, and then seek out the lost lair of Venom's offspring. Furthermore, far from just wandering aimlessly forth into the wilderness, they intended to begin their search in the cave dotted hills around Fengle's Freehold ... particularly where that group from Featherfalls was said to have gone missing.
And so it was at the height of summer that the band made their way as a group westward to Yokeluk and Rauthauvyr's Road, and then south toward Ordulin. While riding through Blackfeather Bridge it came to pass that Tyros spotted a man he had met while en route to Tantras with Lil and Barlow. Fisk was his name. And the place was some little inn in the outback of Sembia North. After a night of chumming it up with the man, Tyros awoke to find himself out several hundred gold pieces and Fisk was nowhere to be found. According to the Innkeeper he headed out bright and early that morning bound for Ordulin ... which was exactly where Tyros didn't want to be at the time, as Fisk well knew.
Of course, times change. And Blackfeather Bridge seemed as good as place as any to settle an old score. And so it was that the Calauntan accosted the startled thief, assaulting him with multiple slaps to the head and demanding his 450 gold coins, now. This did not last long however, before Fisks merc. friends saw what was going on and began to involve themselves. Before a general melee could erupt between the two parties the merchant Darvion of Ordulin interceded and ordered his guardsmen, Fisk included, to stand down. He questioned into the matter and Tyros explained. Fisk however claimed that he had never even seen Tyros before.
As matters quickly began to heat up once more a group of some dozen steely-eyed warriors all decked out in platemail pushed their way through the gathering crowd. Their leader was a great and imposing figure, introducing himself as the High Justice Earlandon of Grimjaws. As the servant of the Evenhanded God questioned into the matter a look of anxiety began to wash over Fisk's face, which only grew more pronounced when Tyros took the opportunity to request that the matter be settled by Grimjaws himself via the ritual duel.
Despite some initial protest by the thieving craven, his mood quickly turned when he learned that he could chose a champion to fight on his behalf. With snickering assurance he asked his friend, a rather large and well-equipped half-orc by the name of Gorak, to step up for him. Tyros however was undaunted. He found the half-orc strong enough, but slow and ill-trained. In the end the proud half-orc lay dead. And while Fisk had little more than 50 gold coins to his name, Tyros was also awarded all of the fallen's war-gear by the High Justice, who frowned with contempt upon Fisk.
Moving on from Blackfeather Bridge, the band eventually arrived in bustling Ordulin, where they quickly found lodging and set about their business. Within a week they had sent news of their progress back to the Dawn Allaince, received the necessary scroll from the Ordulin's great Gondian cathedral, and then set back out for Hap.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
Edited by - Beowulf on 22 Sep 2004 23:33:02 |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 23 Sep 2004 : 02:34:39
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As the band made their way back to Hap they discussed the news they heard of the Sunset Vale. They spoke of how late last year (1372 DR) the Dawn Alliance at last managed to take to retake Hluthvar in a hard battle that raged almost until Mid-Winter. However, they also spoke of the retaliatory raids carried out in the spring of the current year. Dragons and scores of winged fiends, at times supported by various goblinoids, descended upon everything from Huthduth and Eagles Reach to Proskur and Eastings to Iriaebor and Hluthvar. And while none of these raids could in any wise be considered light, both Iriaebor and Hluthvar were the hardest hit.
In Iriaebor the High Tower itself was toppled, along with numerous other structures, and thousands upon thousands of more people joined the hundreds slain in the raid of the previous spring. As for Hluthvar, the surface structures were devastated, while hordes of orcii and bugbears poured through the ruins thereafter. Nevertheless, the surviving Allies were not unprepared and managed to repulse the goblinoids and hold the deeper reaches of the ruin.
When all was said and done an ultimatum was delivered to the Alliance in Twilight Hall ... unconditional surrender to the rule of Tiamat and her new order or destruction.
And so, even as the band rode for Hap they knew that a great force was being coordinated, if not assembled, made up of primarily of Alliance forces, but supported by large contingents from Elturel and Scornubel, from Proskur and Elversult, and even from Cormyr itself.
It seemed that slowly but surely the prophecy of Maglas was coming to pass. And they were, as yet, no closer to finding, muchless retrieving the Green Orb.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 24 Sep 2004 : 20:31:06
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In due time the band rode into Hap, but they did not linger there for very long. With the summer winding down, et al. they took only enough time to catch their breath and recruit both Dawnpriest Handyllan and Sillania to accompany them to Fengle's Freehold.
As they well knew both Sillania and the servant of Lathander had explored the caves near Fengle's Hold in previous years. They might even have known the adventurers from Featherfalls who were said to have disappeared during the exploration of this other cavern beyond the "Caves of Chaos". Furthermore, within the caves themselves they knew of a tunnel that had been collapsed or otherwise sealed, presumably by the orcii that had long inhabited them, but which could conceivably lead to Manastorm's lair.
And so the band made for Fengle's Hold, where they soon came to learn that the bandit force that had over-run Scardale Town had at last been smashed and driven out by the forces of Sembia.
