Story HourPost your ongoing tales from your campaigns, and read those from others for inspiration. Lots of other RPG boards post "Story Hours", but this is where it started!
From the Journals of K. Garnham Seeker as translated from the Vallossan
A closer examination of the ruins has shown that they are not Ohlman in origin as I had originally thought.
The zombie proved to be fairly talkative. Under Maggie's questioning he revealed that his name in life was Golnora and that he had been slain (and animated) by the lord of Fogmire to act as a warning for us.
Whether this was a warning for anyone who entered Fogmire or for us in particular was left open for interpretation.
Maggie and Dexter had words over what to do with Golnora. Maggie untied him and tried to teach him the ways of Aster. Dexter was prone to take a more violent route.
After resting and searching the place we decided it best to camp elsewhere that night. Maggie wanted Golnora to come with us; an idea that had some merit even if it wasn't the one Maggie had. In the end we left Golnora behind.
He seemed to think that we would see him very soon.
Elyosha took us through the fog. Keen eyes and finely honed tracking skills should have brought us to a point several hundred yards from the ruins, but Fogmire is warped and we arrived at our starting point.
With little option, we bedded down in the ruins.
During the night we were ambushed by demons.
Barlagura to be exact. Demonic scouts with the semblance of apes.
They came upon us invisibly. The largest one darted from opponent to opponent not focusing on any one of us for too long.
Others went after the smallest of us. One grabbed Urol and teleported away.
The others killed Tavey.
Unable to do anything for Urol that night we returned to our sleep.
I almost wish that I hadn't. Something about the place or the creature's we had just fought seeped into my dreams. I found myself lost in a demon infested jungle surronded by a sea of damned souls. A piece of my sanity has vanished.
The next morning our spellcasters began their work.
Maggie decided to animate Tavey's skeleton. I'm not keen on the idea of travelling with undead, but it was inevitable given Maggie's faith and profession. Besides, if she didn't do it the lord of Fogmire probably would have. On the whole, I think Tavey would have choosen this way.
Elyosha, meanwhile, was scrying on Urol. Her magics revealed that he was held somewhere inside and near large Barlagura statues.
Somewhere, during the spellcasting, Dexter beheaded Golnora without Maggie seeing him.
Maggie used her magics to get a read on where Urol was (more precisely where his hat was) and we were off.
We came to a hill with the heads of two gigantic apes carved into its side. The mouths of the apes lined up with cave mouths. We proceeded in after leaving the non-Beetles in as safe a place as we could find.
Eventually we came to a room with a, to my knowledge, unique magical trap.
It consisted of two mirrors, two thrones and two black tallow candles.
First a candle is lit; one of the thrones fills with blood. Then the throne is sat in; one of the mirrors goes swirly. The mirror is touched and either the magical gate is opened, or the person touching the mirror gets replaced by an evil copy of themselves while they are stuck behind the mirror.
Elyosha was trapped and we had to fight her feral doppleganger.
Then Elyosha and Maggie went about activating the gateway.
We travelled through to a large cavern with a stone bridge over a pool of (presumably) blood.
More Barlagura attacked and were dispatched. A swarm of baboons joined them in their attacks on us and their makeshift funerals.
We climbed upwards to where the apes had advanced from. After some searching we found two chests. Among the coins and magic arms was a true treasure-- a tome of worldly memory.
A truly fascinating work.
We continued on. We encounterd what appeared to be an undead naga and destroyed it.
At that point we were in no condition to continue so we returned to the others to rest and regroup.
As a side note Maggie mentioned something that got me thinking.
Apparently she has this plan to make love to a very diverse group of people to express an aspect of her faith. Only she hasn't started yet.
When we met Elyosha she said she was too young to even start to date.
The only flirting I've ever seen Dexter doing is with Maggie.
I think we're all virgins.
Odd theories start coming to mind at this point. The Barlagura didn't attack Avner (who was hiding behing his horse anyway), Rowyn or Captain Venkalie. Avner and Rowyn are looser than a slipknot and the Captain was married. Not a virgin among those three.
Tavey was too young to know the pleasures of the flesh and Urol isn't much of a ladies man.
Disturbing line of thought. I'm going to consult the tome.
After a much-needed rest, we continued our quest to rescure Urol.
The door to the very next chamber we entered after our rest was trapped, and so we began the day injured. We knew there would be a battle, but we were not discouraged. The chamber contained a double monkey statue, and it was obvious, even to me, that the monkey paws we had found were the key to gain entry to the next.
We proceeded with caution, Dexter and I engaging the monkey paws as we were the least injured among the party. Thankfully, Aliosha was cautious too, and discovered that the statues in the following chamber were rigged to sound an alarm, and Garnham was able to disable them.
I have to pause here to point out that I have nothing against monkeys. Generally, they are delightful and entertaining with their chittering, dancing and poo-flinging. I also have nothing against demons, as long as they’re not bothering me and my friends by constantly trying to murder and abduct us. Murderous, demonic monkeys, on the other hand, are a different story. They have sharp teeth, and they can bite. Never underestimate the power of an angry monkey, and never, ever underestimate the power of an angry, demonic monkey that wants to turn you into an undead servant, because demons can be mean, and slavery is wrong.
Anyway, the final chamber was ablaze with fire, coming from a huge pit in the center of the room. There were five huge monkey statues, and Urol hung above the flames like a boar at a flesh-eater’s back-yard summer festival.
Aliosha quickly put the fire out with nature’s magic. Then, the master of Fogmeyer came out of nowhere and began to attack us. He said his name was Ulengru, but it was no matter. His name did not change his evil ways. I flew up and tended to Urol while the others took care of Ulengru.
Upon his fall, Aliosha began to examine the area near the big, two-headed monkey statue at the end of the chamber, but the statue came to life and killed her. Actually, it didn’t really come to life. I had cast death watch earlier, so I could tell that it was neither alive nor dead, but like living stone. Aliosha knew something of the beast, but I have seen nothing like it. It’s certainly not on my list.
Dexter grabbed Aliosha’s body and carried it to relative safety and then returned, seemingly to fight the monster. I summoned a celestial lion, and Garnham a giant beetle to fend off the monster while we escaped, and then Dexter told me to run away, so I did. The others were not far behind, and we escaped to safety where we were able to rest and plan our next attack.
Alisoha had a scroll of Reincarnate in her pack, so Urol was able to bring her back, but as a dwarf. Aliosha is having trouble adjusting to her new form, but she’s handling it much better than Dexter did. I don’t know why this is so difficult for them. I would be happy with any form Aster chose for me.
Anyway, we went back in with extra protections and killed the stone monster quickly. After it was dead, the fog lifted, and we were able to leave the area. I still don’t know what happened to Golnura. I hope that he was freed when we defeated his master.
We proceeded South and eventually came to some huge Ulmec gates. They let us through, and we went down to Mora where Ulmec guides escorted us to Farshore by canoe.
Farshore was under siege when we arrived. Pirates without style or grace were attacking the locals and burning their buildings. Again, Aliosha put out the flames, and we killed the pirates. I hated killing pirates, but they were really bad at it, so I got over it. Their leader was a very poor fighter. I think his name was Stinky Pete.
After we saved Farshore, Livinia and the Jade Ravens emerged. It was really very sweet to see Granham and Livinia reunited. It awakened the desire inside me to mate. I think that one day, I would like to find one mate to live with, but for now, I just need to mate. Hopefully, there will be time, but there is much work to be done.
We gathered in the chapel (which is non-denominational – I’ll have to change that) with the town council. They brought in a prisoner named Lefty who told us that the pirates were working for the Crimson Fleet, and we only have two months to prepare for their arrival.
From the journal of K. Garnham, Seeker as translated from the Vallossan
After spending the night recovering from our encounter with the faux-undead naga we returned to the Barlagura lair.
We passed through a series of doors each magically trapped or guarded. I missed an obvious glyph on the first and set off an ice storm.
We finally made it into a large chamber dominated by a large statue of Demogorgon. Perhaps twenty feet in front of this statue was a bonfire pit, fully ablaze. Above the blaze hung Urol on a chain suspension. He was being slowly lowered to his death.
We were attacked by the large Barlagura that we had encountered before. He identified himself as Ilangru, lord of Fogmire and claimed that Demogorgon would have our souls.
He died.
Maggie rescued Urol and we began our search of the chamber.
Elyosha came close to the statue which animated and attacked her. The wounds were grievous in and of themselves, but the touch of the statue withered flesh also.
Elyosha died.
Dexter grabbed her corpse and we beat a hasty retreat.
The statue, a Lemorian Golem, gave chase for a while, but we eventually lost it.
Urol used a scroll of reincarnate to bring Elyosha back the next day. She reincarnated as a dwarf. She is trying to be stoic about this, but much of her identity is tied in with her people, her blood and that blood is now dwarven.
We spent some time healing and made another attempt to leave Fogmire. We encountered the same space warping effect that we encountered before. It was decided that whatever was causing this effect was in the Barlagura lair, probably the demon-golem. We decided to take a day of healing and return, in strength, to destroy it.
We were successful. Summoned creatures and spell-enhanced adventurers proved too much and the four eyes that had been on us since we first arrived on this damned island were shut forever.
Further search of the lair showed no signs of any other spell or magical effect that would be responsible for space folding in upon itself in Fogmire. We left and attempted to leave Fogmire for a third time.
This time we were successful.
We found a trail and traveled until we came to the massive wall that blocks the wilds of the Isle of Dread from the Ohlman villages and Farshore.
We identified ourselves at the wall and, after a translator had been called for, we were allowed to enter the Ohlman village of Tanora.
The Tanorans are charged with the defense of the wall. It was obviously more martially oriented then the other Ohlman village we passed through on our way to Farshore.
After a night of rest and trading we made our way to the village of Mora. From there we made our way to Farshore via canoe. Avner's horse was left behind.
We crossed the channel only to see smoke in the distance. The settlement was under attack by pirates.
As soon as we made landfall we rushed to do what we could. Elyosha used her magics to extinguish fires and strike down pirates with lightning bolts. Dexter and Maggie attacked the pirate leader Slipknot Pete and a band of his goons. I stopped an attempted rape of a weaver named Ruby.
We were just finishing up with the last of the pirates when the force that was fighting in the inner part of the city broke through to us.
Lavinia was with them.
Ilsa and Sabine apparently have joined the Jade Ravens, replacing the members who had died in the wreck of the Bronze Dragon.
Also present was a tall man in mithral chainmail, Manthalay Meravanchi, uncle to Avner.
