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Campaign Bulletin
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February 30th, 2002*Demetrius and Jonathan meet in the White Wolf Bar, after splitting up several months ago to avoid detection by the Freelance authorities (they defected from the militia). The tavern is run by a kindly Halfling and his overbearing wife. While these two exchange drinks and pleasantries, Razziel 'settles' a dispute with a group of ruffians in a nearby alley. His first visit to the prime material plane was not going well. *M'Kra'di's Mercane escort leaves him in Aysen, and he immediatly seeks a place to stay, making sure to keep his Githzerai features hidden. He eventually stumbles upon the White Wolf Bar, and makes his entrance. *Razziel stumbles out of the alley and immediatly seeks a tavern in which to rest. He is directed to the aptly named 'Armpit of Aysen', which is run by an Orc who brews his own beer. Inside the bar, Razziel is set upon by some drunken Dwarves, but manages to escape without an altercation. He did however, manage to get the address of the comely half-orc barmaid. *Don comes to in a field, surrounded by the bodies of dead goats. Standing over him is an angry farmer, who demands to know why Don killed the goats. The extra-planar man is confused, as on his world these beasts are quite dangerous. He offers the man some monetary restitution, and heads for the walls of Aysen. *Demetrius and Jonathon attempt to steal an apple from a passing cart, but cause its contents to spill. The pair flee, whilst M'Kra'di assists in the task of cleaning. The driver of the cart fetches a pair of paladins, who apprehend Demetrius as he tries to sneak past them. M'Kra'di uses his psychic powers to distract the guards and allow for Demetrius' escape. As reward for his help, M'Kra'di is given a box of apples by the driver. *Razziel finds his way to the White Wolf tavern, mostly due to having to avoid the aforementioned barmaid. He joins M'Krad'i, as he assumes the cloaked figure also has an identity to hide. As the night winds on, a merchant approaches M'Kra'di, and asks if he could do a simple task for him. The Githzerai discusses the issues in depth, whilst Razziel listens intently. In the end M'Kra'di accepts the task, and Razziel joins him. M'Kra'di asks for assistants, and finds that Demetrius and Jonathon are willing. The strange figure in the corner, who reveals himself as Don, also accepts. *The group wakes early, as they have been told to meet the merchant at the city gates at sunrise. They meet, and the merchant tells M'Kra'di that the goods are valuable and wanted, so he has hidden them in an ordinary silk shipment. He says they can sell the silk and split the profits with him once they get to Freelance. Jonathon and Demetrius are apprehensive about heading to their home town, as they are fugitives. *The first few days pass uneventfully, save for the purchase of some horses at a farm in exchange for a single bolt of silk. The party faces combat for the first time when they find the bridge blocked by an overturned cart. Several archers stand on the opposite bank, whilst a few warriors hide behind the cart. The combat starts poorly, as Jonathon goes down wounded, and Demetrius' supernatural origin manifests itself in the form of light above his head. Razziel and Don force the cart across the bridge, using it as a shield before charging into the midst of the archers. M'kra'di takes on their leader in melee and guts him. The remaining bandits flee. *After Demetrius and Jonathon are healthy again, the party continues, eventually finding its way into Valenwood. A minor encounter with some Krenshar lands the party with three Krenshar pups, but little else. *A night in the woods turns out unusually, when a red robed figure appears in the night. He originally appears only to Don, causing some confusion, but eventually reveals his presence. He claims to be a powerful wizard, and that the chest on the back of the cart contains components which belong to him, but are being sold to the Rat Cult. Jonathon is familiar with the Lycanthropic cult, and warns the party not to get mixed up in this. M'kra'di points out that they already are, and if the goods don't arrive, the Rat Cult will search for them. After much debate, the party returns to the wizard's things in exchange for him 'cloning' their corpses. They then construct an elaborate raid scene, burning the silk and the cart, as well as wounding their bodies. This done, they set off for safety, and find themselves in Cindred. March 5th, 2002*The party's stay in Cindred proves eventful. The village is run by a council made up of a former adventuring party. Their foul visaged bard, the homosexual fighter, an ill-tempered halfling, a flighty elf and a rude Dwarf. The bard