Not long after their arrival Hector observed a fat, greasy and obnoxious merchant. Beyond a handful of mercs, he also had for himself a rather young girl, barely in her teens, as one of his "servants", and seemed to have little consideration for those in his employ ... or his vicinity, with all of his belching and farting. When the Cormyrean mage saw the slimy merchant fondle the young girl, he had at last seen enough. As he stormed over to the merchant's table, his mercs spotted him out and intervened.
They pleasantly asked Hector not to disturb their employer and politely asked him to stand down. While Hector was uncertain about what to do at first, this quickly changed when Baldred and Brutus came up behind him. They quickly persuaded the young mercs to allow Hector to pass, and he did so, boldly. Confronting the merchant, Hector chided him for his lack of manliness and demanded that he hand the girl over. The merchant refused saying that she was his by right, to do with as he pleased, until the debt owed by her dead mother was at last paid in full, interest included of course. As the Cormyrean mage fell to threats however, it just so happened that the Warden of the Keep, Captain Vallin just happened to enter (imagine Stone Cold Steve Austin in platemail).
Now, Hector and company had been warned of Capt.Vallin, that while not a bad man, he was basically a troublemaker with a badge ... as likely to come down on a lawbreaker as someone who simply rubbed him the wrong way. Fortunately for all concerned, Vallin was also a fairly good judge of character. And so after chewing out Hector for uttering threats like the mage was somehow the Warden of Fengle's Freehold, or for imagining, perhaps, that the real Warden didn't have enough work to do already, Vallin turned to the, unseemingly smug, merchant now standing at his side. The merchant hadn't broken any laws, but Vallin didn't like him and so spoke to him to no length about, and I quote "the smug look on your stupid little face" and what he was going to do if he didn't wipe it off and return to his seat immediately.
Before all was said and done, the band purchased the girl from the merchant, and the matter was closed ... much to the relief of the merchant’s guardsmen.
The following day, the band headed out to explore the Caves of Chaos. While Sillania and Melvarin remained back at the Freehold with the girl, the Dawnpriest showed them the blocked tunnel. After a bit of digging however, which got them nowhere, they decided that they would return to the Freehold and come back the next day with some guides who might lead them to the so-called "Cave of the Unknown".
And so it went, with their guide taking them down one of a number of paths that led away from the caves, and refusing to enter the clearing that contained the Cave of the Unknown. The band however pressed on and therein found a great, gaping cave mouth within the side of a hill. Entering, the band came across a very large number of bodies strewn across the cave floor. Some belonged to humans, some to elves, and many, many to orcii and other goblinoids. Some of these remains could hardly have been more than a couple of years old, while others were clearly quite ancient. The most recent were taken to be the former adventurering companions of the Hapsters, based upon their gear. They also found a great horde of treasure almost as large as Venom's. Undoubtedly, this was the lair of Manastorm. And it was quickly assumed that this treasure had some guardian similar to those faced in Venom's hole. Thus was the horde left undisturbed.
And so it was the Disciple Landrian quickly got around to casting the Stone Tell spell off the scroll. When all was said and done he related that the Orb had been here, but that it was carried off by the wyrm that laired here long ago. That wyrm, undoubtedly Manastorm, never returned.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
Edited by - Beowulf on 25 Sep 2004 03:51:02 |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 03 Oct 2004 : 00:21:16
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And so it was that the band set off back to Fengle's Freehold, where they remained for a day before returning to Hap. They knew that their next stop must certainly be the remains of Manastorm, which Hector had long since scryed in a forest glade in western Battledale. Much like Venom however, it was assumed that Manastorm would have died far too long ago for a conventional speak with dead spell to be of much use to them. And the Stone Tell spell would likely be far less useful in a forest glade than it had thus far been within the rocky caverns.
Thus, upon their return to Hap, Vandril and Hector set to researching a more advanced form of the speak with dead spell. When all was said and done they were successful in shaping a 5th level spell that could conjure up the very ghost of the subject, rather than relying on vestige memories, and thus overcome the time constraints. However, there was also a risk that the ghost would be angered at the summoning and attack the conjuror. And in the case of dragons, legend had it that wyrms have particularly dangerous ghosts.
As Hector and Vandril buried themselves in this work, Corwin, Tyros, and Brutus took the time to do some intelligence gathering in Yokeluk and Blackfeather Bridge. Soon enough they had identified the wood in western Battledale as most likely being the Yevenwood, and also learned that it's chief settlement was a Battledalian mining town called Brogunham.
Making their way to Brogunham, they next learned that the eastern reaches of the Yevenwood were dotted with the manors of wealthy Sembians, but that it's western reaches were largely wild and uninhabited. There was some talk of an adventuring company that had established a stronghold, called the Griffon's Nest, in the heart of the wood nearly 3 years, but they had not been heard from since the end of last season. There was also some talk amongst some local hunters of a dragon graveyard located in the far western reaches of the wood, though many locals discounted this rumour as sheer nonsense.