Avner immeadiately came to his uncle and began his fawning ways. I was able to take my eyes off Lavinia long enough to notice that Manthalay didn't seem too happy to see Avner although the elder Meravanchi didn't do, or say, anything overtly rude to his nephew.
We then went into the town's meeting house to figure out what was going on.
Damage reports came in steady stream. There were relatively few casualties; the population now stands at 240 (241 when Jasmine Jennis has her baby, but she's not due for another month.)
Lavinia introduced us to the town council. She heaped lavish praise upon us. I noticed that the Ravens seemed somewhat put out by this effusion.
We then received a report from the militia members who had searched the pirate's ship. On board the Hellfish they came across papers indicating that this was a scouting mission for the Crimson Fleet.
The room erupted into anarchy. I don't blame them; the Crimson Fleet eats places like this for breakfast.
There was one pirate who had been captured alive. A malnourished, feverish man named Lefty. Manthalay was all for torturing him before executing him. Lavinia protested. While the two sides fought over which protocols to use we Beetles got information from Lefty.
According to him, Slipknot Pete was contacted magically by the Crimson Fleet. They wanted information on Farshore in preparation for an assault that is now two months away.
Manthalay was all for executing Lefty on the spot. I managed to convince enough people that he'd be of better service to us fighting the Fleet with the rest of us.
The Beetles were then escorted to Vanderboren Manor. We bathed and had fresh clothing brought to us. Lavinia met with us later and went over plans to improve our defenses.
There is a lot to do and little time to do it in. There are engineering improvements, diplomatic missions to at least two, possibly three, different groups, efficiency improvements, repairs on the Dragon and a host of other things too numerous to mention.
Maggie made an excellent point during this meeting. Why does the Crimson Fleet want Farshore destroyed?
No one had an answer at the time. Sitting here now, writing this out, flipping through the pages of this journal I think I might have something.
The first question is how they know about us in the first place.
Farshore's existence isn't exactly a secret, but it's hardly common knowledge either. Lavinia approached members of the aristocracy in Sasserine for funds to mount the expedition that got us here. They, presumably, would know. I don't believe that the exact location or name of the colony were disclosed to potential colonists until after they were en route. The Seekers know about the colony from the journals of Lavinia's parents.
The nobility of Sasserine who turned down Lavinia believed that Farshore was doomed anyway. I don't see any motivation to end Farshore from them. Of course it is the nobility; their motives aren't always clear or reasonable.
The Seekers aren't involved. There's a Seeker lodge here and the opportunity to explore the island itself and it's many ruins.
Others may have found out about this place, but there is no visible motive for destroying it by force. The chances of Farshore surviving without open assault are still low. It would be better to just wait a year or two and let it fail on it's own. Unless we were getting in the way of something that the Fleet deemed important. But if the Fleet had interests in this area why wouldn't they destroy Farshore in it's infancy? Why would they need to rely on the half-assed scouting of the cream of Rat's End?
There is someone who (probably) knows about the location of Farshore, has had contact with the Crimson Fleet and has enough of a grudge against Lavinia to want to see her works destroyed.
I'm loathe to mention it to Lavinia. If I'm wrong then I've opened old wounds for no reason. If I'm right the wounds are still open and I don't know if there is any benefit.
I'll ask Elyosha if she can scrye on him tomorrow. I still have the key and the locket I found in his room. That should help.
Kaskus tells me that it needs that I write in Dwarven. I want to learn this language, and this is the fashion to do it. I do like not Dwarven. I am an Elf.
But I am an Elf in a body Dwarven. A statue army tentacled tentacled statue attacked me. My mother told me all the days that a druid must to rest outside of melee. She told me, “Use your spells, not your hands!” Truly, I was throwing spells, but the battle appeared finished. I got a finger from the altar. Then the statue enlivened. Then it killed me with its touches.
Urol searched again my scroll of Reincarnate. He reincarnated me. His skill with spells is getting bigger, and I appreciated him. But I am now a Dwarf. My people will understand, because the druids know Reincarnate. Again, I prefer to be an Elf.
We fought and killed the demonic statue. We walked to Farshore, where pirates were burning the buildings and chasing the innocents. I became a Pteradon (better than a Dwarf) and have quenched the fires. For the first, I threw a spell, and for the second, I called an element of water. Maggie and Garnham saved the innocents chased, and Dexter fought the pirates. Dexter is a good Dwarf, even that he was a good Half-Orc.
The pirate us told that the Fleet Crimson is coming. Now we help Lavinia become of the mayor, and we prepare for battle. I will find again parts of spells and send the animals to speak to the Olmans and the Araneas.
Kaskus, please to correct my Dwarven. I fear I have done many wrongs with this new language of yours.
From the journal of K. Garnham Seeker as translated from the Vallosan
It has been two weeks since my last entry. Tomorrow we depart to seek out martial assistance from the Ohlman and the Phanaton, to free access to tarpits and to repair the Bronze Dragon.
The time has passed too quickly. There is still so much to do; even if we succeed at every preparation there is no gurantee that we will survive the coming of the Crimson Fleet.
Dexter and I have moved to the Last Coconut. Originally this was to improve morale among the Ravens, but I hardly spend any time there except to sleep and break fast and Dexter spends his evenings trying to woo Rowyn.
It has worked out for the best however. My relationship with Lavinia has entered the gossip mill and it's probably best for our reputations that we sleep under separate roofs.
Dexter has had an opportunity to return to his first love-carpentry. Sellis' Woodworks and Smithy had been in need of some serious reorganization. He soon set things right.
It was from Gunnloda Sellis that we purchased an intricately carved chest upon which Maggie has cast a sonic glyph of warding. We have secured the chest in one of the warehouses, hoping that our mysterious thief gets curious and sets off the trap. As of this writing there has been no sign of tampering.
Dexter has also spent some time with Urol in the greenhouse. Dex tells me that Urol is a different person after his encounter with the servants of Demogorgon. There are moments when he seems his old self, talking animatedly about the impending hatching of the terror bird egg that he still has, flitting from topic to topic in his usual manner, but those times are few and far between and he spends hours in sullen silence.
Maggie has been working in the local chapel. I spent an hour listening to her sermonizing. She's better than she was the last time I heard her. If she keeps improving at this rate, I may find myself worshiping Aster. She's certainly worked wonders on the public spirit.
I've offered employment to Sabine. We're short on arcane spellcasting and she's more than competent. She joined the Ravens on one last mission to clear out the troglodytes. Apparently things didn't go that well for her. Kaskus and Ilsa have told the story over and over again frequently mentioning Zann and Sabine getting sick at the stench of the creatures. Sabine has remained quiet on the subject and I have respected that.
I have made overtures for her to join the Seekers, but she is dedicated to the Witchwardens and Seeker membership would hurt her standings with them. I plan on respecting her wishes, but selfish reasons made me hope that she would say yes. I'm rising in the Seeker hierarchy and will soon be assigned a chronicler. I had hoped to have Sabine act in that capacity instead of some stranger.
I'm sure I'll be happy with whomever the Seekers send.
It is through Sabine that I was properly introdued to Hevrik Aldwattle. He is the head of the local Witchwarden chapter. We discussed some spells that would prove useful in defending Farshore.
The Library here is fairly well stocked for such a remote Seeker outpost. Jeran Emrikad and I have spent some evenings going through texts trying to gain some advantage against the Fleet. We have learned that the leader of the Crimson Fleet, Cold Captain Wyther, is reputed to have made deals with the Abyss to extend the power of his organization. I had hoped to glean some idea as to the tactics of the Fleet, but we've found no evidence to suggest that anyone has survived an assault to record the details.
Needless to say, we have kept mum about this with the general population.
Jeran has expressed curiosity about our adventures. He's gone over my journals and has asked for more details. He has spent much of his spare time trying to piece together legends of an eighth Ohlman village that was on Temute, the isle where Farshore now resides.
He has inferred that finding this lost village would be quiet the feather in my cap.
Rowyn is proving to be an enigma.
She has taken up rooms at the Last Coconut and is supporting herself somehow.
I attempted to hire her to spy on Avner's attempts to campaign for his uncle. She laughed in my face before offering to do it "as a gesture of goodwill, offered in the hope that we can stay out of each other's business in the future."
She reports that the only success that Avner has had is in seducing Ruby the Weaver. In fact he's probably driven more voters away from Manthalay. She offered the advice that we can't rest on our laurels though. Manthalay is too good a politician to ignore.
Rowyn seems to be warming to Dex as well, giving him campaign advice and letting him buy her drinks.
My first thought is that she is working for Manthalay and trying to throw us off track. But if she was working for him she would have taken our money. And her advice seems sound.
Captain Venkalie has gone over the Hellfish with a work crew. She's at least confident that we won't sink on calm waters.
My time has been spent overseeing engineering improvements to the harbor and palisade, talking to people and making inroads with the local black market.
In this case the local black market is Lannae, a human woman in her early 50s and Gertie her young apprentice.
Elyosha has spent her time working with Aldwattle's laboratory, recruiting for the militia and sending messages to the Tanaroa and the Aranea.
She has released Medvedya and taken a dinosaur as an animal companion.
She has cast the scrying on Vanthus. It revealed him and another man in a cabin pouring over a map of the Isle of Dread. It would appear that the rumors of the Fleet having dealingd with the Abyss are true; Vanthus is now horned and scaled, bat winged and tailed.
I'm off now to have one last dinner with Lavinia before leaving in the morning. I'm going to tell her about her brother. I'm not looking forward to it.
After spending a couple weeks at the chapel in Farshore and finally getting started on my list (thank Aster for a little down time in between saving the world), we headed up to Tanaroa to enlist the help of the Ullman natives for our upcoming battle with the Crimson Fleet.
Upon arrival, the Ullman were attacked by a scary bat god called Zotzilla who turned into a gang of fire bat things. Alyosha just turned on the rain, and they were gone. Then we met JaKal, the chieftess of Tanaroa. She told us that Zotzilla was angry because of a missing idol. We offered to find the idol and return it, but when she described it, it sounded like something we already had. Garnham took it out and showed it to JaKal, and we explained that we had found it and had not stolen it from Zotzilla’s temple. She didn’t seem very pleased, but she told us how to get to the temple so we could return it and said that if we did so, they would trade with Farshore and help us fight the Fleet.