somehow makes her way into Demetrius' bed, the Ranger takes a liking to Don and the halfling generally despises the lot of them. Whilst staying the night, Don wakes beside a barmaid, but is more intrigued by an argument in the street. A merchant refuses to pay the 'parking' tax, and so decides he quits. Don rushes down and purchases the cart and its contents- 8 goats. Luckily he doesn't notice. *The party heads south with the cargo, aware that it will fetch quite a price in the Empire of the Sun. However, along the way Don realises there are goats inside, and despite the efforts of Demetrius and Jonathon, he massacres the cargo. Dejected, the party abandons the cart and continues to walk. As a storm breaks, a kindly old man picks them up. He is the mayor of a village called Cutter's Brook, and offers them accommodation in exchange for help with the Harvest Festival. The party agree. *The village of Cutter's Brook is small and quaint, the party soon settles in. The bar is run by a kindly ex-theif named Gunter, who likes the party. They stay the night, and the next day, awake for the festivities. Highlights include Don battling it out with the blacksmith in the feats of strength, a Halfling Sorceror/Bard attempting to stamp his authority over the other bards, Don administering justice to bullies, Razziel catching some pick-pockets and getting them to work for him and Demetrius' archery contest. The contest is won by the local ranger, Serena, despite M'kra'di and his Orc friend trying to rig it. *Demetrius and Serena get friendly, whilst Don and Razziel set about trying to find the mastermind behind the pick-pockets, who they believe to be an accomplice of the Rat Cult. M'kra'di is interrogated for his part in the contest, but his psionic abilities are not revealed. Instead, Jonathon believes it is a Rat Cult wizard trying to get them in trouble. March 14th, 2002*The party retires for the night, but is awoken in the early hours by a frantic Constable TeVelde. He informs the party that Gunter has taken ill, and that the mayor wishes to speak with them. The mayor asks them to retrieve some components for him, which he believes will cure Gunter's illness. The party grudgingly accepts. *As the party travels they discover a Drow elf tied to a stake, surrounded by peasants. The witch hunt is lead by a corrupt Aysenite Paladin, who soon finds himself dead at the hand of M'kra'di. The Drow thanks them, and introduces himself as Morkoth, an outcast from his society. Whilst no one trusts him, they accept his offer for aid. *Guided by a drunk and abusive farmer, the party arrives at Cutter's Brook, where they believe they can find some of the components. Exploring its murky shores, the party stumbles across a Lizardfolk settlement. They speak with the Chieftain, who will give them two of the components if they rescue his daughter. The party agrees, and sets off immediatly. *The party is taken by boat to a small island, on which a cottage stands. Guarding the door are a pair of black hounds, who turn out to be Hellhounds when the party inspects. Everyone bar Jonathon flees, with the bard fighting for as long as possible before retiring. Instead of combatting the hounds, the party enters the hut via its thatch roof. M'kra'di, Don and Razziel all enter, but find nothing but a female Lizardfolk bound to a chair. The woman's captor, a Hag, reveals herself and begins to fight the party. Demetrius stands by the whole with Morkoth, and the pair aid with their missile weapons. Jonathon inspires his allies with music. As things look grim, Demetrius' bow strikes, and a flare of icy energy sprays forth. Not only does it slay the witch, but it mortally wounds M'kra'di, who dies before help can reach him. It is then that Demetrius realises that this was the bow of the bandit chief. *After burying M'kra'di, the party returns to the chieftain and collects the Viper and the Wyvern Lillies. As they patrol the waters, a scream from a nearby island attracts their attention, and despite an ominous feeling of dread, they investigate. March 20th, 2002*The party's investigations unearth a crumbling Aysenite temple. Demetrius' knowledge of legend has him convinced that it is Dath Muran, erected by the Aysenites after they claimed the mire from mutated Orcs. He also recalls that it was overrun by Tan'ari during the first invasion. As they search, a scream followed by pounding from beneath the rubble, attracts their attention. *Don and Demetrius remove the rubble and discover an ancient trap door, which they open with some effort. The thudding abruptly stops, and they notice a skeleton on the top stair. Don spots a white clothed figure racing up the stairs, her face a mask of terror as she runs. She sees the door open and smiles, but something drags her back into the dark. The Don's nobility gets the