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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
 Posted - 01 May 2007 : 08:48:43
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Boddynock's campaign journal, is the name of the adventuring sessions that I'm currently running. I'm posting the journal here for your viewing pleasure, but Alaundo will also post it in the campaign log's section of Candlekeep when the first chapter is done. Additionally, it serves as an online backup.
A fully detailed overview of the main characters will be given in the campaign log/hall of heroes, but for now I will only give you the basic information of them. In time, you can read all of them in the mentioned place (campaign log/hall of heroes)
The first chapter which is called "The prophecy of Jergal" is an adventure that happened about 2 years ago, and it was the start of our campaign. Because we are all Flemish, we have to translate everything in English, and that can take time before we are up to date ... so please be patient 
Please feel free to leave comments and enjoy Reading
The main Characters:(basic information)
Grace: Grace is an aasimar sorceress from Shallain Freehold (regio Shadowdale). She is a lovely and peace loving female who is looking for her cousin Cedric. She believes Cedric is involved in a crime where he killed her mentor Ekoj. She has a tomcat familiar called Nicodemus.
Emnarii Nickelbick: Emnarii is an attractive but stubborn gnomish bard. She hails from Stormpenhauder, a gnomish village which is located in the Spiderhaunt woods. She wanted to see the world.
Evaryan: Evaryan is an elvish psychic warrior. He is born in the High Forest and he is looking after his lost love called Aylinn. She just disapeared in nothingness
Guormundr:A stubborn, hairy (glacier) dwarven barbarian from the spine of the world. He lives in exile and he want to clear his name in his hometown. He is strong but not so smart.
Iskar: An elfen druid. He's a lil bit aloof and doesn't tell a lot about himself.
Like I mentioned before, the background information, game stats, character description, what they think about the other partymembers will be posted soon in the hall of heroes/campaign journal. (at this moment 2 of the 5 characters are fully translated and the 3'rd is almost ready.
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Edited by - boddynock on 21 May 2007 12:29:49
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2007 : 08:51:56
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1: The prophecy of Jergal
05 Ches 1372, it was on this dark day that Grace Faylne arrived in the picturesque city of Everlund. Everlund, it's a beautiful, walled city which buildings are constructed mainly of stone and timber, and they show clear influence of both elf and dwarf architectural. Buildings are arranged in discrete sections separated by beautiful gardens, trees, bowers, hedges and flowerbeds. It is clear that, despite everything, the city remained one with nature. That dream, a few days ago, had terrified Grace very much. When a nice inhabitant told her that an inn had burned down, she hurried to Randolph (the sheriff) ’s office to get all information there was about the matter.
The atmosphere in the waiting room was very tense. Except for Grace there were 4 other people in the small room. A gnomish girl was filing her nails. A bald, tattooed elf was looking at the door, waiting impatiently for the sheriff to arrive. A second elf was leaning back in his chair and yawning. And at the other end of the room a dingy, shaggy dwarf was staring aimlessly. After a while they were all called into the office by Grak, the sheriff’s deputy, a very stupid half Orc. Apparently he had misunderstood Randolph’s orders and instead of letting everyone in separately, he had let in the entire group. A bit annoyed by Grak’s stupidity, the Sheriff invited everyone to sit down while taking a sip of his glass of red wine.
Grace told the sheriff that she was looking for her fiancé, Dorn, and that she suspected that he was present at the inn “The Bear” the night it burned down. The sheriff confirmed that people had lost their lives in the fire and that some of the bodies had not been identified yet. He gave her the address of Malark, the undertaker, who was storing the bodies, and suggested she went there to see if Dorn’s body was there. The little gnome was called Emnarii Nickelbick. She had been living in Everlund for quite some time now and performed in the local inns. She told the sheriff that she had seen a suspicious individual near “The Bear” just before the fire started. Unfortunately, she could not give a proper description of this individual because he was hooded. At that moment the dwarf banged his fist on the table. “It’s all good and well what you have seen, but I am looking for my friend Turikborsjt who has been missing now for many days. This is far more important than what you have seen on the night of the fire, which I think was an accident after all” The sheriff tried to calm the dwarf, called Guormundr, down, but it took him quite some time.
The bald elf with a little, silver tail at the back of his head, Iskar, wanted to know if Randolph had more information about Bassus, the son of his friends. He had been missing for 5 days now. Unfortunately, Randolph had made no progress in the case of the missing people. The second elf, Evaryan Silmarel, listened very carefully to what Iskar and Guormundr had to say. For some reason he was also interested in the case of the missing people, but he didn’t want to say why. It soon became very clear that the sheriff, with all his good intentions, could not handle the case. He seemed to be more occupied with the fact that the treants, commanded by Turlang, came closer to town. This fact worried the sheriff and that’s why he asked the five of them to look into the case. He would pay them 5 silver pieces a day and if they solved the case they would receive 10 silver pieces as a bonus. They all agreed with this arrangement and by using her charms, Grace managed to persuade the others to go and have a look at the remains of the burnt down tavern first. Guormundr was the only one who didn’t agree but, although moaning and complaining, he went with them anyway. Grak escorted them to the tavern but oddly enough it did not look like it had burnt down. After concentrating for a while (Guormundr needed a very long while) they could see through the illusion that was cast on the remains of the inn. Grak told them that mages had cast this illusion so that the remains would not disturb the view.
Once inside the slum, it became very clear that it was not as safe as they thought. Evaryan was a bit too enthusiastic and fell through the wooden floor. He ended up in the basement. Guormundr almost fell with him but could avoid falling down by jumping away. Fortunately for Evaryan, his fall was broken by some old bags. He did get a very nasty cut on his upper thigh but Iskar could easily heal it. The party found their first clue in this basement. There was a strange mark on the wall and underneath someone wrote: Realize that the cycles of life are mirrored by the cycles of fate: Be prepared to pay the price or reap the reward for the actions of your past or your future”. The party did not know the meaning of the mark or the text, so they went outside as soon as Emnarii copied everything on a piece of paper. Once outside, Iskar spoke to a local tree but the only thing it could say was that a hooded man with a big nose passed by on the night of the fire. Guormundr just laughed when he saw Iskar speak to a tree, not realising that the man was one of Sylvanus' druids.
After this unusual conversation they all went to see Malark, the undertaker. They found him in the local temple, dedicated to Kelemvor, the god of the dead. Malark was an elderly, skinny man with white hair and a big white moustache. He had a very serene and calm expression on his face and when you spoke to him his voice inspired confidence. Malark and Father Drake (the head Priest of Kelemvor) accompanied the party to the morgue where 2 unknown bodies were kept. They were let in by the 2 men and there he was, Grace's beloved Dorn. Although his face was heavily burnt, Grace could still recognize his handsome face. Malark wanted to know what she wanted to do with the body and she decided to have him cremated. Then she would take some of his ashes with her and bring it home. He deserved to be brought home.
That night, Evaryan and Guormundr paid a visit to Cornelius the rat catcher. He was a very ill-mannered and filthy man who spent most of his days in the sewers of Everlund. Turikborsjt, Guormundr’s friend had just started working for Cornelius only a few days before he disappeared. Guormundr knew that Turikborsjt had disappeared on his way home from work so he decided to get some info from Cornelius. They didn't have much luck though because the man was very reluctant to say anything. He only said that Turikborsjt had left his house and went to the 'Rusty Axe"; a local tavern for dwarves. In the mean time, Iskar went to a temple dedicated to Mielikki to show the priests the strange mark, but they could not explain what it meant. Grace ... well she stayed in her room in the inn. She grieved about her fiancées death. The next morning everyone decided to go his own way. Guormundr thought it had to be a good plan to gather information in the local pubs and inns. But except the bottom of several jugs of beer, he did not find anything. Still he had a very awkward encounter when walking back to his friends. He saw a strange man walking across the Bell Market; he was chastising himself and rambling about some old, apocalyptic prophecy. Something about 4 ways of dying that would make up a fifth way ... and something about the 4 elements reuniting to reveal the power of the 5th death. Poor Guormundr, he couldn't make head or tail. Evaryan who was staying in “Lost Glory”, decided to question Rasputin, the gnomish owner of the inn. There were rumors that the innkeeper could not be trusted. People said that he allowed gambling and that he is a big man in the world of prostitution. Could he have something to do with this mysterious fire? After all his business was not running like it should. Evaryan decided to question Rasputin as subtle as he could ... it cost him 3 gold pieces … and all he got were a few names of missing people. A very expensive price for very little information.
Iskar went back to Kelemvor's temple. After a long and philosophic conversation he found out that the mark on the wall was a symbol for Jergal, one of the previous gods of death who is currently serving as seneschal for Kelemvor. With his well trained eyes, he also noticed a loose tile. He suspected that it could be pushed down to reveal the entrance to a hidden room. Could this be Jergal's old temple the priest was speaking about? He decided not to say anything for the moment. Father Drake also mentioned that there was an old, demented priest who was devoted to Jergal. Maybe Iskar could come back in the evening and they could all go to see the man. Grace and the gnome Emnarrii had the most luck. In the local library they looked through all the books about religion. They found the mysterious mark in a chapter about Jergal. In a book they read how Jergal became fed up with being a god of death and gave his portfolio to 3 mortals. These mortals were Bhaal, Bane and Myrkul. Myrkul inherited the portfolio of death. During the Times of troubles, Myrkul died and Cyric, a mortal from Zhentil Keep, became the new god of death and although Jergal disliked his new master he stayed at his side to help him. After a while Cyric lost his portfolio to Kelemvor Lyonsbane. And again Jergal remained loyal to the new god of death. Grace and Emnarii realized they were on to something.
That evening, when the merchants were closing up their shops, the five of them gathered on the Bell Market to discuss everything. Grace realized afterwards that this was not the best choice, because anyone who wanted to eavesdrop could do so without being noticed. They were still there when Cornelius, the rat catcher, found them. He suddenly became very interested in the search for Turikborsjt. Cornelius gave them more insight about what had happened on the day Turikborsjt disappeared. It was also very clear that Cornelius hated rats. He kept going on and on about the plague that had infested the city a few hundred years ago. The house where the first case of the Black Death was found still existed. A black cross was painted on the front door, a constant reminder, and warning for the disease. Very late that evening the party returned to Father Drake, so they could visit the demented friar Septus. The man, all skin and bones, with hollow cheeks and small eyes was bedridden and was rambling. He told them that there are 4 known ways to die: “old age, disease, accident and violence. But it was said there was a 5th way: oblivion. Septus tried to explain what it was but the others could not make sense of what he was saying. So Iskar decided to trust father Drake. He asked for permission to investigate the hidden room under the temple which he believed was the old temple of Jergal. Father Drake was a bit reluctant but they managed to persuade the old man. He promised them they could return the next evening. In the mean time it had become rather late so the party decided to go back to their accommodation. Evaryan went back to his room in the “Lost Glory” and found a threatening letter under his door. It said he could better stay out of other peoples business.
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Edited by - boddynock on 01 May 2007 09:00:35 |
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Victor_ograygor
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1076 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2007 : 19:11:33
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I really enjoyed reading it boddynock
The only thing that would make this even better would be if you told us more about the characters (Grace / Emnarii Nickelbick / Evaryan / Guormundr / Iskar ). Just tell us how in the grope is the wis one int one the dex and so one, that could be great.