We took a detour to ask the Phanaeton for help. I don’t know why, but every time we go somewhere to ask somebody for help, they’re being attacked by something big and scary. The Phanaeton were being attacked by a big lizard, and not a friendly big lizard like Alyosha’s new friend Bolsha, but a real mean one that tried to eat Dexter and Garnham. It could have eaten the cuddly, little Phanaeton for breakfast and still had room for seconds, but we got rid of it pretty quickly, and the Phanaeton were grateful.
I must pause here to tell you of my grandmother’s adventures with the Phanaeton. She once defended them from a forest of evil trees all by herself, and they were so grateful that they showered her with gifts. That tribe probably reveres her as a god, although she’s far too humble to formally accept such a title. She’s such a kind and generous woman. I wish more pirates were just like her, stealing from the rich to give to the poor and always more than happy to help the little guys, like the Phanaeton.
Anyway, they were going to take us to their leader right away, but we were committed to return the idol without further delay, so a couple of them stayed with us as guides while we trekked to the tooth of Zotzilla, which is pretty much a creepy bat cave. It was pretty hot in there, but we magicked our way past that, and went in to return the idol. Zotzilla was there, and not only did he allow us to return the idol peacefully, but he rewarded us with great treasures!
Garnham got a ring of invisibility. Alyosha got a luck stone. Dexter got some fancy armor. Sabine got a pearl of power. I got a fabulous belt. It was really nice of an evil god to give us that stuff. Never judge and evil god by its huge, furry bat wings, that’s what I always say, but Dexter took his gift reluctantly. I was pretty annoyed by that. I’ve been praying for Celestial armor for weeks, and had it been delivered by some other god, that wouldn’t threaten my devotion to Aster. Dexter’s really changed a lot lately, and I don’t like it. The way he talks, I feel like he thinks that his dedication to his god is better and more important than anybody else’s. What a big, stinky jerk! There was a time when I felt genuine affection for him, maybe more than friendship, but he’s become so hard-headed and self-righteous lately. I could never feel that way about him now, and he’s made it clear that he doesn’t feel that way either. That’s fine with me if he’s going to imply that he’s somehow better than me.
Anyway, we got back to the Phanaeton Village, and Alyosha and Garnham went to negotiate with their leader while I took advantage of the festivities to check one of the less common races off my list.
The next morning, we traveled north to the Ricosta temple to find their cache of weapons. There was a big, scary snake in there, but it left us alone. Garnham noticed a big illusion in the middle of the room, and there was a big pit under it, but there was also a ladder down to a ledge, so we followed it down, and then there was this chamber with a big ranbow snake thingy. It was named Tanatea, and somebody said the creature was called a cloaca or something. We told it why we were there, and it just gave us the weapons and disappeared.
We teleported to the Bronze dragon with the weapons for our rendezvous with the Blue Nixie and got attacked by a corpru, another big nasty lizard and a big shark. Alyosha turned into an octopus, so the fight went pretty quick.
From the journal of K. Garnham, Seeker as translated from the Valossan
We set out from Farshore aboard the Hellfish. Joining us was Sabine whom I had persuaded to work for me and Elyosha's new animal companion Bolsha, a well armored dinosaur.
It took us less than a day to make the journey to the village of Tanaroa. We made the final approach overland and came into the village while they were in the midst of some sort of ritual directed at a large bat totem. The locals danced around a large bonfire, chanting.
As we drew closer something strange occured. The effigy of the bat-god (Zotzilla) came to life, rose from the flames and called out "return what has been stolen or burn!" The only thing was it was speaking Olman. I understood what it said though. There was a strong tremor and several smaller fire-bat creatures rose up and began to attack the villagers.
The Beetles intervened and Elyosha had quickly doused the beasties in magical waters.
The leader of the tribe, an elder woman named J'Kal, welcomed us and invited us to her tent to parlay.
We were naturally curious about what had just happened. She and a local arcane caster named M'Vembi (probably undead, but not certain) told us that an idol of Zotzilla had been stolen some months ago angering the god.
The description of the idol and my ability to understand Zotzilla made me think that the idol we discovered on Urol's quest might be one and the same.
M'Vembi confirmed my suspicions.
J'Kal offered Farshore military assistance against the Crimson Fleet if we returned the idol. We readily agreed.
We returned to the Hellfish and travelled to the cliffs leading to the tar pits that lay between us and the Fangs of Zotzilla, a pair of (now) active volcanoes where we were to return the idol.
Elyosha's magic got us over the cliffs and we made our way overland to the tar pits.
We arrived at the pits after a short hike. All seemed quiet at first and then we heard sounds of a combat in the distance. We rushed to see what it was and came across another thunder lizard. This one was slightly larger than the first one we fought and was engaged in combat with a party of phanathons.
We fought the beast. It swallowed Dexter and myself. Fortunately we were able to kill it without taking any casualties of our own. Although I think Dexter is developing a fear of being swallowed.
The phanatons were very thankful for our assistance. Through Maggie's translation we were able to talk two of them to travel with us to the Fangs and then show us the way to their village.
Captain Venkalie secured the tar pits and harvested the T-Rex skeleton for future animation.
The trip to the Fangs went smoothly. We needed to have protective magics cast upon ourselves against the high tempuratures we would encounter once inside the temple.
We wound our way through the caverns and eventually came upon a central chamber. There was a niche on the wall that looked to be the right size for the idol. I walked it there under the untrusting eyes of the bat-god.
Once it was in place the bat-god seemed to relax. He opened a secret panel and showed us a deep treasure horde. We were each offered to take something from here.
While we were examing the loot to make our decision the avatar seemed confused about a certain item. He didn't recognize a certain item, a large fang. He told us to get it out of there.
We made our choices and departed.
An impossible treasure map led us to an idol that had recently been stolen and moved hundreds of miles away. Once we return the idol we find something also out of place and are remove it.
Someone is going to an awful lot of trouble to get us this fang. Is it the end of the link or does this lead us to something else?
My head was swimming with theories that I could neither prove nor disprove. The trip to the phanathon village passed in a whirl. I barely noted the rising tension between Dexter and Maggie.
The phanatons were overjoyed to see us. We were welcomed as friends of the tribe and a great party was held in our honor. The chief was more than happy to offer assistance to Farshore. He also gave us a lead as to the location of the Rakasta weapons cache.
We enjoyed the hospitality of the phanathons that evening (Maggie a bit more so than the rest of us) and departed early the next morning for the Rakasta temple.
We found our way to the temple. A gigantic snake was pacified by Elyosha and we found our way inside. The area seemed desserted, but a passage was discovered under a cleverly placed illusion.
We travelled until we came into a central area. A feathered serpent appeared and identified itself as Tanatea a coatyl. He asked us our business. We told him and he seemed more than pleased to hand the cache over to us. He even gave us three of his feathers to summon him in case of future need.
From there we teleported to the Dragon. A kopru druid had taken up occupation there, but he and his dinosaur animal companion were quickly put down.
Maggie teleported Sabine and myself back to Farshore the next day.
Str 17 Hide +5 Feats: AC 16
Dex 12 Move Silently+5 Track HP 13
Con 14 Listen +4 Toughness
Int 09 Heal +6 Self Sufficient
Wis 11 Pro: Farmer +4
Cha 08 Survival +6 Wild Empathy
Bill Gan is a huge bear of a man. He spent his early days as an apprentice to Alice the Malice, a well respected member of Zelkarunes Horns. She was both a terror in the arena and an expert hunter.
In his third arena fight Bill came a hair's breadth away from death. Fortunately a cleric was on hand and was able to stabilize him before he passed. When he came to he claimed to have received a vision from his deity telling him to turn away from violence.
This wasn't a popular stance to take among his affiliation. When he was approached to join a new far away colony he jumped at the chance.
Since coming to Farshore he has worked as a farmer.
He agreed to join the Black Lodge as long as it was understood that he would take no hostile action against another sentient being.
T'Zon
Lawful Neutral Human Ranger 1 (used to be higher)
Str 11 Hide +5 Track AC 16
Dex 13 Move Silently+5 Endurance HP 8
Con 10 Heal +6 Diehard
Int 15 Survival +6
Wis 14 K: Geography+6 Favored Enemy Dinosaurs
Cha 12 K: Nature +6 Wild Empathy
Handle Animal+5
Use Rope +5
T'Zon was the pride of Tanoroa. A renowned hunter-warrior she raised a daughter who followed in her footsteps and was training her grandson in the family tradition when tragedy struck.
She led an expedition to the tar pits. Temauhti-Tecuani should have been on the other side of the pits when they arrived. All the signs indicated that he wasn't about.
To this day no one knows why the thunder lizard charged so ferociously across the pits, but he did. The party was set upon by the beast. T'Zon's daughter, who had accompanied her mother, was swallowed. Three other members of the group died that day. More would have if T'zon hadn't severed one of the beast's hands causing it to flee in agony.
Unfortunately the healers in the party were among the victims. By the time the survivors were fit to travel back to the village T'Zon's wounds had become seriously infected.
She was months fighting off the infection. It drained her of strength and at the age of 60 she never recovered. Now her arthritis made wielding two weapons hurt too much to bear, once keen senses had dulled.
Feeling adrift she took her young grandson (Y'Kern) to the Temute. Some strange people had come to this place to form a new village and the old warrior and her young grandchild made a home with them.
When the threat of the Crimson Fleet became known she presented herself to the militia captain and offered her services in the coming battle. He turned her down.
She was downcast until, a few weeks later, a ship came into Farshore carrying the bones of Temauhti-Tecuani. Apparently a band of adventurers had killed the beast that saw the end to her career as a hunter.
When one of them began to recruit for the militia she approached him and offered her services.
It was her determination to help that gave Garnham the inspiration for the Black Lodge.
Y'Kern
Lawful Neutral Human Ranger 1
Str 12 Climb +5 Track AC 17(18 w/dodge)
Dex 15 Jump +5 Dodge HP 9
Con 13 Swim +5 Mobility
Int 10 Hide +6
Wis 09 Move Silently+6 Favored Enemy Dinosaurs
Cha 12 Survival +4 Wild Empathy
The 15 year old grandson of T'Zon. He was deemed too young by the militia captain. When T'Zon was recruited into the Black Lodge by Garnham he insisted on helping to. With T'Zon's blessing he was accepted.
Gertrude Bessand
Lawful Neutral Human Rogue 1
Str 08 Hide +9 Stealthy AC 18
Dex 17 Move Silently+9 Toughness HP 9
Con 10 Spot +3
Int 14 Listen +3
Wis 09 Search +6
Cha 12 Gather Info +5
Appraise +6 Trapsense
K: Local +6 Sneak Attack +1d6
Open Locks +7
Disable Device+6
Being half of the black market in Farshore would be enough for most 15 year olds. Not so for "Gertie." She has a desire to pursue a life as an adventurer. Her aunt (the other half of the black market) didn't want to see her get killed fighting the Fleet.