So, with the season slowly drawing to a close, the trio secured the promise of aid from these hunters, fetched the rest of the band, and then set out for the so-called "Dragon Graveyard". Within a few days they had reached the Griffon's Nest, where they found that the stronghold was in goodly condition. Ringing the gate bell, they were warmly greated by the groundskeeper, who informed him that, inspite of distant gossip, all was well at Griffon's Nest. He went on to reveal that the "lords" and "lady" of the manor, the Company of the Griffon as they fancied themselves, were out about on their business at present, but would be back by evening at the latest, and bade that in the meantime, the band enjoy the hospitality of the manor grounds.
In due time, the Company of the Griffon returned to their nest. They were introduced as Sir Gaylin the Proud, Dennorond the Strong, Sam the Nimble, Synnylas of Lliira, and Andros the mage. And it could not be said that the Company of the Griffon did not receive their guests gladly. They ordered extra food put on, kegs of beer and mead opened, and rooms prepared.
Thus did the band eat and drink deeply that night, learning in the process that the Company had been so busy exploring the lands and ruins to the northwest, and were so well stocked, that they simply had had no need to venture to Brogunham or more civilized climes as of yet. And so things went, with Voldreena and Disciple Landrian retiring to their room at a right and proper hour, soon to be followed by Vandril, while Hector was himself led off to bed soon after that by the company's wanton Joybringer. The warriors continued to drink with the rest of the company on into the night.
Soon enough however, it came to pass that the Company of the Griffon began to transform into ferocious man-wolves, taking the band by surprise in a vicious assualt. The heroes fought back with drunked vigor or the sheer will to live, with Hector left to fight his way out of a naked and prone position with the she-wolf on top of him. In the end, all were successful in slaying their assailants. All save for Hector. He had suffered some deep wounds, and Synnylas had escaped into the night.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
Edited by - Beowulf on 03 Oct 2004 05:43:16 |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2004 : 20:59:23
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The band buried the corpses of the Fellowship of the Griffon, along with their trio of servants, the following day, with Disciple Landrian leading a short service in memory of the fallen. Moods were sober amongst the victors, for these had been men and women not entirely unlike themselves. And they had left their mark upon Hector.
There was much talk of this throughout the course of the day, of how far Hector could be trusted, especially with the she-wolf that "infected" him still on the prowl. According to Lacander however, that is, according to the many tales and legends he'd heard, Hector would be fine until the next full moon, while Brutus grudgingly added that they could not be sure he even had lycanthropy until that time.
Having thus oriented themselves, the band set out for the Dragon Graveyard the following morning with their frightened, but well paid guide in the lead. Standing vigilant against possible night time attacks (or transformations), the band at last reached an old hunters cabin, supposedly a couple of hours away from their destination.
Stashing their excess gear in the cabin, the band continued on and at last reached the great forest glade. It was quite large and of irregular shape. Everywhere could be seen the colossal, moss speckled remains of at least a half dozen dragons. Many of the bones were broken, with entire rib cages caved in, while teeth and broken claws jutted up out of the ground here and there. Some of the skeletons even appeared to have been torn in two. There was one skeleton however, the neck of which showed breaks in three different places, which was missing a leg, and which, short of being ripped clean in two, had apparently suffered a great amount of damage. Yet despite the great amount of damage this dragon's remains stood out as significantly greater, more commanding than the others, as intimidating, even in death. Certainly, this could have been none other than the fearsome Sessrellastrin, whom the elves called Manastorm.
So, after a brief recon of the immediate surroundings, Vandril cast the greater speak with dead spell, and before long a great, fearsome shade rose up out of the old, shattered remains. It demanded to know who had awakened it from it's slumber, to which Vandril responded with his own name. He charged the draconic shade to answer his questions, to tell him of the fate of the Green Orb, and though the ghosts eyes flared with demonic fury, she told of how long ago she had carried the dreaded Orb to this clearing at the request of the male wyrm Shanthatterok. Knowing she wished to mate with him, he her here with promises of love and passion, and such were his charms that the Green Orb seemed little to the dreaded offspring of Venominhandar. When she at last arrived however, she found that she had been lured into an ambush, made up of numerous black and green wyrms who feared the power of the Orb and would not bow to another “Monarch”. The greatest of Venom’s offspring fought with great skill and unmatched power, obliterating Shanthatterok in her first counter attack, and then sending two other wyrms of green and black hue to join him. Nevertheless, six powerful wyrms yet remained. And while fight she did, the emerald-queen-that-never-was ultimately fell to the ceaseless pecks of her would be peers.
With that however, the ghost of Manastorm could recall no more. She returned to the grave without a fight.
And so, noting that more than four dragons were killed here, the band was left with the task of figuring out which of the wyrm’s fell last. Presumably, that wyrm would know everything that went on after Manastorm’s death, as well as the fate of the Green Orb. The problem was, the only way they could determine this was to guess and cast the Greater Speak with Dead spell over and over again until they hit on the right one. And of course, each time they summoned a dragon ghost they increased the likelihood that one would take offence.