And maybe make it like a diary, just a thought
05 Ches 1372,
It was on this dark day that Grace Faylne arrived in the picturesque
06 Ches 1372,
………but I really like it, and I hope you would continue your work
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Victor Ograygor The Assassin and Candel keeps cellar master
Everything I need to know about life I learned from killing smart people.
Links related to Forgotten Realms
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9571
Adventuring / Mercenary Companies / Orders / The chosen from official sources
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11047
Priests in Forgotten Realms.
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9609&whichpage=1 |
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2007 : 23:09:47
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A word about Emnarii (more information will be posted in the Hall of Heroes)
Emnarii Nikkelbick is only 3'11" and her weight is 37 lbs. She has a typical gnomish nose (a big one) but that doesn't make her unattractive. In fact she is a beautiful girl and she knows how to use her charms. She has deep blue eyes, a browned skin and long white, straight hair. On her cheeks she has a few freckles. She appears to be a very young girl and she also wears a red bandana over her head. During her travels in dangerous territory she always wears a breastplate to protect herself. Emnarii also has a magical cloak and she wears the typical medieval shoes (with curling tips, in comics a jester wears that kind of shoes). Emnarii always wears her morningstar on her back, and she likes playing a shaum, it's a double-reed instrument, a sort of primitive oboe or bassoon (popular with gnomes)
Background
Everything started in 1310 in a small gnomish village called Stormpemhauder, which is located in the Spiderhaunt Wood. Emnarii’s parents wanted to have a baby, and look a few months later, a small baby-girl was born who they named Emnarii. Since her youth, Emnarii was a little scamp, she ran away a few times, and on one day she hid her father’s shaum just before he had to give a small concert in the only village-inn. Her father, Colmarr Nikkelbick, didn’t appreciate the trick. Emnarii did her greatest prank when she was only 20 years old. It’s something she will never forget, and her parents neither. In fact it wasn’t really Emnarii’s fault, but nobody believed her. During that time, an apprentice-wizard, Wimwickk Mibitmutt, who was a friend of the gnomish girl, visited the Nikkelbick family. Emnarii noticed one of his scrolls on the table and when nobody noticed it, she took one of the scrolls away. She tried to hide the scroll but her friend saw it and had other plans with it. He told her that the scroll was a spell for his master and to impress her he got the idea to cast the spell. The 2 young gnomes left the house and went to a small empty hut in the neighborhood. Things happened a little differently than planned and the spell was too powerful for the young apprentice. In a second the hut was on fire and the whole town was mobilized to put out the fire. Everyone blamed Emnarii and when she accused her friend nobody believed her. Her friend concealed the whole truth.
Emnarii’s father wasn’t only the local worker in precious metals, but also a regional bard. Since early ages she helped him with his work but she also loved her father’s music. Her adoration became so great that she started to learn to play the shaum by herself. When Colmarr learned about his daughters hobby, he started to help her in making music. He did this a few years because his voice became less accurate when he became older, so he stopped singing. On Emnarii’s 41st birthday, she got a very special gift from her father: his own shaum. Emnarii knew that this item was passed by generation on generation in her family and she was so proud of it. Emnarii also got an interest in magic and she learned a few spells from her father. Emnarii’s mother, Lisa, didn’t liked the fact that her husband learned their daughter magic, but she knew that she had to accept it.
It was in 1369, after a few adventurers came to Stormpemhauder in an attempt to rescue the famous Randal Morn, that Emnarii left the small village. The events that the same heroes defended their village against the undead forces of Gothyl, had brought a curiosity in Emnarii’s mind. She wanted to travel and learn more about the world. She left Stormpemhauder when a caravan of merchants from Shadowdale left the village after buying spider goods. Emnarii always traveled in the company of merchants and finally she arrived in the splendid city of Everlund.
Prelude (introduction story)
The wind is howling and tree branches are scraping against the tavern windows. It’s a dismal sound, like sharp nails scraping a blackboard. You feel cold shivers run down your spine . For a minute you feel really small and lonely, as if there’s no one else in the world waiting for you. After all you are far away from the little gnome village where you were born. You heave a sigh and banish those thoughts to the most desolate place in your consciousness. “It’s just a storm” you say out loud, more to reassure yourself than you are convinced. You get up and go to the small wooden cupboard next to your bed. With a swift move you open the drawer and take your purse. Very concentrated your start counting your earnings of that evening. “17 silverpieces more than last night, not bad” you think while you put the purse away and jump on the bed. A bit clumsy because you almost knock over the chamber pot. You don’t want to think about the horrible job you would have had if you had knocked it over. The wooden bed has a big and soft fluffy pillow. You make yourself comfortable. Others would have thought it was a funny sight, such a little woman in such a big bed. And it was a funny sight. People would have to look very good to find you in the big bed.
You now have been living in Everlund for about 2 months and you love the life. It’s a big city on the edge of the civilised world. A bright spot in an area where subnormality and barbarism are rampant. Every night you can perform in the many little inns and taverns on the Bell Market. There are plenty of customers around as every tradesman from all over the world come here to sell their products ... and those who are travelling to Silverymoon have to stop here for the night. Your ballads and songs are really popular. The one who doesn’t smile when hearing your “Ballad of the Lord Eggeric” has to be a real worrywart. Yes, you like the life of an artist. You only feel alive when you can entertain yourself and the crowd. And off course you have inherited the most common Gnomish trait ... curiosity.
Curiosity ... again you are overcome with fear. You feel as if thousands of invisible eyes stare at you, waiting to attack. “Curiosity, why do I always have to stick my nose in other peoples business” you ask yourself. Not because you feel guilty but because of the consequences. And as much you would like to deny it, you are curious. You think about what happened a bit more than two tendays ago. Memories that lye fresh on your mind but that you would rather forget, push them away if you could. But in spite of your fear for the unknown you still remain curious. That typical curiousness that has been the worse of many gnomes. That evening you had made a lot of money in “The rusty Axe” A tavern mostly visited by dwarves. That night you had not only been singing your normal repertoire but you had also entertained the people by provoking a fat, grumpy salesman from Sembia. When he grew tired of your jokes and wanted to grab you, you had quickly untied his belt. Everyone laughed when his trousers dropped on his ankles. That moment you decided to leave quietly. When you were running you could hear the man curse and threaten you. After your performance you walked the streets a bit until it got very late. This was not unusual for you because you did this very often. It was the perfect time to come up with new songs and ballads.
It was during that walk that you saw the small tavern “The Bear” caught fire. First there was a big blue – greenish flame that lighted the tavern. A few seconds later the flames shrinked and turned orange, like normal flames. This event amazed you and when you were looking at the tavern you saw a dark shadow slid away. It was a human shadow but more you could not tell.
The entire tavern burnt down and no one survived. The authorities think it was an accident but you’re not really sure about that. “How can flames look green and blue? And who was running away” There are many questions going through your mind. “Maybe I should tell the sheriff about what I saw” This is the last thought in your mind when you close your eyes.
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Edited by - boddynock on 11 May 2007 15:08:01 |
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 11 May 2007 : 15:14:01
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A word about Grace(more information will be posted in the Hall of Heroes)
Grace is a very good looking young woman with long, white hair and golden brown eyes. She is always accompanied by her tomcat Nicodemus. A grey and white striped cat. She started adventuring when her mentor was murdered. She swore to find the killers and bring them to justice. Grace always looks for the good in peoples heart. She is a very compassionate person who sometimes even releases prisoners because they show regret. Whenever her companions argue or have a disagreement she will try to fix things. Grace is a very romantic person who believes in true love. She once was engaged to a man but saw him die in a fire. She mourns him but believes there is that someone special waiting for her somewhere.
Background
9th Flamerule 1350, It was on this hot and sunny day that Grace Faylne was born in Shallain’s Freehold, a small village in the north of Shadowdale. Her father Eric was a modest merchant who found happiness with a beautiful, half celestial woman called Alana. She was known for being a very gentle and caring woman that loved the little joys of life, and she earned some money as a sculptress.
Alana had a very difficult pregnancy and when their baby almost died at birth, the couple decided to have no more children. They named their daughter Grace, a way to thank the gods for their daughters safe arrival in this world.
When Grace was 5 years old her nephew Cedric moved into their house. His parents had died in a fire and Eric decided to raise his brother’s son as his own. Soon Grace and Cedric became inseparable. They were like brother and sister. He protected her whenever she got in trouble but most of the time he was the cause of this trouble. The pair of them got into mischief almost every day and one day this changed Grace’s life thoroughly.
It was generally known that an old, strange woman lived a few miles outside the village. She owned about a dozen cats and rarely showed herself in the village. People thought she was a witch who had the power to heal and curse people. Grace was about 10 when Cedric challenged her to steal something from the witches’ house. As always, she took up the challenge and broke into the humble wooden hut of the mysterious old lady. She was terrified and her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest but she wanted to prove to her nephew that she was brave enough. She grabbed an antique candle-holder and just as she wanted to put it away the witch came home. It was a tiny, little lady with long grey hair, big dark eyes and a dark brown skin. Grace was very shaken up so she dropped the candle-holder and started running. She was calling for Cedric but he was nowhere to be found. That night in bed she started thinking about the old lady. She didn’t look as evil as people said. Instead she looked very sad. Grace could not forget about what happened so a few days later she mustered up her courage and went to the woman’s house to apologize. The lady was very surprised with Grace’s visit and she told her she could come over more often. Her name was Ekoj and gradually Grace started to look upon her as a nice, old grandmother who she could call on whenever she needed to.
Grace was about 12 when strange things started to happen around her. Objects moved around or caught fire for no reason. Grace soon realized that there was a connection between her emotions and the strange manifestations so she decided to tell Ekoj. The old woman knew what was happening immediately and she told Grace that the same thing had happened to her many years ago. Grace had received the gift to tap energy from the weave and convert it into magical spells. This gift, also called sorcery, was the cause of all the mysterious events that happened around Grace lately. She would need someone to teach her to control this power and Ekoj decided to go to Grace’s house to discuss the matter with Eric and Alana. They talked all night and decided that Ekoj would be Grace’s tutor. The lessons were difficult but interesting. The young aasimar did not only learn how to control her powers but also how to behave in an area where magic is unmentionable.
On her 14th birthday she summoned her familiar, a big, grey and white striped tomcat. She decided to name him Nicodemus. As time went by the friendship between Cedric and Grace started to disintegrate. He could not stand that she spent more time on her training than on him. He started hanging out with a few sinister individuals and stayed out at nights more and more often. He always refused to say where he had been and in the end they just stopped speaking to each other. It was very obvious that Cedric was angry but still Grace decided to ignore him. 2 years went by and the child Grace changed into a beautiful young woman. When she was 16, a new blacksmith moved into the village. Grace wanted to welcome him and that’s how she met his son Dorn. Dorn was 20 years old, tall, blond, well-muscled and extremely handsome. It was no surprise that she developed romantic feelings for him. The feelings were mutual and it didn’t take long for the young couple to become inseparable. He walked her to her lessons every day and whenever she had some spare time they spent it together. They dreamed about getting married and building a little house of their own on the riverbank just outside the village.