better of him, and he races down into the tunnel. *After a few feet the Don dissapears, and the party quickly follows him into the darkness. The door slams behind the last of them, and after what seems like an eternity, they arrive in a large hall. The unusual bit is that they arrive all at once, despite making their way down one by one. *A combat with some zombies does not phase the party, and they soon see the woman again. They follow her and enter an old kitchen, which is infested with rats. The rats provide little challenge, and the party continues into a dining hall. A grim feast sits before them, as eight skeleton figures sit in a gross parody of a banquet. Thunderous footsteps come to the closed far door, and a cruel voice tells the party to leave. Before they can, the doors slam shut, and blood begins to flow from two jugs on the table. The liquid seems to be unstoppable, and soon it is ankle deep. As the party panics, the lead skeleton rises and begins to mutter about the key, the gate and the gem. It suddenly shatters, but Demetrius feels the weight of keys in his pocket and races to pick the locks. More skeletons rise from the depths, but Jonathon, Morkoth and Don adeptly fend them off long enough for Demetrius to open the locks. The party spills out into the dark entry hall in a wash of blood. *The party spots the woman again, but this time she heads into a room via its closed door. The party follows and unlocks the door, revealing a bedroom. Searching the room unearths a plain red gem. As the party investigates, an old man appears at the door, despite the thunderous footsteps indicating a much larger presence. He asks for the gem, as it is a trinket. He does not enter the room, and the party declines. He then changes into a beautiful woman, who appeals to Don and Jonathon to come out. They still refuse, and an unnaturally charismatic man takes her place. He says he will grant them their deepest desires in exchange for the stone. Again they refuse, and the man explodes in a rain of meat and gore. An ominous chuckle echoes from the darkness. April 21st, 2002*The party continues to search the room, and unearths the journal of the priest who formerly lived here. It mentions Mephistopheles, the Gates and the key on several ocassions. The last entry, dated some 25 years ago, makes reference to how difficult it is to keep the gates closed. It also mentions increased Orcish attacks on the surface. *As the party reads the journal, a pair of shadowy Allip come in search of the gem. The combat is fierce, with Razziel and his newly found mace proving quite capable. *Don investigates a large steal door which has no apparent handles or locks. When he touches it, he experiences a powerful flashback. It shows a young priest killing the monsignor and then opening this door. The man then rushes across a column of stone (which crosses a chasm) before plunging the gem into a portal of sorts. Daemons spring from the portal and begin to ravage the complex. A local villager makes a heroic last stand which ends when a Balor joins combat. When Don snaps out of his trance, Razziel asks to see the gemstone 'key' and decides he must keep it, as it feels 'right' in his hands. *Don and Razziel quickly devolve into arguing, but the screams of the ghostly woman lure the party on. Don gives chase, and picks up a small ivory comb which she dropped. The chase leads the party into an abandoned bunkhouse, and as he investigates, the party is attacked by a pair of Wights. Once again Razziel's mace proves indespensable, but Don is not so lucky. Struck down by one of the fell creatures, he soon dies. Jonathon sees to burying the planetouched man, who died so far from his homeworld. *Razziel takes command of the party, which is now down to four. They travel into the next room, which is a chapel of sorts. Examining their reflections in the polished floor, the party is unnerved by what they see. Demetrius' reflection is rotting, whilst Jonathon's has had its eyes gouged out. As they gaze at the floor, the reflection of a flaming fiend rises behind them. They turn to find nothing there, but flee immediatly to the priest's chambers. *Once again the ghostly woman comes to the party, and asks that they finish it. Jonathon begins to pray to Pelor, but is struck by an unseen force, a bellowing voice tells him that his god has no place here. The four decide to return to the chapel, where they are confronted by a legion of ten skeletons. One of them demands they surrender the gem, but Razziel refuses, and a combat ensues. Midway through the combat a pair of Dretch appear from the air, and things look desperate. Razziel again proved invaluable, slaying each creature in turn. *With their backs safe (for now) the party further investigates the chapel. In trying to steal a golden candelabra, Demetrius