When Gertie found out that Garnham was recruiting a stealth paramedics force she was able to convince her aunt that she should join.
Tildenacre Medcap
Lawful Neutral Human Rogue 1
Str 12 Hide +5 Persuasive
Dex 13 Move Silently+5 Skill Focus: bluff
Con 11 Gather Info +8
Int 09 Bluff +13
Wis 11 Sense Motive+8 Trapsense
Cha 18 Intimidate +10 Sneak Attack+1d6
K: local +3
Tilden Medcap has to be one of the great lovers of this age. By the time he had reached the age of twenty he had seduced 137 women and 42 men. Sometimes with lies so patently absurd that it's said that butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.
Eventually he was forced to leave Sasserine or be run through by the father of a young lady whom he had deflowered. In his haste to leave the city he jumped on board the only ship that was leaving the harbor that day, a ship bound for Farshore.
Tilden has managed to survive on the generosity of his new-found lovers in Farshore. Many of them are taking an active roll in the defense against the Crimson Fleet and expect the dashing Medcap to do the same.
When he heard about a way to serve while minimizing his chances to get hurt he jumped at the chance. Not that he doesn't make it sound more glamorous and dangerous than it actually is.
Last edited by Morrow; 26th March 2009 at 08:58 PM..
From the journals of K. Garnham, Seeker as translated from the Valossan
According to Maggie's divinations we currently have four days before the Crimson Fleet arrives.
Much has happened in the last few weeks.
Lavinia and I are engaged. I will be damned before anything stops us from being together or raising a family. Even the Crimson Fleet.
Maggie returned to the Dragon after returning Sabine and myself to Farshore. Once there Maggie animated the kopru and his dinosaur companion as zombies.
I asked Sabine if she could cobble together something that would help me persuade people. Not a full out charm, just something that would help me get my point across.
I began to actively campaign for Lavinia in the mayoral elections. I've never been much of a people person, but I seem to have a knack for it now. Maybe some of grandpa Nate shining through.
In the middle of my third day of poiticing I was approached by an elderly Ohlman woman named T'Zon who I had seen about town. She asked if I was one of the one's who had killed Temauhti-Tecuani, the T-rex that guarded the tar pits.
I said I was and she asked for the details. I told her what happened and when I had finished she offered her services in defense of Farshore. At one time she was a great hunter and a warrior, but she wouldn't last long in a straight up fight anymore.
I tried to let her down easily, but she was persistent.
For the next three days she followed me. She never repeated her offer, and she made certain that her presence wasn't getting in my way, but she was never more than 20 yards away from me.
You can't ignore that kind of person. They may not fit into the standard army, but no one said we had to build the standard army.
I came up with the idea of the Black Lodge. Right now it's going to be the people who can't fight head-to-head, but can move around the battlefield and help others. Later on it'll be for any defender of Farshore that doesn't have a place in the militia.
I gave it the family name. Just because I don't use it doesn't mean that there isn't worth to it.
When the Fleet is repelled I'm going to buy a piece of land and I'm going to build the Lodge proper. It'll be dark woods at first, but one day it'll be black stone. I have my eye on a piece of land.
I have found the first five members of the Black Lodge. There's T'Zon and her grandson Y'Kern, the pacifist warrior Bill Gan, the young thief Gertie Bessand and Tilden Medcap the accidental colonist.
Each has been given a fine suit of studded leather, a darkwood shield, a healing draught, some magical bandages and a weapon in case they are forced to defend themselves. Gan refused the weapon.
Sabine came to me in a few days with a magical necklace. She was able to cobble it together with bits and pieces we found through channels legal and otherwise.
I gave her some funds for more scrolls and blast discs.
I had planned to see if Sabine could identify the fang through the witchwarden library while I was involved in the political process, but Jeran was willing to due the research if I helped look for the lost Ohlman village.
Another thing to do after the Fleet comes.
Jeran got back to me a few days later with disturbing news. It seems that the fang is the tooth of Ahazu an artifact that is part of something called the Teeth of Dahlver-Nar. The fang forms a connection with Ahazu the Seizer a demon that captured other demons and imprisoned them in the Wells of Darkness. He got his comeuppance and is stuck there himself now. If someone replaces one of their own teeth with the fang it ... will improve their wrestling skill.
Jeran suggested that if I had no use for it, that it would make an excellent donation to the Seekers. I politely turned him down. Someone went to an awful lot of trouble for us to get this and I want to know for what purpose.
Does someone want Ahazu out? Are we supposed to get the other Teeth of Dahlver-Nar?
I have been spending some time each day familiarizing myself with the sea around Farshore. Both above and below the water. I have some ideas as to where to station the zombie elasmosaurus.
The other two watchtowers are up.
I have been putting a great deal of thought into how to streamline communications during the battle. Of the two options I came up with the first is probably not practical given the time needed to train messenger birds and the second will only work for shorter range communication through a network of arcane spellcasters.
Fortunately Lavinia had an ace up her sleeve. Jeran has a wand of whispering wind will be with her on the chapel bell tower to relay messages.
I had a notion to send the Ravens after the giant snake we encountered by the Rakasta temple. Unfortuately Kaskus believed the beast would have moved on by now.
Urol has agreed to reassemble the T-rex skeletons for animation.
Mora agreed to take in the infirm and the children of Farshore until after the battle. The Hellfish made several trips back and forth ferrying warriors into Farshore and noncombatants out. Thuderstrike has been reunited with Avner.
Lithira, the aranea woman we had met inland, contacted Elyosha via sending. She said that her people wouldn't help us, but offered her aid in return for sanctuary. I don't know how powerful she is, but sending isn't exactly a parlor trick.
She made it to the Dragon.
The rest of the Beetles teleported back to Farshore after repairs had been completed on the Dragon.
Maggie Hallowed the cemetery.
By that point I had been campaigning for three straight weeks. I wasn't certain about the way the election would go, but I was certain about my feelings for Lavinia. I asked her to marry me and gave her the best ring I could legally purchase.
The election was close, but it fell to Lavinia in the end. She announced our engagement at the celebration afterwards.
I think I asked Dexter to be my best man and Maggie and Elyosha to be my groomspeople. I say think, because I got very drunk that night. The only thing I really remember is talking to Dexter about building an exact copy of Farshore on the other side of the island so that the Fleet would attack there instead.
And possibly Maggie going off with Tilden at some point.
I had a meeting with Manthanaly Meravanchi the next day. I got a little full of myself and did some diplomacy that really was Lavinia's place to perform.
At some point Dexter actually learned to read. He used the Tome to help him organize the greenhouse.
Maggie spent her days ministering to the spiritual needs of the people and her nights building an army of undead pirates and dinosaurs. Adwattle provided controlling magic for the larger critters.
Elyosha and I worked on militia recruiting and in the final two weeks managed to add ten strong sword arms to Farshore's defense.
I had a private word with Rowyn and I believe she will actively help in the defense of Farshore.
Dexter has been working on defensive improvements of his own design. It would sure make me think twice before marching in.
The Dragon and Nixie are back in port.
We have discovered who the thieves are that have been getting into the warehouses. A pair of ethereal filchers. They finally got curious and triggered the trap we set for them. They escaped.
In a few weeks you are going to be asked to make a decision between Lavinia Vanderboren and Manthalay Meravanchi for the position of mayor of Farshore.
It's not going to come as any shock to you that I support Lady Vanderboren in this.
Now I'm not going to say anything against Lord Meravanchi. He's a good and noble man who has stood by Farshore when she has needed him. He has been a fine steward these last several months, but he is not the person for this job.
Farshore was founded on vision and faith.
Larrisa and Verik Vanderboren had vision. The vision to see this place for more than what it was, but what it could be. A city without slums, where people had a fair chance to fail or succeed on their own merits, not just the part of town where they happended to be born. A place where force of arms didn't justify the actions of those in power. A place where those who are different are not mangled into conformity.
The Vanderborens had faith. They had faith in you, that you would survive the crossing and build the city of their vision. Faith that you could come together with the Olman, not as conquerors, but as allies, forgoing the sword for the olive branch. Faith that the seed they planted here on these shores would grow into a strong and vibrant oak.
Their faith sustained them on the long ocean journey that we have all endured to be here today.
I know they would be proud of what you've done in their absence were they still alive to be here.
Their daughter is a woman of vision, a woman of faith and a woman of strength.
Lavinia Vanderboren had the guts to put almost everything she had and more into coming here. She had faith that the people who her parents had chosen had survived. When next to no one believed that this settlement would still be standing she crossed half the world to find you here. Thriving.
She has held faith with you, I now ask that you hold faith in her.
* * * * *
The Crimson Fleet is coming.
Those are not easy words to hear. It leaves a cold feeling of terror in your stomach.
Under the threat of this, two sides have emerged.
There is the side that holds true to the principals of Larissa and Verik. That we can cooperate with the people who came to this island in the distant past. That we see them as brothers and sisters; the children of a people who made the same journey that we made.
The other side believes that we should use our strength to bring the native peoples under our control. This side believes that might makes right. A view, I might add, that is shared by some people on ships due to arrive in a little over a month.
I have made my decision. I support the founding vision of Farshore. I support Lavinia Vanderboren.
Dexter learned to read. Read, Dexter, read! Veserin says it’s time to practice to write. Dexter doesn’t
like to practice to write. Dexter breaks his pen. Break things, Dexter, break! Dexter practices his letters,
A is for axe. Dexter will chop many demons with his axe. Dexter will axe them a question. Dexter is funny.
B is for battle. Battle makes Dexter happy.
C is for charge. CHARGE!
D is for Dexter. Dexter will smash his enemies beneath his feet. Dexter will kill every demon. Demons make Dexter angry. Devils and demons defy daring Dexter who deftly defies their designs and destroys them even though his is a dumb dwarf. Dexter borrowed Garnham’s dictionary for that one.
E is for election. This is important for some reason.
F is for fury. And fire. And foes. And ferocious. F is a good letter.
G is for good. Dexter is good.
H is for horror which Dexter will cause when the bad things see him charging at them coated in the blood of their friends.
I is for injuries which Dexter will inflict on bad things.
J is for justice. Dexter fights for justice.
K is for kill. KILL!
L is for lame. Reading and writing is lame.
M is for madness. Gwynharwyff shows how to use the madness of battle to fight against evil instead of just killing everything you see which would also be fun but not as nice.