Unfortunately the fairy tale ended about 2 years later, when a group of adventurers passed through the village. They needed a strong man to help them with a quest and Dorn who liked adventures offered to join them. He didn’t want to leave Grace but he would be paid a lot of money and they could use it to build their dream house and get married. One evening, about 2 weeks after Dorn had left, Cedric came home very late. There was blood on his clothes and he was behaving like a madman. He was screaming and shouting and destroyed most of the furniture. Grace’s father wanted to call for the village guard but by the time he put on his cloak, Cedric had run away. People went looking for him but no one could find him.
When Grace went to Ekoj’s house the next morning for her usual lessons she noticed that something was very wrong. The house’s front door was opened and everything inside was thrown upside down. Ekoj and her cats were missing. When she heard Nicodemus cry outside she got a horrible feeling. The cat was sitting next to the old well at the east of Ekoj’s house. When she looked into the well she found Ekoj’s body. She screamed when she saw that her mentor’s hands were tied behind her back. She had a bad head injury and a stabbing wound in her stomach. Crying, Grace fell on her knees and when she did that she found an amulet in the grass. It showed a white skull without chin on a purple sun. She looked at it and remembered she had seen this amulet before. It was Cedric’s.
Grace hid the amulet and ran back to the village to get help. It soon became very clear that Cedric and his friends were involved in the brutal murder. They were all missing and the way they left proved that they would not come back any time soon. The investigation was closed and Ekoj was buried at the edge of the wood. Grace and her parents were the only people at the funeral. Days after the funeral Grace asked her mother about the meaning of the amulet. Alana was very frightened and told Grace that it was the symbol of Cyric, the prince of lies. She asked where Grace found the amulet and Grace told her the entire story.
That same night Ekoj’s spirit appeared for the first time. Grace was in bed staring at the ceiling when the room got colder. She felt a gust of wind and Ekoj appeared at the foot end of her bed. Grace was speechless when she saw her mentor and inside her head she heard a hollow voice say that Ekoj would always be there when Grace needed her. Ekoj and Grace spoke all night and Grace swore to Ekoj to bring whoever was guilty to justice. Ekoj also told Grace about her life before she moved to Shallain’s Freehold. She used to be the favorite wife of a very powerful but evil Pasha from Calimshan. When he rejected her, she started fearing for her life and she fled Calimshan taking her son Haon with her. Unfortunately her son went missing and now no one knows where he is. Ekoj also told her that one of Cedric’s friends had a very burned face.
The next morning Grace got ready to go and look for her nephew. Her parents protested but Grace refused to change her mind. She joined a caravan going north. Her destination was Silverymoon because Ekoj told her that her killers were going to the Silver Marches.
Prelude (introduction story)
With almost frozen hands you open the door from a local bar in Everlund. “At last a good place to get warm and enjoy a hot meal” you think while you walk through the door. It’s a small and cozy little place. A few men are sitting at the bar drinking and laughing. Some others are sitting around a table playing cards. An elderly man, who apparently just lost all his money is swearing out load. A musician is playing a song on his flute while a young woman is entertaining the men around with an exotic dance. Travelers, just like you, it is very obvious. You take a seat at a small table and nod to the bartender. It’s an old bald man with thick grey eyebrows and a big moustache. “What can I get the lady” he asks with a big smile. You think that if he smiles any harder his lips will rip. “Just a glass of water … and what do you have to eat, my dear man” you reply. “Well young lady, today we have a Solaet van Lactouwe* and Ghekloven nonnen** on the menu” And although you feel like having Calijsken*** you order the eggs.
After you had this wonderful meal you suddenly feel a hand on your shoulder. “Grace, My dear Grace, is it really you?” Your heart stops beating for a moment, “that voice, could it really be… “ You turn around and all these feelings race through your body. “By Sune, goddess of love… is it really him?” A second later you stare into his blue eyes. “Oh my god, it is him. My sweet Dorn, you haven’t changed a bit” you stutter while you look at him. His beautiful blue eyes, long blond hair and well-muscled body had stolen your heart a few years ago. Just like you Dorn used to live in Shallain’s Freehold. He was your first and only love. Dorn was a few years older and very adventurous. He had left the village to earn money so him and you could get married and build your dream house next to the river. “My dear Grace” he whispers when he takes you in his arms. You are filled with emotions but before you realize your lips have found his. It’s a loving kiss that can only be shared between people who truly love each other. A kiss that shows pure love.
It’s a wonderful night. Dorn tells you many stories about his adventures and how he always thought about you. Most of the visitors have left the bar when you finally stop talking. You, Dorn and 5 other men are still inside enjoying the music. The musician and his companion announce a love song and Dorn looks at you with his big blue eyes. You see his eyes twinkle when he asks you to dance. You get up and you embrace Dorn while you dance slowly. The time seems to have stopped and you never want this moment to end. It’s like you are dancing in the clouds. “Don’t leave me, my dear Grace, let me love you for eternity” You look at him with loving eyes and slowly his lips move towards yours. You close your eyes and again you share a long and passionate kiss. When you open your eyes again the bar has changed into a real inferno. Everything looks red and people are on fire. The musician keeps playing his flute as if the flames are not hurting him. Still the flames are burning him piece by piece. The bartender is screaming in agony and trying to rip his burning clothes of his body. Without success. “Don’t let me go” you hear Dorn say and his hands hold you really tight. When you look at him you can not stop yourself from screaming. Dorn is burning like a torch and slowly his once so handsome face is melting away. His skin pealing away you can see his bones at some places….
Thankfully you wake up. Sweat is dripping from your face. “Dorn … he’s in danger… I have to save him” you think. You can feel that this was no ordinary nightmare. It really looked as of someone wanted to warn you. “Everlund” you whisper while you burst into tears “Everlund”…
* Solaet van Lactouwe : A salad (authentic medieval dish)
** Ghekloven nonnen: Filled eggs (authentic medieval dish)
*** Calijsken: Stew made with chicken meat (authentic medieval dish)
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 11 May 2007 : 15:20:40
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A word about Iskar(more information will be posted in the Hall of Heroes)
Iskar is moon elven druid. He is a strange man with a shaven head and a silver-white pony-tail. The rest of his head is tattood.
Background
The night of 3 Eleint in the Year of the Shrike (1196) was a very cloudy night. It was on this night that Iskamortum Yarandul (Iskar in short) was born in the little village of Mosstone. This walled village is located along the Trade Way in Tethyr and is ruled by townsfolk and nearby druids. Iskar was the oldest of twins, but his younger bother Félémortum died when he was 2 days old. Félémortum’s death was a great shock for Iskar's mother and very short after his brothers passing away, the poor woman died of grief. So Iskar was left alone with his father Volundr. Volundr was not a bad man but he was not the best father, he was a dreamer, someone who always wanted to do the best for his fellow man and who actually fought for the good cause. Even since he was young, Volundr dreamt of clearing Myth Rhynn of all evil and restoring this ancient Mythal in all his glory . A task he was never going to be able to finish. But this didn't stop him. During his long lasting absences Iskar would stay with his grandmother.
It was the Year of the Dragon Altar (1202) when Iskar’s father lost his life in a very mysterious way. Iskar was barely 6 years old then and was now going to be taken care of by the druids of the circle, just as his father had wished. t was mainly Asuryon, one of the oldest members of the circle, who looked after Iskar. He took care of him as if Iskar was his own son. And as time went by Iskar started to learn everything a druid of Silvanus should know. Rituals ... they were a very important part of his training. There are many rituals a druid of Silvanus must know. For example, Iskar learned that with every ritual for Silvanus a sacrifice must be made. Not a blood offering but an object made of wood had to be returned to nature. There was one occasion where Asuryon destroyed a wooden wheel and buried it under an old oak tree. And it didn't take long for Iskar to master the “Oath to the trees” and the “Dance of the Dryads”. When Iskar grew older he started to question his father's death. The druids were all very secretive about Volundr and his mysterious death. They only told the young druid that his father had died fighting for the good cause and that a certain “Chae’marra”, knew more about it. This blue haired elf was said to reside in Everlund. And what the members of the circle feared most happened, Iskar left the circle to find out what had happened and to finish what his father had started.
Prelude (introduction story)
It was a long and difficult journey. You left the far, southern Tethyr to go to the very cold north to avenge your father’s death. Sometimes you traveled on your own; sometimes you joined a group of merchants who agreed to take you if you paid enough. A well needed luxury because you are not capable of dealing with the biting cold in the North. It’s an area that seems to be untarnished and where nature’s purity is murderous. In this area only the strongest survive and the daily life is dominated by the gods of Nature.
“Chae’marra”, it’s a name that has been going through your mind for months. The members of the circle that you left in Thetyr had told you that this man would know more. He’s an elf with long white hair with a blue shine. “Does this Chae’marra really know more about my father’s death” you ask yourself while you lower yourself into bed. It’s an old and wobbly bed and with every move you make you worry that you will fall through.
Suddenly you feel a tingle on your shoulder that moves to your chest “For a moment you freeze up when you see a scorpion run over your body. Relieved you take a deep breath. “You shouldn’t scare me like that Scissors” you say while you smile and pet the small animal. The scorpion moves his sting up and down, a sign that he accepts your fondling. Someone else would have fled the room when a scorpion walks on his body but Scissors was your “animal companion”. He was your connection to the god Silvanus, father of the Oaks.
Everlund, that’s the name of the big city you are staying in. It’s the second largest city in the Silver Marches and it lies next to the Rauvin River. A thick stone wall surrounds the city. 5 large gates are the only way in. The houses are made of bricks and wood and have both elven and dwarven features. The buildings are separated by beautiful gardens, trees and flowerbeds ... it looks as if the town has been blessed by Silvanus himself. You were told that Everlund was the city where this Chae’marra was staying but in the 5 days since your arrival you have not even found a trace of him. Whenever you found an elf with a light blue shine on his hair it appeared to be someone else. Someone you just knew couldn’t be him. Take that young boy you saw earlier, how can a 15 year old half elf know something about a murder that happened many, many years ago? No, this mysterious individual you are looking for must be around somewhere, but where? And why did no one know him?
You put Scissors down and think about the family you are staying with. Those people have taken you in their house despite their own problems. You got the address of these trustworthy people from the circle. They were Meli’Surran and her husband Gwydion. Meli’Surran was a middle age half elf. Her husband was an elderly human man. He used to be a lumberjack but because he is not very well he can no longer practice his profession. So it’s Meli’Surran who earns the money as a cook in “The broken glasses” a small pub on the busy merchant square in the city. You start thinking about the 2 elderly people. Although you believe in the balance and the cycle of life you feel bad for them. Meli’Surran and Gwydion had a 20 year old son named Bassus. Bassus was a romantic, a dreamer … a young man who enjoyed life, who found the meaning of life in his poems. Very often he went for long walks in “the Silent Plain” to get inspiration for his poems. The Silent Plain is about 3 miles north of the city. It was said that hundreds of years ago it was the stage of a big battle of Humans, Elves and Dwarves against the green skinned conquerors from the mountains. “5 days already … 5 days without a sign” you mumble while you close your eyes and get ready for your nightly meditation. “It seems that the sheriff is not taking this disappearance very seriously, maybe I should go and talk to him … tomorrow … at dawn”.
It doesn’t take you long to get into your trance … and outside, in the dark, snow starts falling from the sky.
Guormundr's & Evarayan's background are in process right now and will be posted later. In the hall of heroes you shall also find the game stats of the main characters, information about their character and about what they think about the other adventurers.