unintentionally opens a secret hatch in the wall. Behind is a dark tunnel some 3' in height and width. Demetrius travels through, whilst Razziel communes with Mephestopheles, who demands he surrender his party. Razziel refuses. Inside the tunnel, Demetrius is confronted by a giant spider. With Razziel's help he manages to fend it off, and discover a pit below. Jonathon's torch sheds some light on the situation, revealing a lever decorated with insectoid markings. Demetrius pulls it, and a vast mechanical clicking indicates that a door has opened. However, insects pour from the roof, biting and surrounding the party. They quickly climb back up the rope, but not before being stung painfully. April 25th, 2002*Demetrius, Jonathon, Razziel and Morkoth continue on into the winding tunnels, and return to the previously locked door. Investigating what lies beyond reveals the bridge that Don saw in his dream, as well as a pair of Gargoyles. The combat is fierce, with Razziel's prowess again proving the difference. At one point Jonathon was almost dragged over the edge by the Gargoyles, but was saved by the quick thinking of his friend Demetrius. *The injury sustained in the battle means that the foursome have to rest, and so they hole up in the old barracks. Whilst on his watch, Jonathon encounters a strange man who claims to have become lost whilst searching for his cattle. When Demetrius awakens, he is charmed by the man, who is actually a Vampire Spawn. When Jonathan also falls under the man's spell, it is up to Razziel to defend them. At the same time a Lizardman Paladin enters the dungeon, lured by the same screams that attracted the ill fated party.... *Razziel confronts the stranger, who immediatly attacks. Razziel, having heard the approach of a stranger, calls for help before joining combat. The stranger decides to aid, and the Vampire Spawn is quickly defeated. It takes Demetrius and Jonathan some time to realise what spell had overtaken them. *Returning to the chasm, the party begins to cross, with the newfound member leading the way. He accidentally triggers a trap, which sends a trio of pendulum blades slicing back and forth across the two foot wide bridge. He would've fallen to his death save for Razziel's quick thinking. The party somehow figures out the pattern in the blades' motion, only to come to a six foot break in the bridge. Jonathan leaps the chasm, and barely makes it, but manages to secure a rope for easier crossing. The five cross safely, but not easily. *The swirling portal detailed in Don's visions is before them, and Razziel rushes forward to place the gem in it and close the gates. However, he does not anticipate a trap, as a blanket of mind-numbing fog fills the area. At the same time an unearthly Canoloth guardian emerges from the mouth of the portal. The presence of Razziel and Asslar sways the combat, and although Jonathon is badly wounded, they survive the combat. The resulting haul of magical items is just reward for a trying time in the dungeon. Some of the better items include a Ring of Protection +2, Shadow Leather +3, Shocking Burst Heavy Mace, some potions, scrolls and an Ioun Stone. *The battered party continues to explore, and discovers the secret entrance to an ancient tomb. Inside are six ornate suits of armour, one of which lurches to life as Razziel investigates it. The Golem presses the party sorely, killing Morkoth and badly wounding Razziel before finally collapsing. The haunting moans from the darkened tomb convince the party not to further explore, but they did pause to pilfer the armour- one of which turned out to be a unique suit of Deva's Armour (basically full plate without the hassles). *Upon their return to the surface, the party encounters a group of Lizardmen harassing a beautiful Elf maiden. They rush to her aid, and she introduces herself as Letissamus Dorci, and explains that she was rescued by her ward some weeks ago, but they were separated in their escape. The party is taken by her, and immediatly offer to escort her back to her ward. *The return to Cutter's Brook is sweet, especially considering that none of the party have had a chance to bathe, unless you count the blood.... They quickly return the spell components to Tarrant, who administers healing to Gunter. The party settles in a little, despite Razziel's eagerness to steal from their hosts. *On the second day of their time in Cutter's Brook, a train halts and a number of events unfold. Whilst a pair of warriors 'regale' Razziel with tales of their exploits- a famed wizard named Nefril strikes up a conversation with Asslar. Worse still, Demetrius discovers that a former 'friend' from Freelance is amongst them. The halfling Mikhala, who had long harboured a crush on Demetrius, and was now here to fetch him back for his father and the Freelance