Having little choice however, the band took the time to do what needed to be done. And as luck would have it, they quickly hit upon a goodly candidate, the green wyrm Gargundrallastrix. She had delivered Manastorm her deathblow, and she told of how, following the fight, the remaining six fell to bickering over the fate of the Orb. None wanted the other to possess it, for fear that they might use it‘s power to dominate and control them. And so each began to lay claim to the Orb, offering various reasons to back the claim, but in the end reason failed. Another great battle broke out between the remaining wyrms. As wounded as they were, it did not take long before only one remained. Again, it was Gargundrallastrix that stood victorious. Before the sorely wounded green wyrm could claim her prize however, the wily young wyrm Zarlandris of Glaun Bog burst out of the wood and set upon her. He was significantly smaller and younger than Gargundrallastrix, but, while she was wounded and tired, he had shrunk from the initial melees and so was fresh. Furthermore, the advantage of surprise belonged to the young black wyrm as well. And so, when all was said and done, the slayer of Manastorm was herself slain.
As Gargundrallastrix’s ghost settled however, it seemed as though the earth began to rumble, but it was not the earth, but rather the bones of the dragons that rattled. And within the space of another breath, a number of the skeletal wyrms began to rise up with a life of their own.
So it was that the battle was joined. And it raged with great fury, with none escaping unscathed. Baldred fought valiantly and with great vigour, as one might expect, but he was at last bitten in two, while both Heudeen and Brutus suffered grievous wounds. In the end however, the remaining heroes stood victorious. Vandril was at a loss as to why or how these dragon skeletons were animated.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 16 Oct 2004 : 07:17:47
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With the defeat of the dragon skeletons and the winning of the knowledge of the Orb and Zarlandris, the band gathered up Baldred's remains and limped back to the hunter's cabin. Here they buried the strongest of their warriors.
That night there was much talk regarding what stirred the dragon skeletons and what their next move would be. Both Disciple Landrian and Vandril theorized that it was the unhallowed nature of the glade they perished in. Thus did they rise as skeletons even as human or demi-human or goblinoid bones might do. To the contrary, Hector suggested that the CoT was looking in on them via a magic mirror or crystal ball, and that this was their doing. None liked the sound of this.
As for their next move, it was consider best if they spent the winter in Ordulin where they would have access to roads, books, and learned sages. Thus, they would all ride to Yokeluk from where only the swiftest riders would carry on to Hap. These riders would bring news of their deeds and intent, and collect the band's money from Haptooth Hill before riding back to Yokeluk, and thence, to Ordulin.
So, after a couple of days of rest, they continued on their way back to the Griffon's Nest, still quite weak and raw from their recent battle. Especially Brutus and Heudeen. When they at last arrove at the secluded Hold, they found that the graves of the Company of the Griffon (and their servants) had been dug up and their bodies were gone. While these zombies were quickly tracked down and slain, it deepened the supsicion that Hector was right about the source of their recent misfortune.
With fall setting in and supplies running low the band did not linger long before departing Griffon's Nest. On the trail to Brogunham it came to pass that the band was ambushed by a small gang of thugs led by a number of Shaarite assassins. They called for the death of the "Foul Blasphemer of the West", the death of the "Dark One", the death of Hector Sirus. And while Hector and Landrian attempted to reason with these men, explaining that the Cormyrean mage was on a path of redemption, their devotion to their ordained task was fanatical. In the end, most were slain, and unfortunately, Heudeen was numbered amongst the dead. He fell while shielding the Lady Voldreena from the initial assualt. Even so, Hector demanded that the two survivors be disarmed, but otherwise left to go free. The Shaarites spat in the face of his mercy and lies, and vowed that they would one day return to bring Jesuah's judgement, his righteous venegeance, down upon him. The distraught Voldreena, who had always spurned Heudeen's sincere advances, begged that that day come soon.
From there the journey continued without incident through Brogunham to Yokeluk and on to Hap. Completeing their business and bidding the folk of Hap a good winter, Corwin, Vandril and Hector made their way back to Yokeluk where they hooked up with the rest of the band and headed back down Rauthauvyr's Road. In due time they saw the rolling plains of Sembia spread out before them once more. And before long they had passed Northgate Keep and entered into the gates of grand Ordulin.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2004 : 18:51:59
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Arriving in Ordulin, the band quickly found lodging at the Hearthside Inn, which was owned and run by one of Corwin's most trusted confidants, Dairrion "Speedy-Eyes". He was an ex-thief done well, who prided himself on the security, and resourcefulness, of his establishment.
No more than a day after their arrival the first winter snows blanketed Sembia. And while it did not endure for more than a day, Auril would soon return to leave a more lasting impression.
And so, after a polite and cozy day of rest spent lounging about the Hearthside, Corwin set about the task of learning where sage advice on the wyrms of Glaun Bog could be found.