Enjoy Reading ...  |
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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jun 2007 : 08:42:23
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| because June is a very busy month for us, it can take until mid july before any update will be posted here :( |
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jul 2007 : 21:55:18
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| ok, it took a lil' bit longer but we are again working on the translations. A few weeks patience please and the whole story will be readable here |
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Victor_ograygor
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1076 Posts |
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jul 2007 : 16:42:24
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The next morning, after a well-deserved night's rest, the party met again on the Bell's Market. While they were making their way through the different stalls, they ran into the odd man that Guormundr met the day before, the weird doomsday prophet. He didn't give much new information but kept going on and on about some disaster that was approaching rapidly. Elements that, once together, would create oblivion and something about an old prophecy made by a priest of Jergal. He also said something about an old house where the second death had struck many years ago. The party couldn’t help but wonder if he spoke about the small house where the first case of the plague was discovered, so many generations ago. They tried to find out more but it was no use. The man was just completely daft.
Once they arrived in the Sheriff’s office they informed him about their progress. Randolph was impressed but unfortunately he had no new facts to add. Guormundr suddenly remembered the old rambling man and what he was saying about the old house with the black cross, and he asked permission to enter it. Permission was granted. Once inside the old shack it became clear it was entirely empty. Iskar managed to find a hidden hatch in the basement that appeared to lead to an underground space. With all their strength the party managed to break open the hatch to reveal a secret passage to the sewers. The scent drifting to their noses was repulsive. At this moment Grace started screaming as just below them they could see the remains of about 6 people. Iskar quickly investigated the remains and could tell they had been lying in the water for about 10 days. The cause of death was clear … they had been drowned. Iskar could still smell a strange scent coming from the victim’s mouths. It was the scent of the perfumed holy water of Kelemvor. The greater part of the party suspected that they could find an entrance to the old Temple of Jergal by following the sewers and after a quick consultation they decided to explore the sewer system. Making their way through the dirty and smelly corridors they ran into a pack of gigantic rats. The battle was tough and everyone but especially Guormundr suffered many injuries. Fortunately Iskar had plenty of healing spells ready. Something the party appreciated a lot as the thought of disease and infections kept going to everyone’s minds.
After the encounter the group decided to leave the sewers and inform the sheriff about the bodies they had found. Undertaker Malark, Grak, some city guards and also some priests of Kelemvor came to pick up the bodies. And once the formalities were done the party decided to go back to their rooms to take a refreshing bath. Guormundr could not even wait to get to his room and just jumped in the Rauvin River that runs through the city. Of course this caught the attention of many town-dwellers who watched the dwarf taking his cold bath with amusement. And although the water was freezing cold Guormundr bathed for another 20 minutes. After taking a hot bath Iskar went to the Sheriff’s office to get a list of all the missing persons. At sundown the party decided to go back to Kelemvor’s temple and after getting permission from Father Drake Iskar removed the loose tile to reveal a secret passage to an ancient temple. When investigating the room, they found piece of parchment with “Jergal’s prophecy” (see appendix 1) written on it. On the altar they found a ring with the symbol of the god Cyric on it. “How did this end up here? How can a ring, of someone who only became a god a few years ago, end up here, in an ancient temple dedicated to Jergal?” This was going through Grace’s mind when she put the ring away, her hands trembling. They spoke to Father Drake about it but he also could not explain why the ring was there. Fortunately he was able to provide a list of people who knew about the entrance. In the meantime the party would seal the entrance again but only after they spread some sand just inside the entrance. That way the footmarks of anyone who entered the secret temple would become visible. Emnarii, who had been trying to train a spider, left the little creature in the room. Iskar would than be able to speak to the animal when they came back.
By the time they left the temple it was dark outside. When on the way to their lodging they suddenly heard a woman scream. Without thinking Guormundr pulled his “spiked chain” and charged into the narrow alley where the sound was loudest. He saw a young, blonde woman lying on the ground with a tall man standing over her … ready to dishonor her body. Iskar cast a “light” spell on the post behind the man hoping to confuse him.
At the same time about 5 heavily armed men charged from the surrounding houses and attacked the party. Emnarii fell immediately when one of the attackers hit her on the head with the flat side of his short sword. A sniper fired upon them with arrows but they could not see where he was hiding. Only when the “lady in distress” ran to Iskar for help it became clear that the party was ambushed. Because once Iskar had caught her in his arms, she stabbed him with her dagger. Without making a sound the druid sunk down.
Guormundr, who was raging like a barbarian finished the woman off immediately. In the mean time Grace was trying to get rid of the attackers by using her magic abilities, while Evaryan was trying to protect her. And although a few attackers were already eliminated, the party still had a rough time. At a certain moment Evaryan heard one of the attackers wonder why Rasputin had not warned them about the party being so tough. At that moment the city guard finally arrived and the remaining villains took to their heels. The city guard could catch all of them except the sniper. One of the villains was found asleep because of Grace’s well aimed sleep spell. Guormundr, who got out of his rage had apparently used too much of his power and he felt consciousness. Only Grace and Evaryan were still standing and were only just in time to administer first aid to their comrades. Once this was done, they asked the city guards to bring their wounded friends to Kelemvor’s temple. In the meantime they would question one of their attackers. They spoke to the least wounded villain and found out that Rasputin had offered a big reward to the ones who could finish the party off. After the interrogation the city guard cleared the alley and prepared to bring their prisoners to the city jail. Grace also asked the guards to tail Rasputin and keep them updated about his whereabouts. Then they went to the temple, to join their wounded friends. The investigation was put on hold, until everyone had healed.
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jul 2007 : 16:50:37
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(and we are going further)
It was the 9th of Ches when everyone had healed enough to continue the investigation. The first thing they checked was the secret passage to the hidden temple. It seemed as if no one had been there because the sand was still undisturbed. Unfortunately Emnarii’s spider was missing. A few minutes later Malark entered with some important news. He found out that Rasputin had bought a large supply of Holy Water, with the intention to bless his inn, and although it seemed a strange thing to do, Malark had not asked any questions. The party was very happy with the news so they decided to pay the innkeeper a little visit after the pub was closed. Emnarii suggested she would try to seduce the gnome and try to get more info that way. After a copious meal of wild boar flambé with mushrooms they took off to Rasputin’s inn. While Emnarii entered, her companions took cover. If anything went wrong they were ready to intervene. But Emnarii’s plan failed. Rasputin could not keep his hands to himself and soon Emnarii had to scream for help. Guormundr who heard her scream first crashed through the door. Rasputin tried to run away but Grace had already caught him with a sleep spell. Evaryan and the dwarf tied him up and woke him up with a few well placed slaps on the face. To everyone’s astonishment the innkeeper started to cry. He kept saying he had nothing to do with the case. The moment they said he was hiring the murderers he had been working in his inn. He would never harm anyone and swore he had never instructed anyone to do this.
The party decided to call for the city guard and have Rasputin locked up. They didn’t want to leave the inn unattended so they waited for Rasputin’s helper, a young man called Yarne. He would take care of the inn. While they were waiting they searched the inn thoroughly. At the top floor there were only bedrooms and when you listened to the sounds coming from behind the doors you could tell there were not many people sleeping. The party decided not to disturb the prostitutes and their clients. Emnarii found a quiet room and could not control her curiosity. She tried to break into the locked room but while she was doing that Evaryan snarled that there was nothing to see in that room. It appeared to be his room and he did not stand curious people in there. Iskar and Guormundr discovered a special room for those who preferred the more rough work. They were not able to find anything else in the building. When Yarne arrived he confirmed Rasputin’s story. The night of the assault he had been working as normal. Yarne also told Iskar that he had known his missing friend, Bassus, very well and that he often went to a nearby old battlefield to reflect on things. Many doubts and questions raised in the adventurers heads. Hopefully a good night’s rest would help.
The next morning the party gathered at the Sheriff’s office. He led them to the cellblock where Rasputin was held. Before they entered one of the guards told them that they had used a truth spell on all the prisoners and both the assassin and Rasputin were telling the truth. Guormundr was totally confused now. He just stood there, scratching his scalp.
When the party questioned Rasputin and the assassin they both stuck to their story. Rasputin kept denying that he had anything to do with the assault and the assassin kept saying Rasputin was the one who gave the assignment. The party also found out that the sniper’s name was Alex and that he had probably left the city because he failed his mission.
Back outside they met the old rambling man again. He was preaching to about 10 people about disaster approaching. That moment the sky went dark. People could hear fluttering everywhere. Something was approaching fast. People panicked and ran away and then all hell broke loose. Hundreds of black ravens attacked the old man. He screamed, kicked and struck out left and right but the birds did not mind him and continued attacking him. One of them succeeded in removing one of the poor man’s eyes and although they tried, all help came too late. The man died in Evaryan's arms. Once the man was dead the birds left and flew away. Soon it looked as if nothing ever happened and the party remained alone with the body of a dead man. About half an hour after the mysterious attack they ran into Cornelius. He told them he had seen something horrible in the sewers and was afraid to go any further. He asked them to come with him. They agreed and followed the man into the pipes and after a long walk through many corridors they finally saw a hole in one of the walls.
Emnarii looked first and all she could see were some strange devices. Devices you would find in a torture chamber. In the middle of the room she could see a puddle and next to it a table with some clothes on top. Just when they were about to enter Cornelius moved backwards and pressed a hidden stone. A heavy gate fell down locking up everyone but Guormundr. The rat-catcher tried to run but the dwarf chased him and with little effort he managed to overpower him. Cornelius just managed to say he was told to do this by “The master” before he was knocked unconscious by the angry dwarf. Guormundr carried the rat-catcher back to his friends. Fortunately he was able to free his friends by breaking down the fence and the surrounding wall rather quickly. Once inside the torture chamber they were attacked by the puddle. It appeared to be some sort of slimy stuff. Guormundr, who was still holding the rat-catcher put a step backwards and threw the rat catcher in the puddle. Horrified the party saw the man dissolve slowly. Fortunately for them they were able to destroy the puddle rather easy. They quickly searched the rest of the room and the clothes but were not able to find any clues. Then they hurried back to the surface, which they could easily find thanks to Iskar. They didn’t even see any rats on the way up.
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jul 2007 : 16:59:48
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the last part of the first chapter
After some refreshments the party went to the sheriff for an update. He was really interested in their stories. Once he heard them refer to the old battlefield next to the city he told them about a few children who had found some disturbed ground there. Maybe this had something to do with the investigation. The party decided to go to the battlefield the next day. They would spend the night in the rat-catcher’s house and hope “The master” would come round. The next morning nothing had happened and the friends decided to split up. Iskar, Grace and Emnarii would go to the Kelemvor temple while Guormundr and Evaryan would stay in the house in case “The Master” would show up. When the city guards came to the house to seal it, Evaryan persuaded them to hold it of for another day. Once Iskar, Grace and Emnarii arrived in the temple they decided to check the entrance to the hidden room. But again the sand was untouched. At that moment Iskar suggested they would spend the following night in the room. Emnarii and Grace thought this was a good idea. In the meantime the 3 adventurers decided to have a look at the old battlefield and the disturbed soil.