N is for nice. Dexter is very nice. To his friends…
O is for onslaught. Dexter is good at that.
P is for pile. Pile is what you do with the bodies of your enemies.
Q is for quash. Quash is like squash but without the S so it’s easier to write.
R is for rage. Rage is what Dexter feels when someone who is supposed to be his friend makes him stay inside and practice writing when he could be outside in the sun chopping down trees and making things.
S is for slay. Dexter will slay demons.
T is for test. Don’t test Dexter.
U is for uproar. It’s like roar only up.
V is for violence.
W is for waste. This is a waste of time. Dexter will waste his enemies. Too much ale goes to Dexter’s waste which he works off by wasting enemies. Then he celebrates with ale. Dexter is aware this is a vicious cycle and is working on it.
X is for xterminate. Dexter doesn’t want to hear that’s not how to spell xterminate. He is almost done and if you don’t let him finish he will be very upset.
Y is for yell. It’s good to yell in battle. It lets your enemies know where you are so they can come over to you so you can kill them.
Z is for Zotzilla. Dexter should have killed Zotzilla when he had the chance but the volcano would have erupted and that would be bad.
(Setting: the evening before the Crimson fleet is expected. Elyosha is sitting in a tent she has erected at the edge of the jungle, where she prepares her spells.)
ELYOSHA: (muttering to herself in Elven).
KASKUS: It’s still strange to hear that fluid language come out of a dwarven mouth. Even such a lovely mouth as yours.
E: Kaskus! You are surprised. Why you here?
K: Am I not welcome?
E: Welcome--of course you welcome. Come in, come in. I make place to sit. (Elyosha clears several scrolls and parchments off a small stool. Kaskus sits down.) You are here to collaborate?
K: No, Elyosha. I think we have done all we can to prepare Farshore against the Crimson Fleet’s invasion. No, I am here to speak to you on more personal matters.
E: You want to check my Dwarven? I practice, Kaskus. (In Dwarven.) “Where is the outhouse? May I have the vegetable meal suitable for druids? Please speak more slowly.” (Once again in Common.) I do well, yes?
K: Yes, Elyosha, you are doing well. By the time we get back to Sasserine, you might pass for a very slow dwarf.
E: I have good education! The best among my people!
K: Yes, I know. I was teasing. I enjoy trying to make you laugh. You are even prettier then.
E: Kaskus, you blush me.
K: (Taking Elyosha’s hand.) Elyosha, I must speak to you seriously now. The Crimson Fleet will come soon. We have marshaled all our forces against them, but we may not be strong enough. You know this.
E: I hope only we have done enough.
K: All that we have done for Lady Lavinia may be lost. Residents of Farshore will almost certainly lose their lives. I may--or you--we may not be among the lucky ones.
E: You only tell me what I already know.
K: Elyosha, what I mean to say is that I must take this opportunity to tell you how I feel. I cannot--you must know--I do love you, Elyosha, and I wish you were not going into this battle. (Stands up.) I know I have no right to come to you like this, and you may throw me out if you wish, but I couldn’t face the Fleet tomorrow if I didn’t make myself plain to you now.
E: Kaskus--I--
K: Yes, I’ll leave. I’m sorry I had to shock you like this. Whatever happens--
E: (Stands.) Kaskus, do not leave. Do not leave. I--I love you, too, I have since I was elf and I thought you would never have me--
K: I have loved you almost since I met you.
E: --and I glad you have come to me now. But, Kaskus, I must fight for Farshore. So must you. We have given word to stand up for Lady Lavinia and these people. What kind of druid--what kind of person--would I be if I back out now?
K: (Holds Elyosha.) That is why I love you, that stubborn spirit to do what is right. We will join the battle tomorrow. Of course you are right. But stay with me here tonight, Elyosha. We have done everything we can for Farshore--let this night be ours.
After all that planning, the Crimson Fleet finally arrived today, but we were ready!
First of all, I have to say that having an undead army really comes in handy when you’re besieged by murderous pirates. They did an amazing job keeping those jerks at bay.
Anyway, Sabine and Alyosha used a bunch of magic to get us ready for the battle which was very helpful. They did it just as the fleet was arriving. There were five ships: the Hag (which is a word I don’t like to use because it insults women, particularly women such as myself who enjoy going to taverns with their homosexual friends), the Sea Witch’s Curse (which I believe makes mermaids turned human mute), the Kraken’s Claw (which is a ship my grandmother told me all about, full of mean pirates, not like grandma), the Stygian Shark (I don’t know what stygian means) and the Brine Harlot (which is a much better name for a ship because it honors working girls like my other grandma who share their gifts with all sorts of folks, but I don’t know why anyone would want to brine a harlot).
Alyosha sent a wind storm out to sea which slowed them down, and I raised the water around the tenders they sent to shore. On the beach, Alyosha created spikes funneling most of the pirates toward the desecrated area with the caltrops and undead dinosaurs. It was a great plan, but then, some flesh golems showed up down the beach, so we had to take care of them. They weren’t that bad. We used fire to slow them down, and then we just hacked at them until they were all dead.
We noticed some explosions in town, and we received a message from town requesting that we take care of some of the ships’ cannons, so we teleported onto the Stygian Shark where we saw the mage Alyosha scryed. There were five Juan-ti onboard including the mage. Alyosha turned into an octopus, and Granham took the mage out with his whip. After that, the others didn’t pose too much of a challenge. We loaded up the front of the ship with blast discs, and I steered it into the Kraken’s claw, taking both of the ships out of commission. Gran would be so proud!
I sent a message ashore to find out what would help them most, and there were demons just near the Last Coconut, so we all swam to shore. I impressed the rocs with my righteous might, and Dexter took out one of them all on his own!
After we destroyed most of them, Garnham went toward the chapel to find Livinia, and Vanthus showed up all demony and tried to kill us. What a jerk! I really hate that guy. I’m glad he’s dead. Anyway, he had some kind of black Pearl which he dropped on the ground, and apparently it would have destroyed the world or something, but Garnham shoved it into the extra-dimensional space in my backpack. I don’t think Vanthus understood at first that my backpack wasn’t just an ordinary backpack, but I think he figured it out just before Dexter took his head off.
Anyway, that was pretty much the end of the fight, and I think my backpack is okay. Now that Farshore is safe again, all that’s really left to do is pick up the pieces and make it the best colony EVER!
From the journals of K. Garnham, Seeker as translated from the Valossan
An hour after dawn five caravels made their way to the Farshore harbor. They were met by a windstorm called up by Elyosha's magic.
The five ships of the Crimson Fleet pushed through, calming the winds with magic of their own. They set off their long-boats and aimed their cannon at our defenses.
Our defenses were well placed. Undead in the waters hindered their long boats and those pirates who made it assure found themselves herded by caltrop and spikestone to the waiting arms of our terrestrial undead.
We Beetles were poised to deal with situations as they developed.
The first such was a disturbance along the beach. We arrived and found what, at first glance, appeared to be four large undead humans rising from the waters. Sabine recognized them for what they truly were-- flesh golems.
At the first sign of combat Elyosha and Sabine had cast signifigant protective magics on us making this fight easier than it otherwise would have been.
After dispatching the golems Maggie teleported us to the deck of the Stygian Shark. The Shark had been launching fireballs into the town. Flares had been witnessed just prior to the fireballs indicating that a pirate had gotten through the defenses and had been marking targets for the wizard aboard the Shark.
The caster was yuan-ti and had several of his kind providing back up in addition to the human crew that waited below decks.
After we killed the yuan-ti and drove the human crew into Elyosha's watery embrace, Maggie rammed the Shark into the Kraken's Claw. Sabine peppered the Claw with fireballs. Blast discs attached to the front of the Shark detonated on contact sinking both ships.
Word reached us of demons attacking near the chapel so we made our way their with best speed. We arrived to find four vrocks engaged in a dance of ruin.
Dexter slew one in single combat. The rest fell.
As I was making my way to the belltower Lavinia passed me. She was looking to the skies.
Then Vanthus landed in all his demonic glory.
He made an overture to Lavinia. She told him he was so much filth wearing her brother's skin; her brother was dead as far as she was concerned.
Vanthus tried to magically command us to go help others, but we were immune thanks to our magical protections.
The fight with Vanthus went our way. Then, as he was badly bleeding, he pulled away from me, took out a shadow pearl and threw it to the ground.
Fortunately, Maggie had the foresight to purchase a handy haversack and the effects of the pearl went off harmlessly in another dimension.
Dexter removed Vanthus' head.
I comforted Lavinia.
Of the five ships that came to Farshore, two were sunk, the Hag and the Brine Harlot were captured by Captain Venkalie and only the Sea Witches Curse escaped.
We open in the Farshore chapel. Most of the townfolk are gathered in their best clothing which varies from really nice to their regular clothing cleaned up a bit. At the front of the chapel stand the Silver Beetles, decked out in their finest outfits, arrayed in a line on the right hand side of the chapel. They are, in order, Garnham, Dexter, Maggie and Elyosha. Dexter carries an elaborately carved mahogany box.
In the front center stands Vesserin Catherly dressed in formal robes.
Maggie (speaking softly, as do the others in this exchange): I still say we should have done "naked wedding."
Garnham: No.
Elyosha: In Drusikstan no one has naked wedding. Is too cold, groom parts fall off. Bad for honeymoon.
Maggie: Why not?
Garnham: The only person I want to see naked will be walking down that aisle in about five minutes. When the naked part happens it's going to be between us.
Dexter snorts and smiles at his brother.
Elyosha: Not good for bride parts either.
Maggie: You should open your self up to more experiences Garnham.
Garnham: There are a lot of fine people out there today that I wouldn't want to experience even if I weren't getting married.
Elyosha: In Drusikstan no one gets naked on honeymoon either. Always wear hat.
Garnham: This feels weird.
Dexter: Getting married?
Garnham: No. Standing up here in front of all these people. I've spent most of my life trying to stay hidden. This is weird.
Dexter: Don't sweat it. In a few minutes no one's going to be looking at you.
At this point Rowyn Keilani, who had been playing background music on the violin, plays the musical cue that signals the coming of the bridal party. The Beetles stand to attention. Rowyn begins playing Tcham im Lithicarnia a traditional bridal march.
The members of the bridal party proceed to march down the aisle.
First up is Hevrik Adwattle.
Next is Gina "Redfoot" Fiddlebiter a relatively tall halfling woman in her thirties dressed in a fashionable yet comfortable outfit.