In the meantime, Hector sought out the counsels of High Morninglord Ombital Duskroon with a heavy conscience. They met three times over the course of the next week, and during their meetings together Hector was guided to speak much of his selfishness and greed, of all the evil it had led him into in the past, and of how Lathander himself had saved him from damnation, with his servants sacrificing themselves so that he might regain his soul and renew his destiny. And he spoke of how, recently, his greed and thoughtlessness had continued to grieve him, had it had even earned Lathander's displeasure, the god to whom he owed so much. And finally, he spoke of how, in his youth, at the foot of his first mentor, he had heard the tales of Elminster and dreamed to one day be a great and heroic man such as he.
When all was said and done, Hector resolved to give himself fully over to the worship and service of Lathander. He further resolved to swear a holy oath, never to neither rest nor profit until the evil he had unleashed upon the world of man was at last banished back to the dark, stagnant, and withering pits from whence they came. The High Morninglord thus received him in the worship of Lathander, and Hector began more intensive instruction regarding the worship and philosophy of the Radiant One.
Even as Hector brought this news to the band, ensuring them that it would by no means interfere with the quest, Corwin came through with the leads the band sought. In addition to receiving permission to peruse the library at Deneir's High Hall of Letters and Learning in the hills above Glaun Bog, word also had it that the great sage Rhauntides of Highmoon was probably an even better source of lore.
And so it was decided that Corwin, Tyros, Vandril, and Lacander would ride for Deneir's High Hall, while Hector, Voldreena, Disciple Landrian, Melvarin and Brutus made for Highmoon and the abode of Rhauntides the Sage.
Riding briskly out of Ordulin on a cool day early in the winter, the band was attacked a gang of ogres led by an ogre mage around mid-afternoon. While the ogres were slain, Hector was struck a grievious wound and the ogre mage managed to escaped. Thus, having made it to Moontassel by nightfall, it was decided that Brutus, Voldreena and Disciple Landrian would carry Hector back to Ordulin, while the others continued on with their missions. Tyros and Corwin would travel a familiar road to Deneir's High Hall, while Vandril, Melvarin and Lacander would ride for Highmoon.
During the day spent resting at Moontassel's Boar and Lion Inn, Tyros took a liking to, and spent a bit of pleasant time with a modestly comely, and exquisitely voluptuous, chambermaid named Gerda ... a rather quiet and unpretentious lass of brown hair and eyes. In due time however, the horses were saddled and the band rode out into the cold, toward their respective destinations once again.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
Edited by - Beowulf on 21 Oct 2004 19:06:53 |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 01 Nov 2004 : 16:35:04
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Riding hard through Tasseldale in order to avoid the worst of the early winter chill, Corwin and Tyros made short work of their journey. Arriving at Deneir's High Hall of Letters and Learning, they were warmly received by the High Scrivner Oltom Glyphwarder; a plump but energetic old man, some 60 winters or so, with a long, bushy grey beard and a happy, outgoing smile never far from his spectacled face.
Taking some time to settle in and drive the cold out of their bones, Oltom and Corwin gave Tyros a tour of the hall and introduced the warrior to the various movers and shakers therein. Before long however, the two -- mostly Corwin of course -- were hitting the tomes and setting about their business. After three days of exhaustive research however, the sum total of their findings was ... "black dragons once lived in Glaun Bog". A fact reinforced, but not once expanded upon, by numerous tomes.
As for Vandril, Melvarin, and Lacander, they likewise rode hard through the damp cold of the early "Sembian" winter. Upon their arrival in Highmoon however, they learned that Rhauntides was currently away on important business and was not expected to return until late in the new year. Nevertheless, with a bit of persuasion Lacander and Vandril managed to convince the Sage of Deepingdale's assistant, the bookish, but resolute Handrayn Glipmoore, to delve into his masters library and research the matter for them himself. As this would take some time, the would-be-sage agreed to have his findings sent to their residence in Ordulin.
Thus, after a couple of days rest, the trio rode hard out of Highmoon, bound for Ordulin once more. Arriving in Moontassel, they met up with Corwin and Tyros at the Boar and Lion Inn, where they exchanged stories and enjoyed a relaxing stay before once again riding out into the cold.
Arriving in the Hub late in the day, they immediately made their way to the Hearthside Inn, where they hooked up with the rest of the band. According to Disciple Landrian, "his radiance, the Dawnpriest Hector of Lathander" was doing well, and was currently busying himself with his studies and duties at the Dawn Tower.
So, after relating all the news of thier journey, the lot of them set to their routines, or to establishing routines to help them through what time they had to pass. Luckily, for the less patient, it was only a matter of two weeks before a rider arrived at the the Boar and Lion with a scroll for the band. It contained Handrayn's findings ...
