Westgate Campaign (FINAL UPDATE 8/19/2005)

Late last year, I started a new campaign based in and around the city of Westgate in the Forgotten Realms. The basic premise is that the PCs all work for the Harpers and are in Westgate to be the eyes and ears for them. I got the idea from The Selgaunt Campaign website that I stumbled across (and still go to regularly) last year.

So I have also been keeping a campaign journal using my Live Journal but thought that this might be a cool place to share my ongoing campaign.

So to begin here is the first page from the Campaign Primer I handed out before character creation:

"Campaign Details
Welcome to the Westgate Campaign. This campaign will be mostly city based though that does not mean there will not be forays into deep dangerous dungeons or to the outlying areas of the Dragon Coast. The campaign will start in 1372 DR, the first day of Marpenoth, the day after Highharvestide.

All PCs will start at 1st level and use our normal character creation rules. All character classes from the PHB are acceptable as are the following:

From Complete Warrior
Hexblade
Swashbuckler

From Unearthed Arcana
Any of the variant classes presented.

If there is another class from a supplement that I do not have that you would like to play, feel free to let me borrow the book so I may read up on it and make a decision.

As you already know, the campaign will take place mostly in and around Westgate. However, I do not recommend that any PC actually be from Westgate, as that will make things more complicated. Pretty much any other area of the Realms will work as long as the following criteria are met:

1. You have spent the last several months in the city of Elversult.
2. And that for the last several months you have been trained in the ways of the Harpers.

There are no real alignment restrictions besides not being evil.

As for group dynamics, that will be solved by the fact that you all were recruited to join the Harpers and that you have all trained together for the last several months. You may have known each other before Elversult, but that is up to you.

I highly recommend (almost to the point of requiring) that each of you come up with a character idea and background story for your character. The more detail you include the more I can mine them for ideas for future adventures and happenings. This is important for the structure of the campaign.

The campaign will be outlined as follows. There will be one main story arc. This is what the campaign will be about in the end. Your PCs will not be aware of it at first though, but you will eventually learn of it. There are going to be 2 moderate story arcs. These arcs are not as big as the main one but will still be important to the story. And finally, my plan is to have one or more minor arcs for each PC; hence, the reason for the importance on the background information. That is not to say that a minor arc idea won’t occur to me from the events of the game that has nothing to do with a PC’s background.

And finally, because of your training by the Harpers, you will receive 8 extra skill points to devote to 2 Knowledge skills of your choice (4 points in each). Also, these 2 extra skills will always be class skills for you no matter what class you take.

Your main contact/trainer for the Harpers is Waevor Talaphin, a human male bard based in Elversult."

The rest of the Primer dealt with some background information taken from the old 2ed suppliment Cloak and Dagger. I modified some of it to fit my campaign.

So without further ado, here is a quick rundown of the heroes in no particular order:

Alexi Voroff, human male urban ranger from the city of Procampur. A former city guard that is now on the run for sticking his nose where it didn't belong.

Thanon Laminos, human male cleric of Tyr from the town of White Ford. His father, a paladin of Tyr, came to the city years ago when Thanon was but a boy, and disappeared. Thanon is searching for him to this day.

Nadari "Dari" Dardragon, female halfling rogue from the plains near Hluthvar. A former troublemaker who has trouble follow her wherever she goes, she is also on the run but for a very different reason.

Elric, human male warmage. He is in it for the wine, women, and well...battle of course.

Courynn Dulsaer, human male paladin of Tyr. A former Zhentil Keep guard, he has powerful enemies that would like to find him again...and he would like to face again as well.

I will begin the next post with the first adventure and the rest will follow.

The First Adventure – “The Color of Ambition”

The adventure started with the three PCs – Alexi, Thanon, and Nadari – all arriving at the city of Westgate on 8 Marponeth, 1372 after having set out from their Harper training base in the city of Elversult.

They made their way to their apartment above the Bent Mermaid tavern and their found a greeting letter from Waevor Talaphin, their Harper contact.

The next day, they received their first assignment. They were to meet a woman named Thandie at Imryth Tower after eveningmeal.

Upon arriving they were greeted by Lady Imryth, a statuesque woman that had an aura of power around her, as well as Thandie, a young and beautiful woman with a noble demeanor and her companion, a woman called Jamal who had a no-nonsense air about her.

Thandie asked the PCs if they could investigate the disappearance of two boys that were important to her. She gave the details of their disappearance as well as a description of the two boys and their names, Nedrind and Fareal.

The PCs began their investigation at the Purple Lady where the boys were last seen leaving in the company of a stunning red-haired woman dressed in fine silks. There they learned from their owner of the Purple Lady, Happy Gorender that this same scenario had played out for the last two months in an area of the city called The Shore, though the woman was never the same.

Using his tracking skills, Alexi, picked up the trail of the woman and the two boys. The PCs set out immediately.

The trail eventually crossed paths with another trail made by the woman alone leading out of the city to the west. The PCs continued following the trail of the three which led them to a non-descript two-storey warehouse down by the docks. There were four guards stationed outside. Nadari was able to ID them as Thayan.

The PCs planned their assault and were able to take out the guards fairly quickly and quietly. They then made their way through the warehouse and eventually came upon the Thayan slave leader, Mahzed, and the rest of his guards. After a vicious battle, where Nadari nearly lost her life if it were not for the healing powers of Thanon, the slavers were defeated and the boys rescued. They also found a journal that belonged to Mahzed. Unfortunately it was written in Thayan and none of the PCs could read it.