They started digging and soon they found more bodies that were buried there not so long ago. One of them was Bassus, Iskar’s missing friend. Emnarii started screaming when she saw 1 of the bodies get up. The creature looked at her with an empty gaze. It hit the little gnome with all its strength and floored her. Iskar immediately attacked with his scimitar while Grace started casting every spell she could think of. Several times they managed to knock out the creature but it always got up again. Then, suddenly, Grace realized that the creature could only be hurt by magic. She shouted to Iskar that he had to use magic to harm the creature and indeed, by using magic they managed to kill the creature once and for all. Iskar was really drained after the last fight and not able to heal Emnarii so they took her back to the city into the Evergreen hall of Mielikki. Grace and Iskar agreed that Kelemvor’s temple had become too dangerous for their little friend.
While Iskar went to tell Bassus’ parents the sad news Grace went to pick up Evaryan and Guormundr. The duo was still waiting at the house and had not seen anything out of the ordinary. Evaryan insisted on staying in the house so only Guormundr and Grace returned to the temple where they met Iskar. They allowed the priests to lock them in the secret room and after receiving a few torched the door were closed. The only light they had was coming from the torches and the room looked very spooky because of it. To make the time go faster Iskar and Grace installed themselves on one of the benches and tried to sleep. Guormundr decided to guard the others, just in case. Hours had gone by when Guormundr heard a sound in the front of the temple. He woke up Grace and Iskar and together they hid behind some benches. To their big surprise a part of the wall slid aside and someone entered the room. When the person came closer they could see it was a chained dwarf. Guormundr recognized him; it was his best friend Turikborsjt. He was about to run to his friend to free him when he saw someone else enter the room. This man wore a purple cloak and his face was hidden under a cap.
Guormundr roared and stormed forwards. But the mysterious man grabbed Turikborsjt and held a dagger against his throat. He told the 3 heroes to surrender or he would kill the dwarf. Grace thought the voice of the man sounded very familiar but she could not remember where she had heard it before. When the man removed his cap Guormundr could only stare at him. The mysterious man was Malark, the undertaker. With a satisfied look on his face he told the heroes that he was a follower of Cyric and that he was here to complete the last ritual of Oblivion. Convinced that he had already won he continued his story. He had prepared all the murders very meticulously. The fire at the inn, the bodies on the battlefield, the bodies in the sewers below the plague house, the old man pecked to death by the ravens, it was all his work. He beamed when he told the 3 heroes how he had changed his appearance into Rasputin’s to give the assassins their assignment. Malark was convinced he was unleashing immense powers once he had completed the last ritual. Powers he would master so he could gather power and get respect and favors from Cyric himself.
It soon became clear that Malark was going to finish his ritual and when he put Turikborsjt on the altar a little silver orb shot out of Grace’s hand. Malark, who was just about to stab Turikborsjt with his knife, was hit in the chest and dropped the knife, while screaming of pain. He only just missed Turikborsjt’s throat. This was the sign for Guormundr to attack, he roared loud and charged with his spiked chain ready. He managed to hit Malark and the priest realized he had no chance. With a simple flick of his hand he became invisible. Guormundr just kept swinging the chain hoping he would catch the culprit but it was no use. Fortunately Grace was able to see his footprints in the sand in front of the door and while Iskar tried to heal Turikborsjt the Aasimar and the dwarf started chasing the priest. They followed him through the hole in the wall and ended up in the sewers and a few feet away they could see another body on the ground. It was Hassan Ibn Motktar, the Calashite priest of Kelemvor.
Guormundr, who still wanted to take revenge for his wounded friend, ignored the man and ran further down the sewers, not knowing where he had gone to. Grace on the other hand tried to help the poor priest. The man grabbed her arm and begged her to help him. Although Grace wanted to help she tried to explain she did not have time and that Iskar was near and he could go to him for healing.
Hassan did not want to let go and suddenly his appearance changed. It was Malark who had done his shape shifting trick again. He hit Grace on the head and she fell on the floor. Unconscious. As soon as she fell, Malark started running in the opposite direction. Fortunately Guormundr had heard what had happened and he turned around. He wanted to chase Malark but did not want to leave his friend while she was not able to defend herself. He thought about it but decided to stay with Grace. He could hear Malark running and shout that he would take revenge. The evil priest was furious because the adventurers had managed to stop him from executing his plan. All his work was wasted.
When Grace regained consciousness he was long gone. They returned to the temple and decided to go to Emnarii, Evaryan, the sheriff and Grak and tell them about what happened. Although Malark was still running free, the sheriff paid everyone in the party 7 gold pieces and 5 silver pieces. Rasputin was released from prison and Turikborsjt told them the story about how he was captured. Apparently he had followed the rat-catcher into the sewers to exterminate the gigantic rats. At a certain moment he had discovered some bodies and he informed Cornelius about it. They decided to go to the sheriff and on the way out Cornelius had offered him a drink. The dwarf accepted the drink without realizing it was mixed with a sleeping potion. When he woke up he found himself tied up in some torture chamber. When all formalities were done the party took Turikborsjt to Rasputin’s inn to celebrate the end of this adventure. Rasputin, who was really happy about his name being cleared, offered them a free month in his inn. An offer they all gladly accepted, except Emnarii who decided to stay in another inn. Iskar, who was still really upset about the recent events decided to leave the city and go to the woods to meditate.
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Victor_ograygor
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1076 Posts |
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2007 : 20:27:27
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ok I try to remember the alignments because I don't have their character cheets here at the moment.
Emnarii: Emnarii started as a chaotic good character but her actions later made her chaotic neutral
Grace: Neutral Good
Iskar: True Neutral
Guormundr: Chaotic Neutral but his actions later changed his alignment to Chaotic Good
Evaryan: Chaotic Good but i'm not really sure :)
I will let you know when Cathy (the player of Grace) translated the other parts. |
Edited by - boddynock on 04 Aug 2007 20:29:01 |
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 07 Aug 2007 : 17:27:18
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Chapter 2: If trees could speak.
1 Tarsakh 1372
A few weeks have gone by since Guormundr, Evaryan, Emnarii, Grace and Iskar have stopped Malark’s evil plan. The 4 new friends (Iskar left the city to spend some time in the woods) were having an early breakfast in “The lost Glory” when a young woman approached them. The petite brunette introduced herself as Katja and she asked the others to join her so she could discuss an important matter with them. With Malark’s threats still freshly in their minds, the friends did not trust the girl so she suggested discussing the matter with the sheriff. The group decided this was a good idea and, after finishing their breakfast, they left for the sheriff’s office.
On the way to Randolph’s office they ran into a stall with 2 merchants who were fighting over a few apples. The 2 men appeared to be brothers and their quarrel was running high. One of them took a case of apples and just threw it on the ground. Emnarii and the barbarian dwarf saw their chance and started collecting the apples with the intention of taking them with them. The second merchant noticed them and called for the city guards, after which the two started running away. Unfortunately it didn’t take long for the city guards to get hold of the shaggy dwarf and the pretty gnome, and to bring them back to the place of origin. The brothers started demanding compensation for their apples but in such a brutal way that, in the end, they found themselves arrested by the city guards. After this short intermezzo the group continued their way to the sheriff’s office.
Grak, the very stupid deputy let them into the office as soon as they arrived. Randolph confirmed Katja’s story and started telling them what was happening. For quite some time now, the Treants from the High Forest were moving closer to the city. The Harpers, a secret but benevolent organisation who was responsible for maintaining harmony between civilisation and nature, were very worried about this phenomenon and wanted to find out why they were moving. A few weeks back they had sent a few of them on an expedition with the intention of speaking to Turlang, the leader of the Treants. And since they left, a bit more than a month ago, no one had heard from them. Randolph told them this was an alarming matter while helping himself to another glass of wine. He said the Harpers were worried about the members of the expedition and they wanted Grace, Emnarii, Guormundr and Evaryan to find out what had happened to the group and why the Treants were on the move. If they managed to get to the bottom of this they would be paid no less than 2000 gold pieces.
Grace and Guormundr agreed right away but the other 2 were a bit more reluctant. They thought it was a dangerous quest for just 4 people and wanted some more people to accompany them. The sheriff could not miss any of his men but agreed to give them 1 day to find some volunteers. While Emnarii and Evaryan started looking for people who wanted to join them, Grace and Guormundr prepared for the adventure. Evaryan and Emnarii soon realised no one was willing to join them and decided that they would accept the sheriff’s offer.
To help them on their quest the heroes received some potions and supplies. They checked their bags one last time and headed off towards the forest. But before they even reached the city walls they had an unpleasant encounter with a pickpocket, fortunately they managed to stop him. The young man was handed over to the city guard and the 4 friends continued their journey.
Deep, dark, and enigmatic, the High Forest is inarguably the greatest forest in the known world. Many rumours and mysteries abound in regards to the High Forest and the secrets it holds within the shade of its trees. Folks talk of enclaves of druids, elven tribes and hordes of Treants, dryads, and other sylvan races alike. Various spruces and pines are the most common trees of this splendid forest.
Their first days in the forest went by very smoothly, not too many problems. But on the 4th day they found themselves staring into the eyes of an enormous grey wolf. The animal stared back at the party and did not move a muscle. Guormundrs hand slowly slipped to his spiked chain but a small motion of Grace’s hand made it clear that attacking was a bad idea. After all, the animal was not attacking them and maybe they could leave the animal without having to fight. It was at that time that 2 people left the shadows and joined the wolf. One was a tall, very skinny elf with a flat nose and a small mouth. He had a copper colored skin and green eyes which made the party suspect he was a wood elf. His raven black hair braids reached to the bottom of his back. His companion, a wild elf, was not as tall and his skin was dark brown. His hair was black with white locks. His face and arms were covered with mud se he would not attract unwanted attention in the wood. It was very easy for Guormundr, Grace, Emnarii and Evaryan to make clear they did not mean any harm.
The 2 elves introduced themselves as Sunimion Sarrandalion and Balmoc Navian. They were members of the missing team that left Everlund weeks ago to speak to Turlang. They told their group had been ambushed soon after they had left Everlund. Most of their group fell during the battle and one of them, Willard, was captured and taken away. Sunimion and Balmoc were spared because they had left the group to hunt for food. When they came back they saw how about a dozen men led Willard away into the woods. Afterwards they were attacked by 5 other robbers but they were easily defeated by the 2 elves. Sunimion, the wood elf, suspected that the cult of the dragon was responsible for the mysterious ambush and was looking for evidence to prove his theory when he ran into Grace and her companions. Now everyone got acquainted with each other they all decided to continue the quest together. Guormundr, who did not really know how to behave with 3 elves in his party, decided he was better of getting closer to Emnarii, the gnome bard.
Marching through the wood, the adventurers ran into one of the many dangers that lured in the forest. A giant wolfspider had sneaked up to them from behind a bush, and was ready to strike. Before they realized what was happening, the monster jumped from the bushes and it was able to cause a lot of damage before being killed by the party. They were just reminded about the fact that the High Forest was not the place for a nice refreshing walk in the woods. After they had healed themselves by drinking a few potions Grace started feeling very unpleasant. Sunimion and Balmoc felt the same and started looking around while reaching for their weapons. They soon realized that one of the trees in front of them was no ordinary tree. It was a creature that had the combined features of trees and humans. The arty soon realised they were looking at one of the Treants and Sunimion started talking to it in a strange language. It seemed that the Treant had been watching them for a long time and he told them that a wood elf community lived deep in the wood. This community had recently been violently taken over by humans. The Treants wanted to help them but were not able to because the village was located in an area that was prohibited for them. It was an ancient dragon’s graveyard and the power of the Treants did not reach that far. At the request of Grace, the tree man brought the companions to his leader, Turlang who governs a lush, dimly lit forested realm. When they arrived they saw that the air in its ever-present trees-gloom glowed blue. This weird light came from amorphous, mindless and slowly ambulatory luminescent forest floor fungi, and from glowing moss trailing from the branches of dying trees. Turlang greeted them in a kind way and confirmed the Treants story. When the company asked them why the Treants were approaching Everlund he told them they were scouts who were sent to observe the humans. This way he hoped to find out if the people of Everlund were aware of the malicious events in the elven village Sulfiniriam. Humans had attacked the village and forced the inhabitants to work as slaves. After long deliberations and making plans the party decided to travel to the occupied village. The Treants gave them directions how to get to the village and even walked with them for a few miles.
