OOC Thread
IC Thread, Part I
[sblock=Summary thus far...]Day 1
Boldak, the dwarven miner/dungeoneer, hears about Diamond Lake that a trio of adventurers have come in from the Free City to investigate the Stirgenest Cairn. The dwarf knows, like most of the locals, that they won't find anything there. But the dwarf also knows that the Whispering Cairn elsewhere in the Cairn Hills may have something in it. If adventurers have come looking for something, they are in the wrong place. But it would only be a matter of time before they would hear of the Whispering Cairn.
From Tyrol Ebberly at The Captain's Blade, Trenton, a farmboy who recently relocated to town to seek new employment, learns much the same.
In the meantime, Nav, a local gypsy-like vagabond and sometime-beggar with a sorcerous bent, hits up Alexis, a woman new to town and channeling powers divine, for a meal. After the meal and good conversation, the pair decides to head to the Feral Dog for a night of drinking.
Trenton, Alexis, and Nav all seem to arrive just in time to see Boldak engaged in the dagger throwing contest with an elven maiden named Tirra, who happens to be one of the adventuring trio visiting town. While the dwarf manages to get one spectacular throw in, he ends up losing the contest to the elf.
Overhearing the conversation, Trenton worms his way in trying to find possible employment. Also overhearing, Nav quickly figures out what they are talking about and, wisely, drives Tirra off before Boldak tells her about the Whispering Cairn. After introductions and conversation, the four decide to head to the Whispering Cairn on their own to see what they might be able to find to get them out of the cesspool that is Diamond Lake.
Day 2
The newly-formed party heads out in the morning rain in search of adventure. After an hour of walking, they arrive at the abandoned mine office just a ways from the cairn.
As the group examines the office, the are set upon by a swarm of thousands of spiders. Due to some bad tactical decisions, and a heap of bad luck, the swarm gets the best of the group. Trenton, Boldak, and Alexis end up having to flee. Sadly, Nav gets left behind as the spiders feast on his blood. Shavora, Nav's pet raven, flies well ahead of the group and heads back to town.
Around this time, Breth, a traveler with skill in magic, wanders about Diamond Lake. He ends up running into, and being accosted by, Shavora. Breth ends up compelled to investigate the events of which the irate raven speaks, and he heads in the direction of the cairn.
As Trenton, Boldak, and Alexis, weary with their loss and sorrow, take the road back to town, they find Breth coming out to meet them, with the enraged Shavora on his shoulder. The initial meeting goes very poorly, as Breth quizes the party for answers and they respond having to struggle with their grief and nerves. Eventually, Breth manages to get on at least Trenton's good side, and the pair drink themselves into a stupor.
Day 3
As the next day comes, Boldak and Alexis find Trenton hungover and ask him about Breth. Eventually, all four end up spending the day talking and working out their differences from the day before. After deciding on their tactics, the group decides to wait other day to fully recover and then return to the mine office for revenge upon the spider swarm.
Day 4
After finalizing their plans on the edge of Diamond Lake, the group heads back to the mine office. There they find the remains of poor Nav. The group enters the mine office and the spider swarm quickly comes out of hiding for another meal. Using better tactics, oil, and fire, the party manages to destroy the swarm.
As the others take the time to bulid a pyre for their dead companion, Breth finds some supplies in the mine office. After setting the pyre ablaze, the group makes a new pact among themselves and continues on to the Whispering Cairn. Shavora accompanies Breth as she used to accompany Nav.
The party reaches the Whispering Cairn and very quickly realizes why it has that name, as eerie sounds fill the air. They first discover what is likely the remains of the supplies of children that used to frequent the cairn. Shortly after, the find one passage blocked by a cave in and another leading to what looks like an odd broken mirror.
The search is interrupted as the party spots a green light flickering from further in the cairn. Boldak goes to investigate, but is set upon by a small pack of wolves. Boldak soon collapses from the onslaught. The others rush into battle to save the dwarf, but Trenton is soon also bleeding on the floor. With a little help from Shavora, Alexis and Breth manage to kill two of the wolves and drive the third away. Sadly, while Alexis is able to revive Boldak, Trenton's wounds had already taken him.
While Breth has proven his worth to Alexis, Boldak, and even Shavora, the party knows that they will need aid to continue in this investigation. They first set Trenton's body aflame on a pyre back at the mine office. Then they return to quickly re-examine the off mirror-like object they found. The party discerns that it is somehow connected with the element of air, and it seems connected with transportation. With that knowledge gained, the survivors make their way back to down to drown their sorrows at the Feral Dog.
