Of Vassa and Crom

The Second Demon War was long, and fought largely in Solaria and the Eastern Plains. But it was also fought in the North, and there the deeds of Søren and Vassa were sufficient to enshrine them among the Valharim, bringing the number of that august group to eight (nine, if you tally with them the dark one). Many stories are told of their deeds, but Crom's proposal to Vassa is less well known.

Crom, it is known, is the dark God of the orcs, seeking only to crush his enemies and hear the lamentations of their women. Yet he fought, for a time, with the free folk against the demons, for he had as little desire to see the orcs dominated by Hadeth as Fayon did for the free folk. But some of the orcs fought with the demons.

And it came to pass that the war against the demons went against the free folk, and evil spirits threatened to overrun the northern kingdoms. Vassa fought valiantly, and saved many from death at the hands of Hadeth's army, but it was not enough, as the main part of the Army of Law was in the south. Then Crom came to her, and asked for her hand in marriage. This, Vassa refused, seeing that Crom did not desire her, but merely to enslave the dwarves to provide arms to his orcish hordes.

Vassa took out her whip then, and Søren came to her aid. The battle was long, for Crom is puissant of arms, but Vassa and Søren were able to drive him north into the wastes. A remnant of that battle remains, as Vassa's whip tore a large canyon into the lands east of Darkshelf, which they call Vassa's Lash. And while the northlands fell under the occupation of the devil army, yet Vassa and Søren saved many, ferrying them to Avalon, and when Sean Halospear sacrificed himself to close the gate to the abyss, the occupation ended, nor was Crom able to return.

Session 12: The Harpells invade Arden Est.

Having returned the eggs stolen from the eagles, we journeyed back to Darkshelf and found ourselves at the Golden Cockatrice for rest and recovery. There was a fair crowd that evening and I sought to regale the crowd with tales and perhaps to join another minstrel already providing song to the patrons. I was met only with scorn and contempt by this so-called "entertainer", nothing more than a tone-deaf, borish fop with more arrogance than talent. I offered to provide accompaniment for his songs but was forced off the stage when the oaf used his influence with the barkeep to prevent me from joining.

Not only were my talents rudely suppressed, I was also accosted by a thief in front of everyone, and they did nothing! The thief thought to distract me with a copper piece on the ground while he stole my pouch. I was not so easily fooled and when the scoundrel tried to get away, I used a spell to halt him. When I called the barkeep's attention to thief's actions, the barkeep and the bar patrons dismissed the incident as normal. The thief was lucky. In my country, the thief would have had his hand removed and branded for his crimes but here, they let thieves run amongst them, doing their mischief without hindrance. And they call me barbarian.

As it grew late, the tavern began to settle and, having been fatigued from our travels, we sought our rest. It was just then that the Dwarf's tankard of ale began to speak to him as if it were a man. I was horrified at such unholy magics as this. Despite my protests to not encourage the tankard to continue speaking, the dwarf parlayed with it, coming to an accord of gold and a pet bird in exchange for a service. I was dubious of what service we could provide the talking mug but it's offer of a pet bird reminded me of my beloved Svetlana and I could not refuse. The mug instructed us to order an Ivy Port from the bar to be transported to our task. Begin fatigued we resolved to begin our task in the morning.

The next morning, we ordered the Ivy Port as instructed and after taking a drink, were instantly transported by some foul magic to a mansion. Immediately upon arriving, a painting on the wall began to speak just as the tankard spoke the night before. Truly we were in some witchery. The painting, calling itself Tristan Harpell, wished for us to put some chambers of the mansion in order, saying only that we would know what was out of place when we saw it. Two keys were teleported directly into my pocket by that son of Baba Yaga painting on the wall. It would have been better to burn that witch-house to the ground but we resolved to uphold our accord.

We entered a series of chambers belonging to "Tristan's" former uncle, Siegfried Vample. We were provided a useless map, that appeared to have been annotated by a child, by a large metal suit of armor that had been animated into some sort of guardian. The terrors of this evil place would not cease. We entered a chamber marked "Swimming Pool" on the map but found it to be a library. The library appeared to be very well furnished but for one shelf which was bare. The dwarf noticed that there appeared to be a lack of astronomical knowledge conspicuously missing from the library, though we found several tomes on the table that appeared to be astronomical in nature, hinting that it was a current subject of research for Siegfried. There also appeared a journal with a mess of writing regarding a telescope that Siegfried had built using some artifact of tempered glass.