They had been hiking for a few hours when they ran into a strange looking tree. Its trunk was pitch black and the tree radiated a magic aura. Although they were very interested, our friends were not able to find anything out so they decided to move on. When the ladies in the party started complaining about being tired and having sore feet the group decided to set up camp. The Treants did not allow them to build a fire and when Grace was putting up her tent, her leg was suddenly grabbed by plant tentacles. She suddenly found herself on the ground while the tentacles were wrapping themselves around her body. When she finally started screaming for help the others came to the rescue right away. It didn’t take them long to chop the tentacles into pieces and help Grace up. Worried about more attacks the party agreed to keep watch in turns.
The next morning they continued their journey and soon they reached the elven village. Balmoc scouted the area and concluded it would be a very bad idea to attack the village with just the 6 of them so they decided to wait for a patrol to leave the village. A few hours later it was time. About 10 guards left the village and started patrolling the surrounding area, the 6 heroes followed them quietly and when they were in a reasonable distance they attacked. From the bushes they fired arrows at the soldiers, Guormundr tried to reach them running from tree to tree. Part of the soldiers returned fire while the rest drew their swords and charged. It was a fierce battle and slowly the companions realised that they had underestimated their opponents. These were not ordinary robbers, these were trained killers. During the skirmish Grace was hit on the head with a sword and she fell to the ground. The soldier grabbed her by the throat and forced the other ones to surrender. Everyone realised they had no chance so they complied. Everyone, except Sunimion, because he had left the scene earlier and changed himself into a tree.
A few hours later Grace woke up with a horrible headache. When she looked around she saw she was inside a wooden shed. She saw her friends and everyone, including her, was tied up and dressed in leather rags. At the other end of the room were 2 unknown individuals staring at her. The first one was a woman, about 7 feet tall. She had a red, scaled skin and had 2 little horns growing from just above her eyes until about 8 inch behind her head. She had purple lips and snake-like eyes. She was wearing a full plate and a tabard which had a symbol of a flame with eyes burning above a dragon’s claw on it. Grace had seen the symbol before, during one of her investigations in the Everlund library. It was the symbol of the Cult of the Dragon. The second individual was a short, bald and slightly hunch-backed man. He had a dark brown goatee and strange tattoos on his head and shoulders.
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Victor_ograygor
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1076 Posts |
Posted - 10 Aug 2007 : 03:01:06
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Hey you stopped posting when it became interesting….
I once read that when authors wrote something they tried to make what happens in the material easy to visualise so the reader have a deeper understanding of what’s going one.
Methods fore visualization of the text
Ahh hell.. Girl problems haven’t time to post it all (use goggle speech under: Methods fore visualization of the text) Bu by the way any DM should try to read about this its rely great, because your player can feel the deference.
It’s all about living to character and making a fiction image of what one experience immoveable, with the use of senses.
Great work …. The above could be a great idea to try..........
Vic
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Victor Ograygor The Assassin and Candel keeps cellar master
Everything I need to know about life I learned from killing smart people.
Links related to Forgotten Realms
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9571
Adventuring / Mercenary Companies / Orders / The chosen from official sources
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11047
Priests in Forgotten Realms.
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9609&whichpage=1 |
Edited by - Victor_ograygor on 10 Aug 2007 03:02:09 |
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 11 Aug 2007 : 06:41:07
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| Thanks for the link Victor. I trie to read it later. Grace translated another part yet but she have to sent it to me yet ;) |
Edited by - boddynock on 12 Aug 2007 09:19:05 |
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Marquant Volker
Learned Scribe
Greece
273 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2007 : 04:31:44
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| Nice dobbynock! keep on writing, still waiting for those Harpels :-D |
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2007 : 18:20:10
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With an arrogant voice the woman introduced herself as Persephil. The man next to her was Zeddicus. Persephil told the party that they had become prisoners of the Cult of the Dragon and that they had to work in the village. Any sign of disobedience or rebellion would be severely punished. Emnarii and Grace were ordered to work in the bar as servants. Guormundr and Evaryan had to run the treadmill while Balmoc had to chop wood. Soon after they received their tasks the heroes were set to work. It was hard and fatiguing work and the guards were not afraid to use the whip to make the slaves work harder. That night, they were brought back to the slaves’ barracks. The heroes and the other slaves all got a piece of bread and some diluted porridge as evening meal. The five realized they had a serious problem. They could only hope that Sunimion would find some reinforcement. After their poor meal some guards came and took Grace with them. They forced her to go to another barrack where Persephil and Zeddicus were waiting for her. Persephil started asking Grace why she was here and who sent her but the brave Aasimar refused to say anything. Unfortunately for her they did more than just threatening her and they tied her to a rack and took of her shoes. The headsman approached the rack with a burning torch and started burning her feet causing Grace to scream in pain. At last they stopped torturing her and they brought Grace back to her barrack. With tears in her eyes she managed to fall asleep. While Grace was being tortured the others tried to make contact with the other slaves. They could only tell that they were taken off guard by Persephil and her followers. Persephil intended to dig up as many dead dragons as possible and create a fortress to establish her power. The poor slaves were too afraid to say anything else.
After a way to short night’s rest they were woken up and put to work again. Grace was no longer allowed to work in the bar and had to run the treadmill like Evaryan and Guormundr. At lunch time, everyone was gathered in the village square where they were fed the same watery porridge. While they were eating, a young woman jumped up and started running towards the forest. The guards shouted to stop her but no one dared to move. Evaryan and Guormundr saw their chance and decided to flee as well. No one made it to the forest. The woman was shot in the back with an arrow and Evaryan and Guormundr were knocked out cold and detained in an isolation cell. The other slaves were put back to work immediately; they who had not finished their meal had to leave it.
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2007 : 18:21:00
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Guormundr woke up and heard a knocking sound from the cell next to his. He started to shout and soon it became clear there was a prisoner locked in the cell next to his. The man’s name was Begoran and he had been locked up for quite some time. Begoran trusted the dwarf and told him he was waiting for his execution. He begged the dwarf to attempt an escape with the help of his beaver Me’lean. Then he should get help from the Hidden Folk. Me’lean had gone into hiding and only the human black smith, Willard was able to help the dwarf locate the beaver. That night, after their usual meal, Emnarii was taken for questioning. She was hung on her hands so her feet did not touch the floor. Then she was hit on her bare torso with a stick. But she also refused to say anything. Only 2 days later Evaryan and Guormundr were released from their cell. Evaryan was publicly abused when he was stumbling to the treadmill, blinded by the sunlight. Guormundr got another job. He got the questionable honour to build the gallows. A few hours after they were released the village was startled by loud noise. About 5 creatures that looked like half men, half deer attacked the village and started shooting arrows at the occupiers. The guards launched a counter-attack and Evaryan, Grace and Guormundr took another chance to flee. This time they succeeded and they arrived in the forest where Sunimion was waiting for them.
The 4 of them started brainstorming about their next actions. After all, Emnarii and Balmoc were still held prisoner, a fact that bothered Grace a lot. Guormundr told them about his conversation with Begoran, the man who had been locked up in the cell next to him. Maybe, if there were fewer guards around, they could go back and talk to the black smith. If this plan failed Sunimion could wear the clothes of 1 of the dead guards and pretend he was 1 of them. Sunimion was very surprised to hear that his friend Willard had already been in touch with the inhabitants of the occupied village. After they had made their plans the party decided to rest until midnight so they could gain strength for their plan.
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2007 : 18:21:43
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Shortly after midnight they snuck back to the village and soon they saw that the amount of guards was doubled. Someone noticed them sneaking around so they had to switch to plan B. Sunimion, who was dressed as a guard, got up and led his 3 friends to the other guards. He told them he was bringing them back. After a good beating the 3 runaways were chained. To make matters worse all slaves were woken up and brought to the village square. It was very clear that something horrible was about to happen. With a sadistic smile on her face the red-skinned Persephil stepped up to Evaryan. She looked him straight in the eyes and hit him hard in the stomach. The elf gasped for air and fell to the ground. “You decided to disobey my orders and tried to run away and with this you have sealed the doom of the elves in this village. As a punishment you each have to point out 1 person who will be decapitated instead of you. Then you will feel that you and you alone, are responsible for someone’s death and this for the remainder of your miserable lives. If you refuse I will make a choice myself and I won’t choose 1 person but 3 to execute, for each and every one of you” Grace looked at Persephil with horror in her eyes. She realised she did not have a choice. Without saying a word they all made their choice. 3 men were executed in front of the entire village. Grace could not suppress her tears. Something the evil Persephil took a great pleasure in.
After the executions the slaves were brought back to their barracks. Grace, Guormundr and Evaryan were denied a night’s rest and were put to work. Grace had to clean the entire bar, Evaryan had to sort out the chopped wood in a barn and Guormundr had to clean the smithy. While he was doing his job he approached Willard, the blacksmith. He’s a short, middle aged man with short black hair. His face is mutilated by an old scar that runs from his left eye to the corner of his mouth. When Guormundr had told the tale about how he met Sunimion and Balmoc, hope flickered in Willard’s eyes. He told the dwarf how his group had been ambushed and how he was taken back to the village as only survivor. Willard also said he met Begoran many years ago and that they were good friends. Guormundr explained that he needed to find Me’lean, Begoran’s beaver. At that moment Willard showed him a secret hatch in the floor that covered a secret underground passageway. The blacksmith told the dwarf he did not dare to use this passageway because he feared for his good friend Begoran’s life. Without thinking about possible consequences the dwarf descended into the passageway. Although it was really dark he had no problem with his sight, although everything was black and white. The passageway ended inside another barrack and when Guormundr opened the hatch he saw that he had ended up in the storage room. Between all the junk he found the party’s possessions and weapons. In one of the corners of the room he saw a small beaver that looked at him in a timid way. De dwarf scratched his beard and did not really know how to proceed “You can’t really talk to an animal” he mumbled but although he felt a bit ridiculous he tried to speak to the small animal. The beaver did not talk back but started scratching the walls and it took a while for Guormundr to realize what the animal was trying to tell him. When checking the wall he found a second hatch that covered a passageway to the wood. Guormundr hid his companions’ possessions and took his spiked chains. He went to the wood and once he was there he tried speaking to the beaver again. The clever animal was clearly trying to answer by drawing things in the sand. Guormundr understood that he had to travel to the south for 2 days and 2 nights to be able to reach “the hidden folk’s” camp. From where he was standing Guormundr had a clear view over the village. Not far from where he was standing a heavily guarded Evaryan was stacking blocks of wood. One of the guards was Sunimion. The dwarf snuck up to Sunimion and managed to attract his attention. They talked for a while and agreed that Guormundr would go back until tomorrow. Sunimion would make sure they were all allowed to work with the black smith the next day. That way they could attempt an escape. Both men agreed that they could not fail. They could no longer risk other people’s lives.