As fortune would have it, Viktor, a young paladin of Heironeous from the Garrison in Diamond Lake, and Alendar, an elven hunter, were conviced by Thendon, Alendar's younger brother and former friend of Viktor, that they should see what's going on in town, as a couple of rumors have spread about the party visiting the Whispering Cairn. As the surviving trio enter the Feral Dog to drink away their pain, Viktor and Alendar wait inside hoping to find them.
With a complete lack of tact, Alendar stares at the group as they sit and begin to drink, and the trio easily notices. Alexis, in an odd display, suddenly loses her composure and flees from the Feral Dog. Breth, with Shavora's help, follows Alexis while Boldak talks to Viktor and Alendar outside, trying to ascertain what their business would be.
Alexis and Breth return and the entire group heads into the more neutral territory of the church of St. Cuthbert. There, as is probably appropriate, the party questions the paladin and elf. It soon becomes apparent that the pair was simply seeking to help in the exploration and share in the spoils. With their apprehension dissuaded, the group spends their evening at the Feral Dog.
Day 5
The new and larger group heads back to the Whispering Cairn. Alendar examines the ground outside and confidently indicates that the remaining wolf that ran away did not return. Having that fear vanquished, the group heads back in.
The group reaches another intersection. To the west, the group finds an amazingly detailed fresco, depicting seven hallways radiating out from a central point. At the end of each is a lit lantern in one of the colors of the rainbow. To the east, the group finds another caved-in passage, but this one is passable. The small opening leads to the wolves' den, and Boldak finds various treasures inside, including an indigo lantern.
To the north the passage, which was blocked by a tangled of webs, leads toward the glowing green light the party saw before. It opens into a large room with a sarcophagus in the center upon a dais shaped like an arrow. And, like the fresco earlier, the room has seven tunnels radiating outward from the center and most have lanterns hanging in them. The indigo lantern is placed where it should be, judging by the fresco, but the red lantern is still missing. The green lantern has an everburning torch in it.
The sarcophagus bears a bas-relief of a tall humanoid figure. There is a glyph upon it, which Breth identifies as representing some powerful elemental entity, and it appears to be written in Vaati, a possibly ancient form of Auran.
The party, with Shavora's aid, discovers that there is a tunnel at the top of passage with the blue lantern. Boldak climbs up the chain and discovers that the passage leads northwest and ends in a figure of a large face screaming. At the same time, Breth opens the sarcophagus and finds it trapped with a simple fire spell. Breth and Alendar climb up after Boldak, and the three head through the tunnel. Viktor and Alexis try moving the arrow-shaped dias upon which the sarcophagus rests, and, after getting it to turn one "click" clockwise, they hear a loud noise from beneath them. At the same time, Boldak trips a pressure plate that he missed in the tunnel, and a trap is sprung. Breth becomes enchanted with swirling colors that appear in the screaming face's mouth, and a terrible wind begins to rise, threatening to send the trio flying out of the tunnel to fall some 40 feet to the ground below. With much luck, all three manage to escape and hang by the chain as the wind roars past them.
Once the wind dies down, the group is able to investigate what made the noise Viktor and Alexis heard. Looking down the tunnel with the yellow lantern, the party finds what later turns out to be an elevator of sorts leading to a level some 60 feet below the sarcophagus chamber.
After some fright with the unexpected disappearance of Boldak, as the first to go down the elevator, and after dealing with another trap below, the party proceeds to explore the sublevel. The group is attacked by what is later identified as a small beholder-kin, but the thing is able to do no damage other than putting Boldak to sleep before it is dispatched.
Exploring further, the group finds a chamber that must have served as the bedchamber for someone important. A glyph marks a stone slab that is presumably a bed. Breth recognizes more of the Vaati language. This figure seems more important or higher ranking than the figure in the sarcophagus above.
Soon after, the group finds a mold of some sort. After looking around a bit and finding some treasures, they attempt to burn it, only to realize, after Alexis is nearly frozen to death, that the mold is vunerable to cold and actually aided by heat. The party then makes rest, not leaving the Whispering Cairn.
Day 6
After waking, Alendar, having not needed to sleep, quickly ushers the group to a new room. The chamber is full light as bright as the sun. There are some treasures inside, as well as an egg-shaped rock. Upon touch the rock, however, it sprouts into a creature and attacks the group. The dispatch it fairly easily. After gathering what they want, the group rides back up the elevator to the sarcophagus chamber and turns the arrow another click.