Zarlandris was black wyrm of no great size, but of exceptional cunning, that is rumored to have once served the green wyrm Venominhandar. Very little is known about Zarlandris as he led a very secretative life, but he is believed to have dominated the Glaun Bog through various minions until sometime prior to the 9th century DR. He is also thought to have sired the black dragon Talastrillandris who terrorized Tasseldale in the 9th century DR until at last slain by the famous Chondathan explorer Marcellus Handrosus in the 897 DR.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
Edited by - Beowulf on 01 Nov 2004 16:48:26 |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 26 Nov 2004 : 19:41:17
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Thus it was that Corwin set about learning all he could of this Marcellus Hondrosus. And this proved to be a fairly easy task considering the historical significance of the adventuresome Marcellus and the Hondrosus family, who had had many vested interests in early Ordulin. Within two days Hla'thair of Deneir had told Corwin much of the family; particularly that Marcellus returned to his family manor, in the lands around Arrabar, in the year 898 DR. And also that, while the Chondathan did venture forth on a number adventures following his return, he finally died at home in the year 943 DR.
Unfortunately, the historical texts, such as they were, made no mention of any Green Orb in association with either Marcellus or his descendants. Of course, while this might seem strange for so great a find, Corwin and the others reasoned that it's true significance might not have been recognized. Thus, like so many other magic items that Marcellus must have found on his journeys, it was not mentioned. Alternately, its true significance might have been spotted straight off, and kept secret for that very reason. Perhaps even until this very day! Finally, it might be that Marcellus did not win the Orb from the horde of Talastrillandris at all, because Talastrillandris never came into possession of it.
And so it was decided that a diviner must be hired in hopes of scrying out the lair, and hopefully the bones, of Zarlandris. Unfortunately, the diviner they hired was unsuccessful in his attempt.
Thus it was that the band began to discuss a voyage out to Arrabar, where they might win an audience with the head of the Hondrosus familia, and hopefully gain permission to peruse Marcellus old diaries, ledgers and other notes.
One night, while Dawnpriest Hector was on his way back to the inn from the Dawn Tower, he witnessed a couple of thugs drag a screaming maiden into a dark alley. Going to her aid, Hector pursued them deep into the alley and commanded the scoundrels to unhand the woman. They immediately complied, with the woman getting up with a snide smirk on her face and taking up a position beside the two ruffians.
A moment later, Hector heard a sound behind him and whirled about to see to the three Sons of Jesuah whose lives he had spared in the Yevenwood. One spoke of Hector's foolishness, of how a Son of Jesuah would never shirk his holy duties or obligations. Then, they all closed in for attack.
While Hector was not unfamiliar with melee combat, especially for a ex-diviner, and did have something of a reputation for charging into entire gangs of orcii, he was ill prepared, out numbered, and maybe even a bit out classed. He soon found himself overwhelmed, and would surely have perished if not for the timely intervention of a flamboyant and foppish duellist. With this man's aid, they managed to hold the zealots off until their shouts for the Watch were at last answered.
Settling into the nearest pub after dealing with the technicalities, Hector took the opportunity to buy his saviour a drink. He learned that the duellist’s name was Vaydrian, and soon enough, that Vaydrian was a servant of the Sembian Cell of the Cult of the Dragon.
Vaydrian quickly stayed Hector's knee-jerk reaction and assured him that he was sent in peace. If otherwise, the duellist explained, the Dawnpriest would surely have perished in the alley this night. As Hector eased, he went on to explain that the Wearers of the Purple were aware of his quest, and they wished to speed it on with news of the resting place of Zarlandris' bones.
He passed the Dawnpriest a scroll case, within which he found a map of Glaun Bog, the lair of Zarlandris clearly marked out near it's the bogs heart. Vaydrian assured him that Zarlandris bones rested within.
As a former member of the Cult of Tiamat, and thus well aware of the bitter history between the Cult of Tiamat and the secularist Sembian cell of the CotD, Hector pretty well knew why the secularists were offering their aid. The enemy of my enemy, after all. Vaydrian however, said little more than necessary, and that it was the will of the Wearers of the Purple.
Likewsie was Hector tight lipped and cautious. When the formalities were done, Hector once again thanked Vaydrian for his assitance, on both counts Lathander willing, and then made his way at a goodly pace to the Hearthside and the safety of his friends.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2005 : 17:59:03
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Making his way back to the Hearthside Inn, Hector told his companions of his ordeal earlier this evening ... and what it had won him. Much discussion followed regarding the nature of this "aid", and the possibility that it was somekind of trap. When all was said and done however, it was decided that the band would brave the journey into the heart of Glaun Bog.
And so it was that, with snow thick on the ground, the band set out, once again passing through Mooontassel, where Tyros continued to enjoy the company of Gerda, and then on to Glaunville. Here, the band hired a brave and hardy guide named Brinder before striking out into the bog.
While the journey lasted nearly a week, and was plagued with wet clothes and frigid winds, the might of Ilmater gave the band the strength to endure. And so it was that they eventaully came to an old, long crumbled ruin, only the foundation of which was still intact. Descending into the ruin, they found numerous catacombs and soon came under attack from a tribe of lizard men. Falling back into a large cavern with a small underground lake, the band found that the lizard men would not follow. And they soon learned why, as numerous black tendrils suddenly exploded from the water to attack them.