Leaving the library, we entered into what appeared to be a mechanical workshop where a number of constructs were being maintenanced by some sort of mechanical caretaker. Upon entering the chamber, all of the constructs turned on us and made for an attack. Acting quickly, I cast a spell summoning a storm of knives that cut three of mechanical horrors to ribbons. The rest were dispatched easily enough by my companions and I.

We also happened upon a room taken over by the overgrowth of poorly maintained potted trees and plants. We were confronted by an elderly man who spat something incoherent at us about not disturbing his master before transforming before our very eyes into some sort of rat demon. Immediately, swarms of rats dropped out of the floral overgrowth to come of the creature's aid. I managed to lull the swarms to sleep with a spell while my companions fought the wererat, until, in a font of holy vengeance, the paladin smote the demon a killing blow.

Next, we entered what appeared to be some sort of bedchamber with a large mirror covered by sheet against one wall. Intrigued, I examined the mirror and discovered it to be a powerful magical artifact, though I was uncertain of its nature. Pulling the sheet down, the paladin found himself attacked by a sinister clone of himself. I called upon my magic to immolate the enemy while my companions attacked the doppleganger. Upon our victory, the creature simply disintegrated, like mist, until there was nothing left of it at all. Realizing the mirror's usefulness, we resolved to take it with us. We also happened to notice that a significant portion of the mirror had been cutout and surmised this was the artifact Siegfried has used to build his telescope.

Passing through a set of double doors, we came to a large chamber with Siegfried's telescope in one corner, strangely aimed at the wall. Nearby, an adamantine door stood slightly ajar. The entire chamber was covered in cobwebs and, as we tried to clear them, we were attacked by swarms of spiders as well some bewitched spider that appeared to shift in and out of existence. Luckily, the larger spider succumbed to my magic and began to laugh hysterically and uncontrollably. While my two companions dealt with the swarms, the ranger and I pressed our attack on the larger spider. The beast continued to laugh even as it was dispatched and the spider swarms abated soon after.

Following the spider attack, we investigated the adamantine door. Finding it ajar, we decided to open it and see whither it led. As we opened it, a voice issued from the depths of the stair case the vault door had hidden. It warned that it was coming and we began to hear footsteps moving up the stairs. Moving quickly, we staged the artifact mirror we had taken from the bed chambers. We tried to lock the adamantine door with the keys we had received but neither key seemed to fit and upon trying them, and a voice emanated from the key hole, cursing "Tristan" for mixing it up with a key in the pantry, again. A minute later, the footsteps on the stairs were upon us and an ogre mage emerged from behind the adamantine door. The creature first saw its own reflection in the artifact mirror and a moment later, the ogre was in battle with a clone of itself. To avoid unnecessary injury, we allowed the creatures to wage battle against each other while we waited to dispatch the winner. After some time, the spell blasts and sounds of war fell silent. We re-entered the chamber but could find no trace of the battle that had been waged here.

It was then that two sorcerers appeared and thanked us for helping clear the suite for Tristan They related that the ogre mage emerging from the chamber set off a contingency to alert the mages to the creature's escape, whereupon the mages came to banish the creature themselves. For our troubles, the sorcerers awarded us less than half the gold Tristan had promised us, saying that we were being billed for damages to the mansion created by the ogre mage's escape, which they blamed on us, even though it was Tristan that had given us the wrong key. They then transported us back to the Golden Cockatrice and disappeared. With any luck, we will soon find that mansion and burn it to the ground as we should have from the beginning!

While they cheated us of half the gold they promised, they did hold fast to their promise of a pet bird. They provided a silver figurine of a raven which can actually transform into a real raven. I have named him Sasha. So while some good did come of our stay at the Golden Cockatrice, I must quit that cursed establishment and its wiles. I look forward to moving far beyond Darkshelf and away from this ill luck and evil witchery.