Next is Sabine Taskerhill. She carries a box identical to the one held by Dexter.
Finally Lavinia Vanderboren walks down the aisle. Walking beside her, in lieu of her deceased mother, is Telda Syren a half-elven woman who was very close to Lavinia's mother Larrissa.
Telda walks Lavinia up to her place in the front of the chapel, hugs her warmly and stands beside Vesserin.
Rowyn stops playing.
Vesserin steps forward.
Vesserin: We are gathered here today, on this happy occasion, to join and witness the joining of Lavinia Vanderboren and Kai Garnham in the estate of matrimony. To these two young people, this marriage signifies the birth of a new spirit, a spirit which is a part of each of us, yet not of any one of us alone. This "birth of spirit" reminds us of spring, the season when all life is reborn and looms again. It is appropriate, therefore, that this wedding of
Lavinia and Kai be in the spring, Kai, Lavinia, I bid you look into each others eyes. Lavinia, Will you cause him pain?
Lavinia: I may.
Vesserin: Is that your intent?
Lavinia: No.
Vesserin: Kai, will you cause her pain.
Garnham: I may.
Vesserin: Is that your intent?
Garnham: No.
Vesserin: (to both) Will you share each other's pain and seek to ease it?
Both: We shall.
Vesserin: And so the binding is made.
Vesserin steps back letting Telda move to the spot that he has vacated. Dexter offers the box to Telda. She opens the lid and extracts a silver chain from inside. Garnham raises his right hand revealing a golden bracelet. Telda attaches the chain to the bracelet. Lavinia raises her left hand to reveal an identical bracelet. Telda attaches the other end of the chain to Lavinia's bracelet.
Vesserin: Lavinia, Will you share his laughter?
Lavinia: Yes.
Vesserin: Kai, Will you share her laughter?
Garnham: Yes.
Vesserin: (to both) Will both of you look for the brightness in life and the positive in each other?
Both: We shall.
Vesserin: And so the binding is made.
Sabine offers her box to Telda who opens it, removes a silver chain and uses it to link Lavinia to Garnham.
Vesserin: Lavinia, Will you burden him?
Lavinia: I may.
Vesserin: Is that your intent?
Lavinia: No.
Vesserin: Kai, Will you burden her?
Garnham: I may.
Vesserin: Is that your intent?
Garnham: No.
Vesserin: (to both) Will you share the burdens of each so that your spirits may grow in this union?
Both: We shall.
Vesserin: And so the binding is made.
Telda takes another chain from Dexter's box and binds Garnham to Lavinia.
Vesserin: Lavinia, will you share his dreams?
Lavinia: Yes.
Vesserin: Kai, will you share her dreams?
Garnham: Yes.
Vesserin: (to both) Will you dream together to create new realities and hopes?
Both: We shall.
Vesserin: And so the binding is made.
Telda takes a chain from Sabine's box and binds Lavinia to Garnham.
Vesserin: Kai, will you cause her anger?
Garnham: I may.
Vesserin: Is that your intent?
Garnham: No.
Vesserin: Lavinia, will you cause him anger?
Lavinia: I may.
Vesserin: Is that your intent?
Lavinia: No.
Vesserin: (to both) Will you take the heat of anger and use it to temper the strength of this union?
Both: We will.
Vesserin: And so the binding is made.
Telda takes a chain from Dexter's box and binds Garnham to Lavinia.
Vesserin: Lavinia, Will you honor him?
Lavinia: I will.
Vesserin: Kai, Will you honor her?
Garnham: I will.
Vesserin: (to both) Will you seek to never give cause to break that honor?
Both: We shall never do so.
Vesserin: And so the binding is made.
Telda takes the final chain from Sabine's box and binds Lavinia to Garnham. She steps back allowing Vesserin to return to his original place. He places his hands on the six chains linking Lavinia and Garnham.
Vesserin: The links of this binding are not formed by these chains but instead by your vows. Either of you may drop them, for as always, you hold in your own hands the making or breaking of this union. (Vesserin removes his hand from the chains. Garnham and Lavinia join bracleted hands.) I now pronounce you husband and wife.
The couple embrace and kiss. There are some hoots from the assembled townsfolk and some of the members of the wedding party. Rowyn starts a spirited song on the violin. The couple walk up the aisle hand in hand under a rain of the hats thrown into the air by the congregation.
Scenes from the reception (in no particular order)
1. Dancing
The main festivities are taking place in and around The Last Coconut. Tables have been set up outside and the town square has been set aside for dancing.
The Arrelion family have set up their instruments on the eastern corner of the block. Galliana is playing the only piano in Farshore, a family heirloom brought over from Sasserine. Tehrik plays guitar, Dantrik is on drums and Gerriss plays cornet. They aren't as good as Rowyn, but they have the advantage of playing after the liqour gets served.
The newlyweds have their first dance and everyone else is invited to join them.
Numerous couples begin to dance.
Tilden, looking quiet dashing in a new suit, offers his hand to Ruby the Weaver. She smilingly accepts.
Ruby: So you're TIldenacre Medcap.
Tilden: At your service.
Ruby: Quiet a mouthful.
Tilden: My friends call me Tilden.
Ruby: (looking over at the Garnham and Lavinia) They certainly make a nice couple.
Tilden: That's what I thought when I introduced them.
Ruby: I thought they met...
Tilden: ....when Lady Vanderboren hired the Silver Beetles? That's the story that they want you to believe. The truth is much more complicated. Back alley deals and derring-do just a bit too sordid for the average person.
Ruby: Really!?
Tilden: Absolutely. Perhaps I can tell you about it later at my place.
Ruby gives him a knowing smile and they dance on.
Elyosha and Keskus might be dancing together. It's hard to tell with all of the humans in the way.
On the edge of the dancing sits Y'Kern. The young Ohlman man sits on the ground watching the foreigners dance. Gertie Bessand walks up to him. She's balancing two plates of food and a cup of wine. She hands one of the plates of food to Y'Kern.
Gertie: I got you a plate.
Y'Kern: Thanks. I was going to wait for the line to thin down before I got anything.
Gertie: I figured. (she sits and begins to eat)
Gertie: You like the dancing?
Y'Kern: It's a bit tame for a wedding.
Gertie: It looks fine to me.
Y'Kern: Ohlman dancing is more spirited than this. More energy. Less clothing.
Gertie: Oh. (long pause) I was wondering if maybe you'd like to dance with me. After we eat of course.
Y'Kern: You'd need to ask my grandmother.
Gertie: I don't want to dance with her, I want you.
Y'Kern: (shrugs his shoulders) There is a proper way to do things. Grandmother is very big on the proprieties.
Gertie: Oh.
Telda dances by with Rhyner.
Telda: So you're Garnham's foster father?
Rhyner: More or less. I watched over him since his mother passed. He could have turned out worse I suppose.
Telda: You're being modest. I think you did an excellent job with him.
Rhyner: Thank you.
Telda: How long are you here for?
Rhyner: Just the wedding.
Telda: How did you get here?
Rhyner: It's complicated. You see...
They dance off, Rhyner's explanation lost in the crowd.
Dexter and Rowyn dance by.
Dexter: Thanks again for playing the fiddle.
Rowyn: What can I say, weddings bring out the romantic in me. Play your cards right and you could get lucky tonight.
Dexter: We're going to play cards?
Rowyn: Why not. Ever play strip poker?
The gnome Urol Forol and the dwarf Gunnlodda Sellis dance by. Urol has his eyes fixed on his feet obviously not familiar with the steps to this, or probably any other dance. After he manages to get four consecutive steps in a row right he meets Gunnlodda's eyes, his face in a huge eager puppy dog grin.
Gunnlodda: Don't get cocky yet, the fast stuffs coming up. (She proceeds to twirl him around the dance floor.)
Captain Ulvar Kabbanja and Ilsa Baldrick dance by.
2. A Wedding Present
At a lull in the festitvities T'zon comes up to Lavinia and Garnham bearing a wooden club. The club features an image of a (presumed) fertility goddess. T'zon extends the club to Lavinia with both hands.
T'zon: A present to you Lady Vanderboren on the day of your wedding.
Lavinia: (accepting) Thank you. (examining it) What is it?
T'zon: It is traditional for new brides to receive this on their wedding day. This (she point to the fertitlity goddess) is to insure children. And this (she turns the club around revealing bits of what must be the Ohlman version of the Kama Sutra) is to insure pleasure. And if your husband gives you neither (she grasps the club as if to attack) then he gets this.
Lavinia: (smiling) You've had to use it yourself then?
T'zon: My second husband. I had to let him go. He couldn't find the capstone of my womanhood with a map, a compass and a pair of hunting dogs.
Lavinia: I'm not sure that I could either.
T'zon: Dear Lady, I had forgotten that you lost your mother. She was a good woman. We spoke many times. It was her responsibility to tell you of your body, but I can do this in her stead.
Lavinia: That's alright. I..... have an aunt in Cauldron. Probably.
T'zon: All the better. It is best that family do this.
Lavinia: Yes. Thanks again for the present. I hope you don't mind if I just put it in the other room.
T'zon: That is probably best. That Bessand girl has her eye on Y'kern, and I don't want to put any ideas in her head.
Lavinia: Maybe we'll have another wedding in a few years.
T'zon: That's between her and me.
3. A meeting of the minds
It's later in the evening. The band is still playing, but it is obvious that they are using alcohol to fuel themselves at this point. There are a few couples still dancing in the square, but more are just relaxing, chatting, sipping drinks.
The main room of the Last Coconut is mostly empty. The only occupants are Zan Oldavin, Jeran Emrikad, Bill Gan, Avner Meravanchi and Gina Fiddlebiter. There are several decanters of wine and other spirits on the table. The five are all at least two sheets to the wind.
Zan: I don't even know why I'm here?
Avner: This is a bar, if you can't figure it out then you're not trying hard enough. (he empties his glass.)
Zan: I mean Farshore. Was a time when being a Jade Raven meant something. Now the Lady's got herself new favorites.
Bill: And she ups and marries one.
Zan: Exactly.
Gina: A thief like you.
Zan: I'm notta thief. I'm an adventurer. He's a thief. What am I doing in this drenhole town.
Jeran: Having an adventure.
Zan: Not me. We're part of the B team.
Gina: And you fought for us just as well as the Beetles.
Jeran: Look at me. Past my prime and still full of dreams. You're doing it kid. You don't see me going off to fight troglodytes or sword fight pirates.
Avner: There is too much liquour here for that much depression. (He refills Jeran and Zan's cups.)