While the band fought hard, they were slowly but surely being whittled down by the strange monstrosity. At length, Hector had a flash of inspiration, stopped fighting the tnedril and allowed it to drag him into the water. At this point he struck the main body of the creature with the full might of his Staff of Striking. Noting the creatures reaction, it didn't take long for the rest of the band to follow suit. And before long the black tendriled creature lay dead.
With the battle finished, the band conducted a search of the massive, multi-shelved cavern, and found an old set of dragon bones upon one such shelf. Casting the Greater Speak with Dead spell he had devised with Hector's aid, Vandril summoned forth the spirit of Zarlandris and was able to learn that, yes, the wiley black wyrm had indeed passed the Green Orb on to his offspring, Talastrillandris, when he grew fey.
And so it was that the band left the old ruin, lizard men shrinking before them as they did, and prepared for the long jounrey back to Ordulin.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 03 Apr 2005 : 21:58:27
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And so it was that the band returned to Ordulin with the knowledge that Zarlandris had passed the Green Orb of Dragonkind onto the foremost of his offspring Talastrillandris. There was some discussion following their return as to whether or not Marcellus Hondrosus had actually found the Green Orb amongst Talastrillandris' horde, or indeed if he had found the wyrm's horde at all, but before long preparations were made and the band departed for the Hondrosus family manor just outside of Arrabar in Chondath.
Though early in the year, with the seas to prove it, the journey to Arrabar was relatively uneventful, save for the ever growing tension between Tyros and both Dawnpriest Hector and Disciple Landrian. As ever, Landrian regarded Tyros as a tyrannical, bullying thug, while Hector catered to that, even as his newly ordained and supposedly god-touched nose rose ever higher in regards to the ex-Zhentilar. For Tyros' part, as a hard man who had learned some small respect for the cult of Lathander in his time, he could not help but see Hector's new priestly role as anything other than a fear-driven, self-serving, power-grabbing fraud ... no different from any other alliegence Hector had claimed in the past. And on such occassions as hostilites merited it, Tyros did not shrink from voicing his opinion on the matter.
Nevertheless, the band reached Arrabar without bloodshed. And it did not take them long to track down a representative of the Hondrosus family, whose fame had not dimmed with the passing of the centuries, and arrange a meeting between themselves and the family-lord. Thus it was that Corwin and Voldreena rode forth, in the company of Vandril and Tyros, to meet with Orothaam Hondrosus at the Hondrosus famliy estate.
This meeting went well, and in the end a deal was struck; if Corwin and his band of adventurers would take a particular Hondrosus youngling, Dante by name, whose mind was all aflame with the tales of his famous ancestor, on a treasure hunting expedition, then he and up to three aids could have their way with Marcellus' old notes, ledgers, and diaries.
Within two days, the band met the acquaintence of Dante Hondrosus, an charismatic, outgoing and energetic lad of some 17 winters, along with his two would-be adventurer friends, the nimble and beautiful Verrandracia, and the big, strapping Nikkorrar. Dante told them of a treasure map that had been in his possession for sometime now, which supposedly led to some lost dwarven citadel deep within some old mines that rest on the northern shores of the Vilhon Reach, just opposite Arrabar. Within the week, the lot of them departed onboard a Hondrosus ship.
Making their way to the settlement of Daroush, a shanty-town with few permanent structures set up by the few miners who still seek to test their luck within the old mines, the band found lodging at the local tavern/inn. There they met the acquaintence of the yuan-ti merchant Sslissynn, who had been running a humble mining operation out of the upper mines for the past two years. Recently however, a troop of hill giants had moved into the area and taken control of Lilit Pass, the pass leading to the mines. They had killed a number of miners, and Sslissynn thought he would soon have to give up his venture if they were not dealt with. Thus did the snake-haunched merchant offer the new-comers a deal they could not refuse; 50 gp for every hill giant head they brought to him.
After a nights sleep, the band set out for Lilit Pass and soon encountered the gang of hill giants, not to mention their dire wolf pets. In the two battles that followed, Nikkorrar displayed himself remarkably well and won the praise of all present. And needless to say, with the likes of Vandril at their side, the band defeated the giant interlopers and reopened the pass.
With that, the band entered into the mine, following Dante's map to the shaft leading down to the lower, quite dangerous, and mostly abandoned reaches of the mine-complex. From there they continued on under the guidence of the map until they at last reached a mind-bogglingly vast cavern. It contained a great, railless staircase, apparently carved out of the rock itself, and all apiece with the floor, that rose and twisted at sharp angles for over a hundred feet. At its height they found the shattered doors of a long lost dwarven hold.
As they explored, the friction continued between Tyros and Hector, the latter of whom refused to ever take the lead, all the while being the eagerest to claim treasure. Finally however, perhaps under the sting of Tyros' offhand jibes, Hector at last decided to take the lead into a room. Surprised at this display of manhood, Tyros remarked that Hector had at last grown a set. And when Hector responded by picking up a small stone, throwing it at Tyros and hitting him in the forehead, the ex-Zhentilar stormed over to him and beat the Dawnpriest right and bloody with the flat of his sword. When Disciple Landrian sought to intervene, he received the pummel and was sent sprawling, at which point Brutus moved to intervene, weapon in hand and calling for an end to this madness. When it seemed that warrior-pride was only going to escalate matters, it took the glib tongue of Lacander, and the heartfelt promptings of Corwin and Voldreena and Melvarin to still the fray.