Session 11: Aerieborne

Continuing on our journey to locate the mage and inquire about the eagles' eggs, our band encountered a small group of orcs attempting to set an ambush. We managed to surprise them and pick them off in small groups. From there we were able to pick up the trail of the mage that eventually lead us to an abandoned keep.

Approaching we were hailed by two sentries holding shields with ravens adorning them. This crest belonged to a group of expansionist Vikings from an island up north that we assumed were mercenaries. Inquiring after the mage and the deal he made with another group of adventurers we were told to wait while the mage, Halam was notified of our presence. After waiting a moment we were set upon by archers and the mage. As the fight began Dyn-Bach was paralyzed and unable to help his comrades. Then, the worst happened. A pillar of ice slammed down on Dyn-Bach and several of the mage's henchmen, killing Dyn-Bach. Nevertheless, through tenacity and a rock elemental, our group was able to defeat and incapacitate their attackers. The mage was able to escape on a nightmare during the course of the battle, leaving behind his guards and any valuables in the keep.

We let the remaining captives leave without their arms or armor and decided to wait at the keep for either the return of the mage or for the arrival of the adventurers bearing the eagles' eggs. After a few days the adventurers arrived with the eggs and asked for the return of their companion that we discovered had been turned into a statue. We negotiated the exchange of their stone friend for the eagles' eggs. Having had no encounters on our way to see the eagles we were rewarded with a pendant for our efforts in returning their children.

Darkshelf

Darkshelf is a large town in the east hills, just west of the Spire Mountains. The city is dominated by the large walls of some forgotten Solarian fortress, sacked during the Second Demon War. It is ruled by a Council of Lords, consisting of one dwarf, one human, and one orc. The townsfolk are roughly 50% orc, 40% human, and 10% dwarf, with a smattering of other races. It is rumored to be a hub for the slave trade. Though slavery is illegal in Darkshelf, it is widely suspected that the Red Hand Slavers operate a base in town to transport slaves from the coast into the Spire Mountains.

The largest temple belongs to the priesthood of Crom, who is widely worshipped by the inhabitants of the town, orc and non-orc alike. His high priest is Xanathon, who came here from Morachi some years ago. Whispers say he is immortal and cannot be killed. On the outskirts of town, near the main gate, is an arena where warriors fight for the glory of Crom and themselves.

The Golden Cockatrice dominates the night life here, with its festhall welcoming party-goers from all parts of the north. It is rumored that an anti-slavery cabal has connections here, and all find the cockatrices in the courtyard to be an amusing, if dangerous, attraction. Other features are the manor house of the noble Arquestan, next to the entrance to the inner city, and the abandoned temple on the outskirts of town.


Map copyright Dyson Logos, https://rpgcharacters.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/javelin-hill-production.jpg

Session 10: Journey to Darkshelf

 

Having cleared out the quarry, the party convened to discuss where to go next. Kwon said he would take the slaves to the nearby town of Darkshelf, where he could either help them find their way home, or help them establish themselves in that town. The party decided that, to help make sure the former slaves did not find themselves back in slavery, they would help escort the slaves to Darkshelf. Once there, Kwon told them to look him up if they need anything, and pointed them towards the Golden Cockatrice Inn. A friend of his, Rance Norve, is there.

The Golden Cockatrice has a large festhall on the first floor, and rooms to let on the second. Outside the inn, another blink dog was waiting for them. He barked once at Volodemir, seemingly in recognition, and then appeared to go back to sleep. Two attendants man the door, and they let the party into the hall. There are two bars, and a number of people gathered at different tables. An elf woman sticks out, studying a series of handbills tacked to a screen next to the courtyard door. A man matching the description of Rance is playing cards at one of the tables. Poorly.

Ezral went up to play cards with Rance and his friends, and was welcomed warmly. Galathil meanwhile went to see what the elven woman was looking at. There appeared to be advertisements for jobs and the like, but her face told him she didn't like what she was seeing. As he approached the courtyard door, one of the bartenders called out "If you're going into the courtyard, don't forget to stay clear of the birds!" Vovon went to the manager to see about busking in exchange for a room, and struck a deal, while Dyn-Bach, Keth Vola, and Flint got a table and some drinks. The elven woman introduced herself as Lynnya, an elven ranger, looking for work after her last adventuring party fell apart.