Gina: So Bill, they tell me that you're a pacifist.
Bill: A couple years ago I nearly died in a fight. Saw me a vision from on high. Told me to stop fighting.
Gina: Even in self defense?
Bill: Yeah.
Jeran: Which god was it?
Bill: Dunno. I'm not a particular religous man.
Avner: Let's keep religion out of this. Tonight is about drink and women.
Gina: If that's the case you boys better drink up cause I can guarantee you that the only person at this table going to bed with a woman tonight is yours truly.
Zan: Can we watch.
Gina: I meant that I'M a woman and I'll be in bed. By myself. Gods Zan, are you this pervie when your sober?
Zan: Ask me when I'm sober.
Avner: None of us have the lifespan to wait that long. (Avner drains his glass and looks to Gina.) Now what's this you say about going to bed alone.
Gina: It ain't happening longshanks.
Avner: You do realize that what they say about human men is true.
Gina: That you're twice as disgusting as halfling men? Figured that one out on my own.
Jeran: Not all of us are that bad.
Zan: You're one of the good ones Jeran.
Bill: My god, whoever they are, just told me not to fight. Said nothing about celibacy.
Gina: Avner, you've been in Farshore a few months and you've already seduced and abandoned all of the local girls who'll have you. You know what they say about men who womanize like that?
Avner: That we're blessed by the gods.
Gina: No. They say that men like that are trying to hide something. Trying to hide the fact that they like other men.
Zan: You know he has been looking at me awful funny all night.
Avner: You're a man? I'm sorry, my mistake.
Zan lunges at him from across the table. The half-elven rogue knocks the young wastrel back. Jeran, Bill and Gina stare back and forth at each other.
Bill: I'm a pacifist.
Jeran: I'm too old.
Gina: I'm betting 5 silver that Zan kicks his sorry ass around the island.
Bill and Jeran look at each other.
Bill: My god didn't say anything about gambling. I'm in.
Jeran: Me too. Except the deity speaking to me part.
The three refill their cups and turn their chairs around to watch Zan and Avner go at it. From outside the Coconut we here the following:
Dexter: Look out, I'm coming through.
Maggie: NAKED WEDDING!!!!!!!! WOOOO HAAAAAAAA!!!!
4. The end of the evening.
Garnham and Lavinia are walking into the manner holding the hands that are still linked by their wedding bracelets. Lavinia has T'zon's club in her other hand.
Garnham: You know, they used to take the chains off at the altar.
Lavinia: And then the bride and groom ended up getting pulled apart every five minutes during the reception. I like it better this way. I have you all to myself for at least one day.
Garnham: Amen to that.
They walk through the main hall and up the stairs. Stopping at the threshold to there room.
Lavinia: This is it.
Garnham: Yeah.
Lavinia: We walk through that door and that room transforms itself from my parents' room to ours.
We'll be the grownups then.
Garnham: That's a scary thought. (he pushes the door open with his left hand) I'm ready if you are.
They walk into the room. Just inside the doorway is a small wooden stand upon which sits a mahogany box almost identical to the ones carried by Sabine and Dexter. On the top of the box there is a small golden placard that reads:
"Kai Garnham and
Lavina Vanderboren
United together
In love and friendship
This April 14th XXXX"
They step forward to the box. Lavinia opens the top.
Garnham: So I undo you.
Lavinia: And you undo me. It's good luck.
Garnham undos one of the chains on Lavinia's bracelet. She undos the same chain on his bracelet and places it reverently into the wooden box. She then undos one of the chains on his bracelet, he reciprocates and places that chain into the box. They continue until all of the chains are in the box.
Garnham closes the box and Lavinia picks it up and carries it to a shelf along the left hand side of the room. She places it there beside an almost identical box bearing the names of her parents.
From the journals of K. Garnham, Seeker as translated from the Vallossan
It seems that the last journal that I deposited with the guild was damaged in a freak accident and that I will need to provide an overview of the last few months at the begining of this new volume.
The most important thing to happen during this time was my marriage to Lavinia. I'm not certain how they did it, but my friends managed to get Rhyner to Farshore for the ceremony.
The service went smoothly, and aside from a fist fight and some drunken streaker, the reception went well. We spent a week in Mora for the honeymoon.
All of this has gotten me interested in family. I've asked Rhyner to ask around about the current whereabouts of my father Emil Black and any other possible children he might have had. With any luck I'll be getting word when the Nixie returns.
My chronicler will also arrive with the Nixie. I'm not so certain about this, but will try to have an open mind.
Shortly after returning from my honeymoon the Silver Beetles set out to find the legendary 8th Village. Between Elyosha's and Maggie's divinations we were able to quickly locate the remnants of the old village, somehow dragged underground by the power of the ape idol.
We encountered heavy resistance from Aranea. Unlike Lirithia we were unable to reason with them and were forced to kill them in our own defense.
In the end there was enough valuables to fill Maggie's haversack. Approximately half of what we found was wanted by the other seven villages, the other half (including the ape statue that started this whole mess) was seen as cursed by the Ohlman and will be sent to the north once a ship is available.
Things have been remarkably quiet aside from settling into married life and killing 8 foot long spiders.
I sent word to the Seeker Lodge in Fort Blackwell about the mysterious goings on with our false priest and the agents he met there.
Rowyn has taken over control of the Last Coconut. Witnesses confirm that the previous owner, Malfus Fariwind, was killed by three pirates in the attack on Farshore. My worse, if wiser, self reminds me that Rowyn's magics allow her to look like someone else.
I have spent my time doing the daily business of the Lodge and becoming more a part of the social/ political side of things. The latter seems to be some help to Lavinia as she goes about her duties as mayor.
The first Black Lodge has been built. We've had a number of new members join. Mostly temporary militia members who want to defend their homes, but who aren't interested in the military life.
I'm learning the Ohlman language.
I have also formed a research group. Jeran, Sabine, Adwattle and myself have been trying to work through a number of things. The Skin Walkers, the Yarrash birthmark that Dexter and I have and the history of the Island.
There is the matter of the teeth of Dahlver-Nar.
Dahlver-Nar was a human cleric who, through means unknown, came to possess the teeth that now bear his name. Each tooth grants the "wearer" a link to a particular being of great power who is either dead, trapped or otherwise inaccessible. If a particular tooth is destroyed then it is somehow recreated elsewhere.
It's unclear if the full set of teeth would be able to be permanently destroyed.
The tooth we have is that of Ahazu the Seizer, demon lord of the night and abduction, Ahazu is assosiated with the seventy-third layer of the Abyss, the Wells of Darkness as Ulricon the Necromancer called them.
This is how Ulicron describes the realm:
"The Wells of Darkness is habitable, but abandoned by most demons. The stony ground is littered with inky black wells, spots of pure darkness at the bottom of each shaft beneath a steely blue sun. Each well is said to contain an imprisoned demon, god, or corpse. Some of the prisoners were overthrown by rivals, while others failed spectacularly in their conduct of the Blood War.
Those who wander from the marble path that winds through the Wells of Darkness risk incurring the wrath of the Abyss itself. Those who linger more than a few hours risk gaining the attention of the Custodians, utterly silent wardens who relentlessly patrol the layer, dealing death with their baleful gazes.
Although it is possible to escape imprisonment in one of the Wells of Darkness, such escapes usually require the Lords of Woe or the intervention of a greater deity. Those known to have escaped the Wells of Darkness include Bayemon of the Unhealing Wound, the marilith queen Shaktari, Siragle the Ineffable, and vaunted Zzyczesiya."
Now Ahazu is missing (presumed hoisted by his own pitard) and we have his tooth.
The string of events that led us to the tooth.
1.) Before leaving Sasserine Urol is sold a treasure map that will eventually lead to the idol.
2.) Sometime during our journey to Farshore the idol is stolen from the temple of Zotzilaha.
3.) The idol (somehow) ends up in the Ohlman ruins on Urol's treasure map.
4.) We find the idol.
5.) We return the idol to Zotzilaha.
6.) The representative of Zotzilaha seems surprised that the Tooth is among the items he offers us as a reward.
7.) He tells us to take it away.
8.) We do.
Who took the idol in the first place? Who put the Tooth in Zotzilaha's collection plate? Why us? Why do they want us to have the Tooth? After all these months I'm just running around in circles trying to figure it out.
What we can safely accept as fact:
1.) Whoever did this is at least as powerful as we are, probably more so. At the very least they had to magically transport the idol hundreds of miles away. I don't know how well guarded the idol was when it was taken.
2.) Whoever did this is familiar with us. They knew who would be important enough to be able to negotiate a visit to the island, but gullible enough to buy a treasure map.
3.) They plan long term.
One theory is that this is a plan to release Ahazu himself. Perhaps there is some ritual that needs to be performed, something that we are qualified to perform.
I don't like this one. It would have to be a pretty damn powerful ritual given the power usually required to escape the Wells.
The flip side of the coin is that someone wants to make certain that Ahazu stays in the Wells permanently. Maybe there's a way to permanently destroy the Tooth on the Isle of Dread and doing so will make it impossible for Ahazu to escape.
Too many leaps in logic for me to be happy with this theory.
Or this could have nothing to do with Ahazu beyond his dentistry.
Frustruating.
I have recently discovered a secret compartment in the Brine Harlot. It contained Vanthus' log. There are many interesting bits and I suspect that Lavinia will ask us to deal with a few of it's revelations.
From the journals of K. Garnham Vanderboren-Black as translated from the Vallossan
With the expected return of the Nixie in a month's time I decided to make a final inspection of the ships that we would soon be the core of the Farshore fleet. While going over the captain's quarters of the Brine Harlot I came upon a hidden compartment that I somehow missed the first time.
Within was a log kept by Vanthus detailing some fairly disturbing goings-on in other parts of the island.
It mentioned the Fleet meeting with Emraag the Glutton, a monstrous dragon turtle said to sink ships and eat whole crews. It referred to a payment made to the beast in order to access the beach of Gallivant Cove. It was on this beach that they met with the leprous Lords of Dread and received the Shadow Pearl that Vanthus tried to destroy Farshore with some months ago.
Seventh Coil Yuan-Ti?
Lavinia has had grave concerns about the safety of the Nixie and other ships traveling to and from Farshore for some time. The Glutton's home is on the other side of the island, but it can range out far enough to be a serious threat to our shipping lines.
Manthalay hadn't wanted to negotiate safe passage with the monster, but Lavinia wanted to ensure the safety of Farshore's supply lines by whatever means necessary.