militia. The resulting scene is quite embarassing for the 17 year old thief, who is taunted by Razziel and Asslar the entire time. *A night in Cutter's Brook does little to settle things, and the party decides to set off in search of another adventure. Razziel explains that he wishes to find his 'evil double' and slay him, when really he intends to kill his prime material double. They set off immediatly, with Mikhala in tow despite Demetrius' objections. To worsen things, Letisimus has shown interest in the Aasimar boy as well.... * The party catches up with Nefril, who recommends that Razziel seek advice from the Seer Council in Koskun. He tells them to make contact with Chandler or Lord Eron, and to avoid his nemesis Merlin. The party agrees to make the three month journey, halting to assist a Mercane in a menial task. Razziel is rude to the powerful being, who hands him a mysterious set of ivory dice before leaving. *A brief stopover in An-Havva proves unhappy for Razziel. Whilst Jonathan manages to recover his stolen silk, Razziel finds the remains of a ferret beneath his pillow. Disturbing when The Don was last seen clutching the body of his ferret, and the Don had since descended into Wighthood. Razziel is then attacked by pigeons, who swarm over him until he manages to get inside. In the tavern, Asslar is accused of killing children. May 9th, 2002* A few days in An-Havva gets Asslar off the hook, Razziel away from the pigeons and everyone fairly well accustomed to each other. They depart, but after only a day's travel, are held up by an unusual bandit. A Goblin riding a Grey Render. He demands they pay a toll, which prompts Razziel to attack the Render. Luckily Jonathon jumps in, paying out of his own pocket to placate the somewhat unusual Goblin. * The party travels unhindered for four days, but just outside Cindred, encounters an Elf who claims to be Letissamus' ward. She originally denies it, but eventually admits that her is her ward, and he is told he may accompany the party, as long as he doesn't bother anyone. * A night in Cindred turns up a lot of major issues. Demetrius is keen to avoid the bard he bedded with during his last stay in town, whilst Razziel is keen to have Mikhala encounter the woman. Jonathon and Demetrius decide to stay outside town, whilst Letissamus and Mikhala stay in the local inn. Asslar and Razziel go to the local tavern, where Razziel speaks with Milo, and discovers that three people have come through looking for Demetrius. One was a halfling woman, the second was an older man, and the third was a tall southener. * The tall southerner, who claims to be Jordan, asks if he may speak with Razziel about the one called Demetrius. Meanwhile Porthious is dragged from his task by a local Elf, who invites him to have dinner. Jordan reveals that he has been employed to seek Demetrius and take him west, and pays Razziel for any information. Razziel, maybe swayed by his enchanted armour, decides against telling Jordan- and says that Demetrius and Jonathon went missing in Dath'Muran. * Inside the tavern all hell breaks loose, as Mikhala finds out that the bard slept with Demetrius. She attempts to kill the lady, but is halted by Jordan, who takes her outside to talk. Razziel and Asslar interfere however, and take Mikhala upstairs. They tell her Demetrius' plight, and she suggests killing Jordan. At the same time, Letissamus stumbles into the room with a drunken local, keen on going to bed 'early'. Asslar, Mikhala and Razziel scare the man off, and Mikhala takes Letissamus home. * Razziel rushes to inform Jonathon and Demetrius of Jordan, and suggests the pair head off alone for Koskun Keep, as they will catch up. Demetrius is shocked, but is quick to depart. Razziel returns to Cindred to speak with Mikhala but finds that she is missing. All that remains in her room are some spell components and her crossbow, Letissamus is also missing, prompting Razziel to think that Jordan has kidnapped the pair. * Razziel gather Asslar and the slightly inebriated Porthious together to tell them of what happened. He says he will leave immediatly to tell Demetrius, and that he'll wait for them somewhere along the road to Newfeldge. However, at the same time, Jonathon and Demetrius encounter the Goblin bandit again. He returns their money (most of it anyway), and asks what they're up to. They explain they're heading to Newfeldge, and the Goblin offers to take them as far as 'Little Nook' if they want. They all clamber aboard the Grey Render and head west through the forest. * Razziel flies out along the road, but cannot find any sign of his companions. He eventually gives up and sleeps beneath a tree, where he is found by Asslar and Porthious in the morning. The trio are hired by a merchant to escort him to Koskun Keep, and so they head off. |