When all was said and done, weapons were lowered, and Disciple Landrian forsook Tyros, refusing to heal or otherwise aid him hence forth. Dawnpriest Hector followed suit.
Before long however, both priests were struck grievious blows while in battle, and were thus forced to retire back to Daroush along with Corwin and Voldreena.
Intent on upholding their end of the bargain, as quickly as possible, the remainder of the band pressed on deeper into the hold until, at length it came to pass that they were ambushed by a trio of ropers. This encounter was disasterous, claiming the lives and bodies of both Brutus and Melvarin, and leaving the remainder with wounds enough of their own. Escaping the ropers, it was quickly decided that they had come far enough and that it was now time to turn back, all the way back to Arrabar; a propsitions to which the Chondathan youths, each now with tales and exploits to boast of, readily agreed.
For a time it seemed that the band would fall prey to a great beholder that hovered for over an hour on one of the landings of the great staircase that led up to the hold's entrance. As it was however, the beholder finally wandered off, down the staircase presumably, thus leaving the band free to make their way back to the upper mines and then onward to Daroush, where they arrove late in the evening.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
Edited by - Beowulf on 03 Apr 2005 23:08:17 |
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Beowulf
Learned Scribe
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2005 : 22:00:16
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Arriving back at Daroush late that evening, Tyros and company related their misfortune to those who had earlier returned; all save for Dawnpriest Hector who remained bed-ridden with his wounds. And this was sobering news for Voldreena and Disciple Landrian, who now felt at the mercy of Tyros. They questioned Dante on the readiness of his ship to make the journey back to Arrabar, and the youth told that they could depart on the morrow if need be.
And so it was that Voldreena and Landrian retired, leaving the others to the thoughtful silence that hung over the table for the rest of the evening.
Around midmorning of the following day the band boarded the Hondrosus ship and made the return journey to Arrabar; where they were given free room and board at the Hondrosus owned Far Traveller Inn for the duration of their stay. And after a day of rest, Corwin, Voldreena, Vandril and Landrian rode out to the Hondrosus manor, where they set to going over all of Marcellus' old notes, ledgers and diaries with a fine toothed comb.
After two long days of searching, Voldreena at last found a reference in an old inventory list to a "green orb, uncertain magical properties" being sold to "Dellorak of Zhentil Keep" for "3500 gold pieces". The accompanying date placed the sale soon after Marcellus' return to young Ordulin from Tasseldale.
And so it was that they loreseekers returned to Arrabar and shared this information with the other members of the band. However, while most agreed that the next stop in their quest would be Zhentil Keep itself, Disciple Landrian proposed that he, Voldreena, Dawnpriest Hector, and whoever else might follow them, minus Tyros of course, return first to Berdusk, in hopes of replenishing their resources and taking on what new recruits they might need.
Naturally, Corwin scoffed at the entire notion, while neither Vandril nor Lacander cared much for the idea either. Afterall, who else had been to Zhentil Keep before? And who had been there since it's fall? Who had contacts there that might be exploited? And who had first hand knowledge of the internal workings of the Keep? Finally, who, precisely, would stick out like a sore thumb if left to their own devices?
Nevertheless, despite the sound logic of the reasons presented, the priests wanted nothing of it. Fear and doubt weighed heavily on them. Afterall, if Tyros wished them ill, what better place than Zhentil Keep to conspire their end?
Soon enough, with the aid of Dante, passage was arranged onboard a Hondrosus ship bound for Selgaunt. It was to leave in a week, and during that time alot of thought and conversation was given to the quest by the band. Through the mediations of Lacander, Corwin and Voldreena, both of the latter of whom had long since grown accustomed to the other's taunts and jibes, a new peace was born throughout the party. More and more, Disciple Landrian came to realize the hardships endured by Tyros in his own early life, and how, now a man, he had often endured harships for friends and confidants. Even for Hector himself ... who would still be suffering in the dungeons of the Darkhold if not for Tyros', errrrr, "bold" rescue.
By the time the week was through and the band boarded the sea-vessel, all were once again more-or-less on the same page; having agreed to set aside their differences and act together for the remainder of the quest if nothing else.
Dante and his friends saw the band off, awarding them 2000 gp " ... as compensation for the death of your friends, or to speed you on your quest, whatever terms you will accept it under."
During the course of the journey to Selgaunt it came to pass that, on a couple of occassions, Disciple Landrian sought out Tyros to offer a heartfelt apology for his hasty and self-righteous judgement of him. For Tyros' part, he accepted the apology.
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"Ill tempered the wretch, who laughs at everyone. He cannot recognize, as he should, that he is not without faults." the High One, Poetic Edda |
Edited by - Beowulf on 12 Apr 2005 22:32:57 |
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Of Tyros /And Dragons Shall Rule .....