Since coming back from our honeymoon Lavinia had heard the rumors of a Vanderboren family curse that had been spreading among the townsfolk. She wanted things to run smoothly for the colony so she loaded the Dragon down with treasure and asked us to deal with the Glutton by bribery or brute force and then investigate the source of the Lords of Dread.
To summon the beast we were provided with an Ohlman musical instrument called a sea skirl, a long pipe that is placed half underwater while the musician blows through the other end. Rowyn was convinced to join us and play the skirl.
There was strong debate over the approach we should take with Emraag, diplomacy or the sword. I was more in favor of killing the beast than bartering, but was uncertain if we had the strength to defeat it.
We sailed for five days before reaching Gallivant Cove. We dropped anchor and had Rowyn play the skirl. In a few minutes the Glutton rose from the deep.
He is far larger than any dragon turtle that I'd read about, gross and fat with power. Dexter could confirm his evil nature.
We made an arrangement. The treasure we offered him now for a year of safe passage for all ships sailing the Farshore colors.
The beast also directed us to the pier that Vanthus had travelled to when he came here months ago and mentioned the lizard folk that lived in the caves just off of it.
We arrived. Elyosha scouted the area and found tracks that indicated that they went to the pier regularly to fish accompanied by a large quadroped dinosaur.
Elyosha and I scouted into the caves, soon coming across a cavern guarded by the large dinosaur. There was a passage off the cavern leading further in, but it was blocked by a metal gate.
Elyosha (in cat form) continued past the gate. After a short while she came to another room. This one had four snake people. After that room there was a sloping passage covered in pictograms that suggested that the Shadow Pearls were created by the the snake god Yig.
Elyosha magically neutralized the dinosaur. We were then able to stealth closer to the snake people and confirm that they were evil.
We fought the four snake-men priests.
They didn't survive.
One point of interest. The dinosaur and the snake men priests showed signs of deformity. Their skins had scaled and scabbed over. There was evidence that this was due to a disease or possibly the effects of Shadow Pearl exposure. Amongst the belongings of the dead were several applications of black pulp poultice and bilestone geodes that were large enough to contain Shadow Pearls.
Sabine and I have secured a sample geode apiece for study by the Seekers and Witchwardens.
We then traveled for four miles when we arrived at a great cavern filled with small huts. We discovered that most were filled with snake-people in various stages of the shadow-scourge. Some were so cancerously overgrown that they couldn't pass through the entrance of their homes.
We discovered six other priests attending a modified statue of Yig. A second head had been added to it; the head of a toad.
We came upon them as they were about to sacrifice an Ohlman man before the tainted effigy of Yig. The priests died, the Ohlman man didn't.
While we were tending to the wounds of the feral Ohlman man we heard the sounds of someone still alive among a pile of dead shadow scourge victims. We pulled a snake woman from the corpse pile. Interestingly she was not evil and showed no signs of the condition that had effected her fellow snake people.
She told us that she was a former priest of Yig who had proven immune to the disease that now ravaged her people. She was to be sacrificed to the abomination that had been made of her deity and was most grateful that we had saved her life.
She told us that the Shadow Pearls come from the temple of the Ancient Ones and that her people receive the pearls from Kopru. She offered to lead us to the temple.
We rested for the night. The Ohlman man, it turned out, had been under the effect of a Feeblemind spell and required serious magical healing in the morning.
Maggie was able to restore his mind and he told us his tale.
His name is J'Kara and he is from an Ohlman village closer to the central plateau not associated with the Seven Tribes.
He had encountered a missionary from Farshore named Noltus. Dexter knew of Noltus from his time in the temple. Vesserin had spoken of him and was concerned that he hadn't heard from the missionary since he left Farshore to explore the heart of the island.
Noltus is a worshiper of the sun god Urian.
J'Kara was impressed by Noltus' faith and dedication for the elimination of dark powers. J'Kara is himself a demon fighter. The faiths meshed closely enough that J'Kara even had the symbol of the Church of the Whirling Fury tatooed on his back..
Noltus had asked J'Kara to take a message to Vesserin. While crossing the plateau J'Kara was attacked by a band of skinwalkers. He managed to beat them back, but not before one of them had cast Feeblemind on him.
J'Kara wandered off and was eventually captured by the snake people to be used in their sacrifice.
Both Maggie and Dexter have proven very interested in the Ohlman demon hunter. Dexter for religious matters and Maggie for, I assume, more carnal pursuits. The two have been a bit snippy with each other as regards J'Kara's attentions.
We set off with N'Tel and J'Kara. Providing them with what equipment we could before pressing further.
In the one fight we've had since they've joined us they've proven their worth. J'Kara with a bow; N'Tel with warlock abilities.
From the journals of K.Garnham Vanderboren-Black as translated from the Vallossan
We decided to send J'Kara back to the Dragon. Dexter had concerns about his safety and wanted to ensure that he relayed his message from Noltus to Vesserin.
N'Tel continued to guide us through the tunnels and caverns of her homeland giving us good intelligence of a roper and steering us through a barrier seemingly made up of the spirits of Ohlman warriors that whispered to us in their native tongue.
N'Tel told us about an isolated village called Barbas that she believed would be the last possible sanctuary before we made it to the temple of the Ancient Ones.
Barbas, from what she knows, is populated by mongrelfolk and a few members of other races.
We traveled to Barbas. Elyosha steered us through a series of poisonous molds that seemed to have been grown specifically to ward out intruders. As we grew nearer we became aware of six hook horrors that awaited outside the gates of the town.
We convinced the guards of our peaceful intentions and were allowed in. We were met by an albino mongrel man, heavily scarred, missing part of his right ear who introduced himself as Vertrum, the headman of the village.
The citizenry seemed a bit put off by the strangers in their midst. We did some trading with them and chatted. Every once in a while you could catch them whispering the things that you had just said in your voice. Weird.
We were treated to a feast in our honor. I think one of the components of good diplomacy is a strong stomach. Their delicacies were ..... an acquired taste. Nothing wrong, just very different. Still nothing worse than the phanaton feast we attended.
Vertrum told us a bit about the history of Barbas. Many generations ago the forefathers of Barbas were held as slaves to demon-fish in the city of Golismorga. There was a great war with the demon-fish and a tear from the rain god forced the water out of the demon-fish city.
The slaves, now free, formed the village of Barbas and took up the worship of the Snake Father, a god that doesn't seem to actually exist as far as Maggie can ascertain.
We spent the night in Barbas only to have our sleep disturbed by an assault from an umber hulk, two hook horrors and a grell. They died.
The next morning we spoke again with Vertrum. With the assault on Barbas the night before he had decided to relocate his village. We contacted Lavinia via Sending to see if Farshore would take them in. We told Vertrum that we might have a place for his people and gave him some basic survival tips for the surface before we continued on.
Before we left he showed us one of the devil-fish. He said that it still lived and that particularly brave souls had placed their ears to it's side and can hear it's evil heart still beating.
It turned out that the devil-fish was an aboleth. Without water it seemed to have dried up and become inert. Knowing what evil it was capable of we killed it.
We traveled a day and came to the cavern N'Tel spoke of. It was mostly submerged in water. I'm not certain how this much water was supposed to be here given what we were told by Vertrum about the tear. Perhaps it's a sign that the old magic is failing.
Upon entering N'Tel walked to the center and said "They are here, the heroes you wanted."
The spirit of a serpent-folk materialized over the water and said, "Thank you my daughter, you have served me well."
He then proceeded to introduce himself as Seth and explained that the Shadow Pearl production could be stopped by reflooding the city and forcing the Kopru out. He referred to the item holding back the waters as Tlaloc's Tear and that we would need to destroy it to stop the pearls even though it would reawaken the aboleth.
He also said that Demogorgon was behind the Shadow Pearls.
On arriving in the cavern we had noticed unusual writings on the walls and ceiling. Most noticable of these was a rune on the ceiling that seemed to share some properties with aboleth glyphs. Elyosha examined it with her monocle and determined that it suppressed an aboleth's ability to magically enslave others. She was also able to tell that the serpent-folk spirit that we were talking to was an illusion.
We confronted it and it revealed itself to be an aboleth. It tried to convince us that we needed to destroy the Tear to get rid of the Pearls and it tried to convince us that it's people wouldn't be a threat to us for hundreds of years.
We fought and killed it.
We traveled on and have now camped on the edges of the fetid city of Golismorga.
Last edited by Morrow; 4th July 2009 at 10:03 PM..
Reason: Adding Title
Dear Mom,
Sorry I did not rite you sooner. I meaned to but since I riting is hard and you can not read good I
did not think you would mind so I waited til now cause we are gonna maybe die soon so I wanted
too rite a letter now while I still can. Do not worry. Things are good. If we die it will be cause of a
bout a hundrid dozen evil creatures we are about to fight. So that is good.
Things in Farshore are good. We are still working for Lady Vandahborin. She sent us to give
presents to a evil giant turtle so it would stop eating our boats. Remember those bad things I told
you about that those bad guys are gonna use to do bad things to where you live and where I live?
Garnham says I should not menshun names in my letter in case it is interseptid. We found out
where they are from and are trying to fix it.
I made a new friend on the way here. He is part of the same church as me. I could not talk to him
much because Maggie has a crush on him and she got jellis when he and me were talking about our
favorit way to kill evil things. Speaking of killing evil things we killed a lot of them on the way here.
Some of them were really neet. There were all these snake peepul that had dizeezis. And a spike with
tennacles. And there were giant bugs and then other giant bugs and there was a brain with a beak
and tennacles. You would have liked it. I know you do not approve of me always killing evil things
but most of the time they started it and I made sure none of them are your relatives.
We found an underground city of strange men. The longer I am a dwarf the more I like it
underground. It is kind of strange. Sometimes if I put my head on the ground I can almost hear
things in the rocks. I kind of like it. They were nice and we are bringing them to Farshore so they
can live with us.
We are going to go kill a bunch of giant evil mind control fish and snaky tennacle faced evil cult
guys now so I got to stop riting now.
I miss you. My girlfriend Rowan is doing good. You would like her because she is evil like your
favorite aunt Mildrew. Not just like Great Aunt Mildrew though because she doesn’t try to kill me
every time she sees me like Aunt Mildrew used to. Not every time anyway. Even though she is evil
Rowyn is usually nice to me. She is really good at things that Garnham says it is not propreet to put
in a letter to my mom so I will tell you all about it in person nest time I can get home to visit.
I will send you this letter as soon as I can unless I die furst.
Your son,
Dexter Black
Linear Mode
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