A great rumbling is heard, and soon the floor beneath the green lantern gives way. Moments later a swarm of acid beetles and a freakish aberration come forth and attack the party. The group has some horrid luck, but does manage to use better tactics against the swarm. Suffering heavy wounds, but no losses this time, the group manages to kill the enemies. Alexis and Alendar, however, were badly wounded, and no one could heal them. The dwarf and human men carry the woman and elf outside and camp, waiting for each to regain strength.
Day 7
Alexis manages to wake up and shortly after heals Alendar. The group, still somewhat weakened from the fight, heads back to Diamond Lake for some much needed downtime.
Back in town, the group spilts. Viktor heads to the Garrison to visit his parents and pay his respects at the Chapel of Heironeous. Breth and Boldak head to the Smelting House to see if the half-elf alchemist Benazel can tell them anything about the magic items the group has obtained. However, he directs them to the sage Allustan, the so-called "smartest man in town," for such advice. The sage dispenses some wisdom and offers to identify items. Alendar and Alexis head to Tidwoad's to sell their mundane items. The cantankerous gnome gives them a good amount of gold for their trouble, but they can't help but suspect that the gnome gave them nothing near the items true worth.
As has become typical for the group, they then spend their night relaxing at the Feral Dog.
Day 8
The party awakes and carries out their business about town before heading out again. Of note, Breth and Boldak return to Allustan's and learn of their magical fare. The sage also warns them that any suspicions they have about selling to Tidwoad are probably well-founded.
In the meantime, Viktor brings Alendar and Alexis to the Garrison and introduces them to his parents. After sufficiently embarrassing the paladin, they examine drawings of the symbols that have been found in the Whispering Cairn. But the religious scholors have no advice to offer other than that they should perhaps ask Allustan.
Soon enough the group meets for another ale before heading off. They then return to find the cairn just as they'd left it.
With the help of some rope, the group climbs down the pit whence the swarm and aberration came. At the bottom, they find another sublevel. The group first battles another swarm of beetles and a much larger beetle with them. Though they have some trouble making their strategy work, the eventually kill the creatures. They then find some treasures in the nests.[/sblock]
Alendar looks around waiting for Boldak to finish his search. "We got busted up a bit there. Should we take a rest, or look around more?"
[sblock=OOC]Boldak: 3 damage
Alendar: 5 damage
Viktor: 8 damage
Breth: 5 damage
Alexis: 5 damage[/sblock]
IC Thread, Part I
[sblock=Summary thus far...]Day 1
Boldak, the dwarven miner/dungeoneer, hears about Diamond Lake that a trio of adventurers have come in from the Free City to investigate the Stirgenest Cairn. The dwarf knows, like most of the locals, that they won't find anything there. But the dwarf also knows that the Whispering Cairn elsewhere in the Cairn Hills may have something in it. If adventurers have come looking for something, they are in the wrong place. But it would only be a matter of time before they would hear of the Whispering Cairn.
From Tyrol Ebberly at The Captain's Blade, Trenton, a farmboy who recently relocated to town to seek new employment, learns much the same.
In the meantime, Nav, a local gypsy-like vagabond and sometime-beggar with a sorcerous bent, hits up Alexis, a woman new to town and channeling powers divine, for a meal. After the meal and good conversation, the pair decides to head to the Feral Dog for a night of drinking.
Trenton, Alexis, and Nav all seem to arrive just in time to see Boldak engaged in the dagger throwing contest with an elven maiden named Tirra, who happens to be one of the adventuring trio visiting town. While the dwarf manages to get one spectacular throw in, he ends up losing the contest to the elf.
Overhearing the conversation, Trenton worms his way in trying to find possible employment. Also overhearing, Nav quickly figures out what they are talking about and, wisely, drives Tirra off before Boldak tells her about the Whispering Cairn. After introductions and conversation, the four decide to head to the Whispering Cairn on their own to see what they might be able to find to get them out of the cesspool that is Diamond Lake.
Day 2
The newly-formed party heads out in the morning rain in search of adventure. After an hour of walking, they arrive at the abandoned mine office just a ways from the cairn.
As the group examines the office, the are set upon by a swarm of thousands of spiders. Due to some bad tactical decisions, and a heap of bad luck, the swarm gets the best of the group. Trenton, Boldak, and Alexis end up having to flee. Sadly, Nav gets left behind as the spiders feast on his blood. Shavora, Nav's pet raven, flies well ahead of the group and heads back to town.
Around this time, Breth, a traveler with skill in magic, wanders about Diamond Lake. He ends up running into, and being accosted by, Shavora. Breth ends up compelled to investigate the events of which the irate raven speaks, and he heads in the direction of the cairn.