Rance mentioned that a friend of his to the east could use some help. "He said something about eagle eggs," Rance tells the party, "But he wasn't very specific." The party figured this would be something to do, and the next day, they headed to Jorand's Inn, a fortified inn in the foothills of the Spire Mountains. When there, they met up with Rance's friend, a taciturn dwarf named Wuoldern.  Wuoldern told them that the eggs were stolen by three humans who matched the description of an adventuring party, of four people, who stayed at the inn not too long ago.

The party asked around the inn, and discovered that the party had been talking to a mage. They rejected some sort of offer he made the previous Thursday, but came back looking for him on Saturday. One of the guards mentioned seeing the mage ride east on Tuesday. The next morning the party left, and started tracking the mage on the belief that he was the one after the eggs. After about a quarter day of travel, the mage's trail turned into the woods along a path. Upon following the path for about an hour, a harpy swooped down and attacked, but the companions were able to drive it off. They then continued north along the path, wondering what they would encounter next.

Otto's Dance All Night Long

Most people know of the archmage Otto as the creator of the spell "Otto's Irresistable Dance," but the wizard was a dance maniac, and used to spend most of his time not adventuring at the local dance hall, cutting the rug to the latest tunes. To make sure he could keep going no matter what, he developed the following spell.

Dance All Night Long
3rd Level Abjuration

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V S M (a small amount of white powder, inhaled)
Duration: Instantaneous
Classes: Wizard, Bard


Description: When you cast this spell, you get a burst of energy. All levels of exhaustion are removed. In addition, any spells, effects, or restraints, including non-magical manacles, that would cause the caster to be restrained or paralyzed are removed. (Note that the spell has a somatic component, so these restraints may affect the caster's ability to cast the spell in the first place!)

Session 9: The Caverns of Darkshelf Quarry

Having cleared the entrance to the caves nestled inside of the quarry, the party decided to head further in, to try and figure out what was going on, and what the slavers were trying to achieve. They quickly met some human miners, who did not appear to be enslaved. On speaking with them, they discovered that they were just there to work, and they did not seem to know anything about the slavers. To the north the party discovered a similar group of miners, but in between the miners was a ramp that descended deeper into the earth.

Upon entering the lower level of the caverns, the path quickly turned to the left and apparently ended in a T intersection. Flint's dwarven senses revealed that there was something off about the stone wall in front of them, and further investigation revealed a secret door. Behind the secret door was an L-shaped chamber, with a bed and a desk in each corner of the L. At one desk was a priest of Hadeth, goddess of madness and imprisonment. The party surprised the priest and quickly killed him. Searching the room, they found a small amount of treasure under one of the beds. Surmising from the fact of the two beds that there was a second priest, the party lay in wait for him for a couple hours, but he did not come. They then followed the corridor out of the chamber, and to what appeared to be a guardpost guarded by six kobolds, who were swiftly killed.

Past the guardpost, the party found what appeared to be a sanctuary dominated by a large dais bearing a stone pillar topped by a pyramid with four eyes. In this chamber, the other priest called for an attack, and two strange creatures he called 'mudtigers' crawled out of the ooze behind the dais to engage the party. They looked like a cross between a shark and an aquatic lizard. The party was shocked to find that the mudtiger emanated a magnetic field, causing metal weapons to be difficult to wield, though it had no effect on the priest's stone mace. They could also emit a burst of energy. But with difficulty, the party was able to kill the evil cleric and his pets.

The party continued down the corridor, past a trash chute, to a locked door. When they tried to pick the lock, a quickly stabbing spear convinced them it was a bad idea, and they went to find an alternate route. They found a passage leading south, into what appeared to be kobold barracks. The ten kobolds there were no match for the party, who were able to continue on to a ramp that lead into the deepest part of the caverns. In the next room, there were two doors, each one with three keyholes. While the party was trying to figure out what to do with the keyholes, they were attacked by a water weird. They defeated the water weird, and are now trying to figure out what to do next.