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2007 : 18:22:19
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The next morning, when all slaves were assigned to their tasks, it became clear that Sunimion had succeeded. All of them, except Balmoc, were allowed to work with the black smith. They acted immediately. To avoid Willard being punished by the evil Persephil and her marionette Zeddicus, they knocked him down and tied him up. They gathered their things from the hiding place and continued their journey to the “Hidden folk”. Although she knew this was the only way Grace felt as if she was abandoning the other slaves. Who knows what horrors were going to happen because of them escaping again? They hiked for a few hours and decided to build their camp. They all felt really weak due to a combination of lack of food and not enough rest. While Guormundr was setting up his tent he was attacked by a flesh eating plant. Evaryan and Emnarii pulled him free and instead of fighting the plant they just moved their camp.
They had been following the beaver for 2 days when Evaryan suddenly got the feeling they were being followed. He did not see anything suspicious and continued walking. “It’s probably just because I am tired” he thought. But Grace also felt as if she was being watched. She said a few strange sounding words and was suddenly surrounded by an invisible but tangible field of force. She felt a lot better with her mage armor. Only a few seconds after she had cast the spell an arrow emerged from the bushes. Its flight ended in a tree, only a few inches away from Guormundr’s nose. A few elves with skins tend to be dark brown, and hair ranged from black to light brown emerged from the bushes and the heroes found themselves surrounded. Grace did not need long to realize they had run into the hidden folk. She explained that they had been sent by Begoran and because they were accompanied by the beaver the elves believed her story and lowered their weapons. Mylarian, the leader of the group, explained that his people were named “The Hidden Folk” and that they were aware of the problems in Sulfiniriam. The small village was built on top of an ancient dragon’s graveyard and the presence of the Cult of the Dragon meant something bad was about to happen. Presumably, the cult was planning on reviving the bodies of the, long dead, dragons and use them to extend their powers. They had to be stopped but the community of “The Hidden Folk” was not big enough to launch an attack. Mylarian gave Grace a self-designed magic scroll which she could use to stop the evil plans of the cult. The scroll had to be read in the middle of the village and as soon as this was finished everyone had to run as fast as they could. You had a possibility to weave in peoples name’s who would then be protected from the magic which was crucial information for the one who would read the scroll. While Grace was putting the scroll away he also mentioned that Begoran was able to read the scroll. The heroes decided to rest in “The Hidden Folk’s” camp and travel back to Sulfiniriam the next day.
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2007 : 18:23:00
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The journey back went a lot better and at lunchtime on 15 Tarsakh the companions arrived at the edge of the village. They hid until it went dark and took the tunnel back to the smithy. Grace handed the magic scroll to Me’lean and told the beaver to bring it to its master. Eagerly they waited for the result. Time went by slowly and just as Emnarii was saying the plan had failed all hell broke loose. The earth started shaking and the guards panicked and ran away. Sunimion tried to free as many slaves as possible. Begoran managed to free himself and ran to the safety of the woods. Then it became clear what they had summoned. A gigantic creature was standing in the middle of the village and it destroyed everything that was in its way. The creature was made from earth, sand, mud, mushrooms, plants and tree trunks. The few guards that dared to attack the monster were tossed around as rag dolls. Grace, Guormundr, Emnarii and Evaryan decided it was no longer safe so they also tried to run away. Unfortunately they were spotted and attacked by some guards and their leader Zeddicus. Persephil decided it was too dangerous to stay at the scene, jumped on her black stallion and left the village. The 4 heroes could easily handle the few guards but Zeddicus’s magic was too advanced for Evaryan and Guormundr. Grace focused and summoned some kind of fog which blocked Zeddicus’s view on them. They were making their way to the forest when they heard a horrid scream. The creature had caught the evil mage. Without hesitating any further everyone ran deeper into the woods and once they felt they were safe the party decided it was time to rest and wait for things to quiet down again.
Once everything had settled down the party returned to the village. What was left of the village lay in ruins and there were bodies scattered everywhere. There were the dead bodies of the cult members but a few of the villagers who had not been able to get away in time had also died in the line of fire. The party searched the guards’ bodies and took what they could use. They also found Zeddicus’ body and Guormundr discovered a masterwork, claw bracer which he appropriated immediately. Grace seized 2 wands. The other possessions were put in a bag and the 4 decided to look at them when it was a bit safer. After a while the villagers returned. The Cult had been beaten and now they could start re-building their village.
Evaryan, Emnarii, Grace and Guormundr decided to spend the night with the villagers and installed themselves between the ruins of the houses. It was a calm night but Grace had trouble sleeping. They had beaten the cult but the victory had come with a high price. Many innocent civilians had lost their lives and the village was entirely destroyed. What was going to happen to the elven community? It took her a few hours to fall asleep.
The next morning the party packed their things and they started heading back to Everlund. They had been walking for a few hours when Evaryan and Guormundr started arguing about which direction they should go. As Evaryan was the one with roots in the High Forest, Grace and Guormundr decided to follow him, which was much against Emnarii’s will. She decided to follow her own route but when she ran into 4 goblins she hurried back to the others. She found her companions and together they beat the 4 goblins with ease. Emnarii, who got injured because of her stupid stunt, was healed and to avoid further problems Grace and Guormundr gave in. They decided to follow her which was, obviously, much against Evaryan’s will.
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2007 : 18:28:29
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The next day, after their rest, they saw the contours of a wooden building. Carefully they approached the building and soon they noticed it was a small house. It appeared to be occupied as there was laundry outside, hanging on a clothesline. About 20 white rabbits were frolicking next to the house. Emnarii could not resist her curiosity. She looked through the window. It was a very cosy house, and someone was inside.
They knocked on the door and a young, red haired woman answered. Her name was Grizelda and she had been living here for a long time. The people in Everlund had chased her and her mother away because they thought they were witches. Her mother had passed a long time ago and now Grizelda was living here on her own. She was very happy with the unexpected visitors as she had not seen any people for a long time. It was also very clear that she felt attracted to Evaryan. Grizelda was managing very well alone, but the last few days a wolf had been terrorizing the area. The wolf had already killed a few of her rabbits and although she had tried many things, she had not been able to chase the animal away. She looked Evaryan in the eyes and asked if he was able to help her. Evaryan was not very confident with the matter but the woman managed to persuade him anyway.
That night the wolf showed up and Guormundr attacked the animal with his spiked chain. He kept hitting the animal and in his fury he did not notice it changing. The wolf raised itself and transformed into a wolf with human features. “Tyr, this can’t be true, it’s a werewolf” Grace shouted while firing her magic missiles. Guormundr, who was still hitting the animal, did not realize he was not hurting the creature at all. He was bitten several times but after a heavy fight the party was able to kill the werewolf.
While Grace and Emnarii were taking care of Guormundr, Grizelda singled out Evaryan for his reward. She gave him a small leather pouch bag and started kissing him passionately. Evaryan tried to get the woman of him and to his great surprise she had changed into an ugly, skinny woman with a crooked nose and long grey hair. The little white rabbits all changed into kobolds and they all attacked the party. Barely recovered from the last fight they were attacked again, and this time there opponent was strong. The kobolds were killed easily but Grizelda, the hag, was too strong. Grace, Emnarii and Evaryan fled into the wood but Guormundr took a wrong turn and ran straight into Grizelda’s house. Now the other 3 had to rescue him. They regrouped and snuck back to the house. Grizelda came outside with an old copper kettle and shouted “heeheehee, I know you are out there in the woods. I can smell your juicy meat … Come to me my little lambs, so I can devour you” Then she roared with laughter and went back inside.
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2007 : 18:29:46
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| A few minutes later they saw a badly wounded Guormundr leave the cabin. He called them and said he had killed Grizelda but the 3 heroes felt something was wrong. While Grace kept Guormundr within range, Emnarii climbed a tree to see if she could see the hag’s body. Meanwhile Evaryan approached the dwarf. When he was within range Guormundr grabbed the elf. It was Grizelda who had changed her appearance into Guormundr’s. The witch swung her claws to Evaryan while shouting that she had already killed the dwarf. It felt as if sharp knives were cutting him and Evaryan screamed of pain. And just as the hag wanted to give the final blow the heroes got some unexpected help. A few deer-like creatures, armed with crossbows and a treant emerged from the woods. They managed to chase the hag away. Emnarii started healing Evaryans bleeding wounds. With fear in her heart Grace entered the hag’s house. There she found the lifeless body of Guormundr, covered in blood. Tears ran down her cheeks when she kneeled next to her good friend’s body. Guormundr was gone … The whole group mourned and just when they decided to bury the dwarf Evaryan thought of the reward he got from the hag. He opened the bag and found an old coin that did not look normal. Grace recognized the coin because she had seen it in the library. She knew you could rub it and make a wish. Evaryan tried it and when he rubbed the coin it started sparkling. Then he wished Guormundr back to live and to everyone’s surprise it worked. Guormundr was patched up with some healing potions. The treant and the deer-like creatures offered to escort the party to Turlang. Everyone agreed that this was a good plan and a day and a night later they arrived at the clearing where Turlang lived. The leader of the Treants was really happy to see the party alive and thanked them for saving the village. As a reward they were allowed to bring a visit to the Source of Truth. Everyone who drank the water of this source was allowed to see the answer to a matter of the heart, no matter if it was in the past, present or future. The one who wanted to drink from the source had to solve a riddle given by the guard of the source. He who solved the riddle could drink. He who failed would never see the daylight again. |
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2007 : 18:30:23
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The party left for the source that same day. After a 4 hour hike and a short run-in with a local brown bear they arrived at the entrance of the cave where the source was located. Once inside they saw a pool of dark water. The short, old guard, named Hatjepoet, welcomed them and told them they had to solve a riddle if they wanted to drink the water. The party agreed with his terms and Hatjepoet started telling them the riddle:
“A sheik from the distant land of Calimshan announced that a race would decide which of his 2 sons would inherit all his wealth. The sons were to ride their camels to a certain distant city. The son whose camel reached the city last would be given the entire sheik’s wealth. The 2 sons set out on the journey and after several days of aimless wandering, they met and agreed to seek the advice of a Wiseman. After listening to the Wiseman’s advice, the 2 sons rode the camels as quickly as possible to the designated city. What was it that the Wiseman told the 2 sons? They did not agree to split the wealth, and their father’s decree would be followed.”
Then he told them to give him the answer or they would die a swift death. The party discussed for a short while and finally agreed on an answer. “The Wiseman told them to change camel” they said. The answer was correct and 1 by 1 they were allowed to drink from the source.
Guormundr drank first and asked about the situation in his birthplace. The source showed him a subterranean, cold corridor where 2 armies were fighting each other. A pack of goblinoid creatures was attacking the dwarven army who bravely fought back. Guormundr also saw a close up of the dwarven King who was walking down the battlefield, heavily armed. Guormundr noticed the King’s beard was longer as when he left the city so he concluded that this was a future image. Upset by what he saw the dwarf sat down for a while.