As Trenton, Boldak, and Alexis, weary with their loss and sorrow, take the road back to town, they find Breth coming out to meet them, with the enraged Shavora on his shoulder. The initial meeting goes very poorly, as Breth quizes the party for answers and they respond having to struggle with their grief and nerves. Eventually, Breth manages to get on at least Trenton's good side, and the pair drink themselves into a stupor.
Day 3
As the next day comes, Boldak and Alexis find Trenton hungover and ask him about Breth. Eventually, all four end up spending the day talking and working out their differences from the day before. After deciding on their tactics, the group decides to wait other day to fully recover and then return to the mine office for revenge upon the spider swarm.
Day 4
After finalizing their plans on the edge of Diamond Lake, the group heads back to the mine office. There they find the remains of poor Nav. The group enters the mine office and the spider swarm quickly comes out of hiding for another meal. Using better tactics, oil, and fire, the party manages to destroy the swarm.
As the others take the time to bulid a pyre for their dead companion, Breth finds some supplies in the mine office. After setting the pyre ablaze, the group makes a new pact among themselves and continues on to the Whispering Cairn. Shavora accompanies Breth as she used to accompany Nav.
The party reaches the Whispering Cairn and very quickly realizes why it has that name, as eerie sounds fill the air. They first discover what is likely the remains of the supplies of children that used to frequent the cairn. Shortly after, the find one passage blocked by a cave in and another leading to what looks like an odd broken mirror.
The search is interrupted as the party spots a green light flickering from further in the cairn. Boldak goes to investigate, but is set upon by a small pack of wolves. Boldak soon collapses from the onslaught. The others rush into battle to save the dwarf, but Trenton is soon also bleeding on the floor. With a little help from Shavora, Alexis and Breth manage to kill two of the wolves and drive the third away. Sadly, while Alexis is able to revive Boldak, Trenton's wounds had already taken him.
While Breth has proven his worth to Alexis, Boldak, and even Shavora, the party knows that they will need aid to continue in this investigation. They first set Trenton's body aflame on a pyre back at the mine office. Then they return to quickly re-examine the off mirror-like object they found. The party discerns that it is somehow connected with the element of air, and it seems connected with transportation. With that knowledge gained, the survivors make their way back to down to drown their sorrows at the Feral Dog.
As fortune would have it, Viktor, a young paladin of Heironeous from the Garrison in Diamond Lake, and Alendar, an elven hunter, were conviced by Thendon, Alendar's younger brother and former friend of Viktor, that they should see what's going on in town, as a couple of rumors have spread about the party visiting the Whispering Cairn. As the surviving trio enter the Feral Dog to drink away their pain, Viktor and Alendar wait inside hoping to find them.
With a complete lack of tact, Alendar stares at the group as they sit and begin to drink, and the trio easily notices. Alexis, in an odd display, suddenly loses her composure and flees from the Feral Dog. Breth, with Shavora's help, follows Alexis while Boldak talks to Viktor and Alendar outside, trying to ascertain what their business would be.
Alexis and Breth return and the entire group heads into the more neutral territory of the church of St. Cuthbert. There, as is probably appropriate, the party questions the paladin and elf. It soon becomes apparent that the pair was simply seeking to help in the exploration and share in the spoils. With their apprehension dissuaded, the group spends their evening at the Feral Dog.
Day 5
The new and larger group heads back to the Whispering Cairn. Alendar examines the ground outside and confidently indicates that the remaining wolf that ran away did not return. Having that fear vanquished, the group heads back in.
The group reaches another intersection. To the west, the group finds an amazingly detailed fresco, depicting seven hallways radiating out from a central point. At the end of each is a lit lantern in one of the colors of the rainbow. To the east, the group finds another caved-in passage, but this one is passable. The small opening leads to the wolves' den, and Boldak finds various treasures inside, including an indigo lantern.
To the north the passage, which was blocked by a tangled of webs, leads toward the glowing green light the party saw before. It opens into a large room with a sarcophagus in the center upon a dais shaped like an arrow. And, like the fresco earlier, the room has seven tunnels radiating outward from the center and most have lanterns hanging in them. The indigo lantern is placed where it should be, judging by the fresco, but the red lantern is still missing. The green lantern has an everburning torch in it.
The sarcophagus bears a bas-relief of a tall humanoid figure. There is a glyph upon it, which Breth identifies as representing some powerful elemental entity, and it appears to be written in Vaati, a possibly ancient form of Auran.