In the mean time it was Emnarii’s turn to drink. She did not know what to ask so on Grace’s request she asked why Ekoj, Grace’s mentor, had left Calimshan. In her mind she saw a young, beautiful woman standing next to a fat, mean man. It was clear that the woman was Ekoj. The image changed and this time the gnome saw a harem. She concluded that Ekoj was the man’s favourite wife. But there was a lot of jealousy in the man’s house. The source showed Emnarii how Ekoj was rejected when she was pregnant and how another woman took her place. The image changed again and it now showed Ekoj sneaking away in the middle of the night, holding a baby in her arms. The child’s name was Haon. Emnarii told Grace what she had seen while Evaryan was going for his turn.
Without saying a word he drank from the source. With a tear running down his cheek and a trembling voice he asked what had happened to Aylinn. The source showed him a stretched marshland with sulphur and fire. Razor-sharp rocks were pointing at the sky which was dark with a red glow. In the middle of the marshland was a village where people were being tortured by monstrous beings. Fiendish creatures were flying through the sky and the cries of the victims set your teeth on edge. The last image Evaryan got to see was how Aylinn was tied up against a pole and how her bowels were hanging from her stomach and against all odds she was still alive. Evaryan felt miserable and decided to rescue his lover as soon as possible.
Finally it was Grace’s turn to drink. The young sorceress asked what had happened on the night her mentor was murdered and where she could find the murderers. The source showed her Ekoj, who was arguing with Cedric, Grace’s nephew. They started fighting and suddenly an amulet with the portrait of Cyric fell in the grass. Cedric hit the old woman on the head and she lost consciousness. When she woke up she was tied up and Cedric stabbed her in the stomach with a knife. In the background Grace could see some of Cedric’s friends. They were all yelling that Ekoj could only blame herself for this because she had left the Pasha. The image faded and changed. Grace could now see a winter landscape and a few men, including Cedric, walking on a road. They were about to cross a bridge. She saw a massive mountain ridge on their right. Then the image disappeared.
Everyone had now seen their answer. They said goodbye to the guard and traveled to Everlund in complete silence. Everyone was thinking about what they had just seen.
The journey back was long but uneventful and on 21 Tarsakh they arrived at Everlund’s city gates. They proceeded to the Sheriff’s office and told the Sheriff about everything that had happened. Randoph was really happy to see them and listened carefully to what they had to say. After they had finished their story he invited them to a party that was organized to honor them. A lot of noble people would also attend this party.
For the rest of the day everyone did his own thing. Guormundr visited Turikborsjt and together they revived old memories while drinking a keg of good dwarven beer. Emnarii went shopping for a new outfit for the party and Evaryan went to the library to find information about The Nine Hells, because he was convinced that this was the place where he could find Aylinn. Grace remained in her room and read the old spell book she recovered from Zeddicus’ body.
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2007 : 15:43:56
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Chapter 3: Journey to the Evermoors
The celebration, that was held to honor Grace, Emnarii, Guormundr, Evaryan and Iskar (he did not attend), was a big success. Grace and Emnarii looked stunning in their long robes and even the bad smelling Guormundr managed to look grand. Especially Emnarii felt like the guest of honor, as she had just joined the Harpers during a private ceremony and she thought this was a big honor. Therefore she decided to entertain the guests with an exclusive performance. People were eating and dancing and having a lot of fun when Guormundr shocked some noble women by devouring a large piece of pork. He helped himself of extensive amounts of beer and people were only just able to stop him dancing half-naked on the tables. Among the guests were some notable people, including:
- Kayl Moorwalker: High Captain, commander of Everlund’s army. He’s a haughty nobleman who possesses an uncanny head for tactics and strategy. When he asked Grace to dance she started blushing spontaneously.
- Malvin Draga: The keeper of the Bridges. He is charged with overseeing the city watch and the conduct of commerce in the city. He is also the Randolph’s superior.
- Vaeril Rhuidhen: A sun elf mage who is known as the High Sorcerer. He is the most powerful elf mage willing to take on the duties of the council. Evaryan had a long conversation with this man, mainly about travelling between planes. Vaeril warned Evaryan about the dangers of travelling to other planes. He also offered to identify some of the groups items free of charge.
- Moonlord Eaerlraun Shadowlyn: the master of the Moongleam Tower.
The day after the successful celebration the party went to the High Sorcerer to have their items identified. They decided to pay no attention to Guormundrs moaning about his hangover. The man was able to identify some of the objects they owned and after their visit the group went for a drink in a tavern on the Bell Market. They had to decide what to do next. Guormundr wanted to go home as soon as possible so he could protect his people from the goblinoids threat. Grace wanted to travel to Luskan because she was convinced that in this city she would be able to find more clues about the whereabouts of her nephew and his “friends”. Evaryan tried, without success, to convince his friends to search for a mage that could teleport them to Baator. Fortunately the others could convince him that an act like that would be suicide. Emnarii did not really care where they went to. As long she was famous and worshipped she was happy. At last they decided. The party would travel to Luskan and make a short stop in Guormundrs place of birth. They managed to get a map of the area from one of the people they met on the celebration the day before and decided they would travel to Silverymoon first. From Silverymoon they would travel through the Evermoors. It would be a dangerous journey. But according to Guormundr and Evaryan it was the shortest route. They all packed their possessions and prepared for the journey.
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2007 : 15:44:29
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Just outside the city walls they met a rather eccentric merchant who was on his way to Silverymoon. The man’s name was Jean-Jacques and he was a famous fashion designer. He did not make clothes for everyone but had his own label for an exclusive public only. Most of his possessions were long robes with some extravagant details and fabrics. Jean-Jacques persuaded the party to protect his precious clothes on the way to Silverymoon. Each of them would be paid 5 gold pieces. The party agreed with this arrangement. They were able to travel with a caravan and it would save them a long walk in the cold and wild north.
Between Everlund and Silverymoon, which is also known as the Gem of the North, lays the wildest stretch of the Rauvin Vale. Travelling in this stretch of the Rauvin was very difficult. The Everlund Pass proved to be a rough trail snaking along the Nether foothills above the Rauvin River. In some places it marched along clifftops hundreds of feet above the river, and in others the path roamed far inland to climb saddles between otherwise impassable hills closer to the River. Still the journey went remarkably well. They only had to fight once. On a foggy morning they were startled by the sound of a horn. The caravan stopped and the carts started forming a circle around the cart with the most expensive goods. About 10 shapes emerged from the fog. They were red-skinned Goblins who were riding big, demonic wolves, better known as Worgs. The attackers fired several arrows before getting ready for the man to man fight but they were no match against the defenders of the caravan. Soon the marauders had to flee from the scene. Although everyone in the caravan survived the attack some of the travellers were injured. Fortunately Grace was still carrying some healing potions so she was able to help the wounded.
On 28 Tarsakh, the caravan reached Silverymoon, the most wealthy and important surface city of the North next to Waterdeep itself. They were stopped by some heavily armed men who were all wearing the city crest, the knight-errants of Silverymoon. Kindly but strongly, they searched the carts and questioned the members of the caravan. Apparently they were looking for a criminal who was hiding in the area. The party soon understood that the criminal was Malark, the evil priest of Cyric, who fled Everlund after they had stopped his vicious plan. They told the guards what they knew about Malark and were allowed to continue their journey into the city. Once they arrived at their destination they said goodbye to the merchants and headed of to purchase some supplies. They did not want to linger around too long.
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2007 : 15:45:21
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Silverymoon, a bustling city dominated by trees and beautiful stone buildings. Old oaks, shadowtops, and duskwoods compete with tall, thin spires to touch the sky, and blueleaf trees shade flagstone sidewalks along most of the cobbled streets. The prevailing style of stonework is flowing curves, as if the buildings grew rather than being erected block by block. Balconies and curving stairs are everywhere and windowsills, railings are all adorned with herbs and flowers growing in sculpted bowls. Grace, who had been here before led her friends to the famous Moonbridge, a magical construction of silvery force. It rises in a gentle arc to a mid-span height of 60 feet above the river below and Guormundr, Evaryan and Emnarii were even more impressed about the bridge than the many soaring spires of the city, slender and graceful towers. They decided to split up. While the ladies went to buy supplies the men would go for a beer in a local tavern. Grace suggested they should go to “The hammer and the helm”, a cheerful barn of dwarf revelry which also welcomes trusted sword-companions. The Strongbeard cider that Guormundr drank was delicious and tasted like more.
They had spent about an hour laughing and talking nonsense when a small, skinny 8 year old boy entered the bar. He had black, curly hair and a pair of over-sized glasses on his nose. He looked around timidly and approached Guormundr. The boy introduced himself as Timotheus and asked if the dwarf could help him. He was an apprentice in a nearby magic school and was told by his teacher to clean the rat cages in the basement. When he was doing this he accidentally let some of the rats escape. The rats belonged to his master and now the boy was afraid that he would be expelled if his master found out what hat happened. The rats were the result of a magical experiment. They were as big as a dog, balding and fed on their victim’s knowledge. Their left front-paw was more developed than the others and they were covered with pus-filled boils. Thimotheus promised Guormundr a magic scroll if he could catch or kill the rats. After lecturing the boy about his clumsiness Guormundr and Evaryan decided to help the boy. But before they went to get Grace and Emnarii, they agreed they would not tell them about the reward. They told the ladies about the little boy and they were so touched they agreed to help out so they boy would not get in trouble. Timotheus brought the heroes to the basement door but was too afraid to continue. Carefully the party descended the stairs. The basement was a dump, filled with wooden crates, bags and empty cages. The rats noticed the intruders and attacked. It was a difficult battle but with joined forces the party managed to finish off the rats. Grace had an ugly bite wound on the left side of her chest. They decided to help Timotheus with cleaning up de basement and leave afterwards. But when Emnarii found out about the reward the men received, she heaped abuse on Guormundr.
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2007 : 15:45:51
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Once everyone had calmed down they decided to leave Silverymoon. They hiked for a few hours and found a small wooden cabin where they could spend the night safely. They traveled like this for a few days until the 30th of Tarsakh. When the 4 adventurers were setting up camp Guormundr started behaving very strangely. He sat on the floor, bent over, his face twisted in pain. Sweat was dripping from his head and he was growling softly. Grace, who was getting really worried about her friend’s well-being, started taking care of him.
Greengras 1372, the official beginning of spring, is a day of peace and rejoicing, but not for the 4 companions, because although Guormundr was feeling a lot better, it was now Grace’s turn to feel ill. She had a splitting headache and could not keep her meal down. She shivered with fever and could barely stand on her feet. Evaryan took care of her and examined her. He found the rat bite she had caught in Silverymoon and noticed it was spreading a horrible smell. “Mmmmm, I think you have filth-fever” he said with a worried look in his eyes. They all deliberated for a moment and decided to build a wooden stretcher so they could transport Grace. The plan worked and the party continued their journey. Guormundr and Evaryan carried Grace and Emnarii played a happy tune on her shaum. That night, when they had built their camp, Guormundr started feeling bad again. A full moon lit the sky while he was groaning on the ground.
Grace felt a bit better the following morning but she was still weak because of her disease. Guormundr was also feeling a lot better so the party continued their journey. That night Grace was entirely recovered from her illness. They slept in a vacant wooden cabin but Guormundr started feeling bad again, for the 3rd night in a row. Grace, Emnarii and Evaryan started to feel very worried about their dwarven companion but over the next few days he appeared to be entirely better. He was no longer suffering from his nighttime pains.
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Boddynock's campaign journal (GOOD VERSION)