The party, with Shavora's aid, discovers that there is a tunnel at the top of passage with the blue lantern. Boldak climbs up the chain and discovers that the passage leads northwest and ends in a figure of a large face screaming. At the same time, Breth opens the sarcophagus and finds it trapped with a simple fire spell. Breth and Alendar climb up after Boldak, and the three head through the tunnel. Viktor and Alexis try moving the arrow-shaped dias upon which the sarcophagus rests, and, after getting it to turn one "click" clockwise, they hear a loud noise from beneath them. At the same time, Boldak trips a pressure plate that he missed in the tunnel, and a trap is sprung. Breth becomes enchanted with swirling colors that appear in the screaming face's mouth, and a terrible wind begins to rise, threatening to send the trio flying out of the tunnel to fall some 40 feet to the ground below. With much luck, all three manage to escape and hang by the chain as the wind roars past them.
Once the wind dies down, the group is able to investigate what made the noise Viktor and Alexis heard. Looking down the tunnel with the yellow lantern, the party finds what later turns out to be an elevator of sorts leading to a level some 60 feet below the sarcophagus chamber.
After some fright with the unexpected disappearance of Boldak, as the first to go down the elevator, and after dealing with another trap below, the party proceeds to explore the sublevel. The group is attacked by what is later identified as a small beholder-kin, but the thing is able to do no damage other than putting Boldak to sleep before it is dispatched.
Exploring further, the group finds a chamber that must have served as the bedchamber for someone important. A glyph marks a stone slab that is presumably a bed. Breth recognizes more of the Vaati language. This figure seems more important or higher ranking than the figure in the sarcophagus above.
Soon after, the group finds a mold of some sort. After looking around a bit and finding some treasures, they attempt to burn it, only to realize, after Alexis is nearly frozen to death, that the mold is vunerable to cold and actually aided by heat. The party then makes rest, not leaving the Whispering Cairn.
Day 6
After waking, Alendar, having not needed to sleep, quickly ushers the group to a new room. The chamber is full light as bright as the sun. There are some treasures inside, as well as an egg-shaped rock. Upon touch the rock, however, it sprouts into a creature and attacks the group. The dispatch it fairly easily. After gathering what they want, the group rides back up the elevator to the sarcophagus chamber and turns the arrow another click.
A great rumbling is heard, and soon the floor beneath the green lantern gives way. Moments later a swarm of acid beetles and a freakish aberration come forth and attack the party. The group has some horrid luck, but does manage to use better tactics against the swarm. Suffering heavy wounds, but no losses this time, the group manages to kill the enemies. Alexis and Alendar, however, were badly wounded, and no one could heal them. The dwarf and human men carry the woman and elf outside and camp, waiting for each to regain strength.
Day 7
Alexis manages to wake up and shortly after heals Alendar. The group, still somewhat weakened from the fight, heads back to Diamond Lake for some much needed downtime.
Back in town, the group spilts. Viktor heads to the Garrison to visit his parents and pay his respects at the Chapel of Heironeous. Breth and Boldak head to the Smelting House to see if the half-elf alchemist Benazel can tell them anything about the magic items the group has obtained. However, he directs them to the sage Allustan, the so-called "smartest man in town," for such advice. The sage dispenses some wisdom and offers to identify items. Alendar and Alexis head to Tidwoad's to sell their mundane items. The cantankerous gnome gives them a good amount of gold for their trouble, but they can't help but suspect that the gnome gave them nothing near the items true worth.
As has become typical for the group, they then spend their night relaxing at the Feral Dog.
Day 8
The party awakes and carries out their business about town before heading out again. Of note, Breth and Boldak return to Allustan's and learn of their magical fare. The sage also warns them that any suspicions they have about selling to Tidwoad are probably well-founded.
In the meantime, Viktor brings Alendar and Alexis to the Garrison and introduces them to his parents. After sufficiently embarrassing the paladin, they examine drawings of the symbols that have been found in the Whispering Cairn. But the religious scholors have no advice to offer other than that they should perhaps ask Allustan.
Soon enough the group meets for another ale before heading off. They then return to find the cairn just as they'd left it.
With the help of some rope, the group climbs down the pit whence the swarm and aberration came. At the bottom, they find another sublevel. The group first battles another swarm of beetles and a much larger beetle with them. Though they have some trouble making their strategy work, the eventually kill the creatures. They then find some treasures in the nests.[/sblock]
Alendar looks around waiting for Boldak to finish his search. "We got busted up a bit there. Should we take a rest, or look around more?"
[sblock=OOC]Boldak: 3 damage
Alendar: 5 damage
Viktor: 8 damage
Breth: 5 damage
Alexis: 5 damage[/sblock]
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