The PCs then split up. Nadari and Thanon took the boys back to Imryth Tower while Alexi followed the other trail out the city.

The trail eventually lead Alexi to the compound of the Red Wizards of Thay. Being that it was the middle of the night and he was alone, Alexi decided to wait a little while and see if anything happened.

Meanwhile, Thanon and Nadari recounted what happened to Lady Imryth, Thandie, and Jamal. They mentioned the journal which fortunately Lady Imryth could read. She translated the journal and it implicated one of the Red Wizards named Kizzaf as the one behind all the recent abductions. Lady Imryth also told Thanon and Nadari about the compound of the Red Wizards. They set out immediately.

Eventually the three PCs were reunited in front of the Red Wizard compound. As they approached they noticed the guards at the front seemed either asleep or incapacitated. After scouting around the compound, the PCs approached the gate which was slightly open. It was then they noticed that the guards were not asleep but dead with no apparent trauma.

The PCs continued slowly into the compound without encountering a single person. Everyone they did find was dead, also without trauma. They eventually found themselves in front of the back building of the compound. Nadari heard movement from the back of the building and the PCs decided to wait outside the front to ambush whoever was back there.

After a bit of time had passed, with no one exiting the building, the PCs finally examined the rest of the building. There they found everyone else dead and a secret door out the back standing open.

A thorough examination of the compound proved no one had lived the attack and that the guards and most of the wizards had been poisoned.

The PCs quickly made their way out of there and back to their apartment. A few days later they learned that all the guards and the Red Wizards, save one, had been killed. The only one unaccounted for was a mid level wizard called Kizzaf.

Unanswered Questions
Why were the boys targeted they way they were since every other abduction took place in The Shore with all the other victims were down on their luck sailors or vagrants?
Why would Kizzaf kill all the guards and Red Wizards the way she did so suddenly?

The Second Adventure – “The Crypt of St. Bethesda”

On the 13th of Marponeth, the PCs received word via feather token from Waevor that they would be meeting with a Harper contact in an alleyway near Wagonwheel Ride and Sword Lane. The meeting would take place near midnight on the 15th of Marponeth.

As it was approaching midnight on the 15th, the PCs were in place awaiting the arrival of the Harper contact. They were told he was carrying vital information for the Harpers but they knew not what it was.

A scream of fear and then pain broke the silence of the night air. The scream came from just up ahead from where the PCs were stationed. They ran forward immediately only to find their contact dead in an alleyway. However, the biggest shock came from the nature of the man’s wounds. There were acidic burns surrounded by writhing lavender worms on the head and chest of the victim. They also noticed a slime trail leading to an almost covered over grating at the base of the building. The PCs immediately headed for the grate and went down into it.

There they found themselves in what proved to be the crypts of the long forgotten shrine to St. Bethesda, a demi-god serving Deneir. The PCs eventually came upon a library and learned the history of the crypts. During the years following the Templeban Edict in 927 DR, the shrine to St. Bethesda was abandoned and eventually forgotten. The shrine eventually fell into ruin and was then demolished during the Rage of Dragons in the year 1018 DR. The area was rebuilt into housing and market districts. The original shrine was all but forgotten. However, the crypts underneath were never touched and eventually found by all manner of unsavory characters and creatures.

After coming across several of the creatures lairing in the crypt, including a large centipede, some skeletons, a cadre of ghouls, and a bad-tempered otyugh, the PCs came upon a lair of bandits. Before the PCs confronted the bandits they overheard the following conversation:

Gunge: “I tells you what I seen is true!”
Bandit: “Sure, Gunge, a man made o’worms!”
Bandits: chuckling and laughter
Half-Orc: “Yeah, is this likes that twin-pronged flying dagger you’s seen th’ other night?”
Gunge: “Yeah- wait, no but…yeah! I swears it. I seen a man, but ‘e wasn’ no man likes I’s ever seen. ‘e had this cloak on and ‘e looked like a man but ‘ad worms comin’ out ‘is mouth and such. He killed the guy I lifted the pouch with the scroll tube in it. I seen it wit’ me own eyes. I swears it!!”
Bandits: hard laughter

The PCs then tried to parley with the bandits but were unsuccessful. It came to blows and the PCs triumphed.

However, during the battle, Dari ran off to try and flank the bandits from another direction. On her way to the other entrance to the bandit’s lair she ran afoul of the wormwraith. It attacked her and she began to fight back.

Eventually, Thanon and Alexi joined Dari in fighting off the wormwraith and in the end, they defeated, but not before nearly losing Thanon.

When all was said and done, the PCs searched the lair of the bandits and the wormwraith. In the bandit’s lair they found some gold and jewels and the missing Harper scroll with the information they were to receive from the dead contact. The also found a brooch belonging to the Guldar family. And in the lair of the wormwraith they found an odd sarcophagus, which was destroyed by Thanon and a plain, grey dagger. The dagger, though showing no signs of enchantment, still had a mysterious quality to it. The PCs have kept it for further study.

The PCs sent the scroll with the information as well as a detailed account of their adventure to Waevor the following day.

Unanswered Questions
What was the information on the scroll?
Is there something to the plain, grey dagger?
What else can be learned from the remaining books in the library in the crypt of St. Bethesda?

The Third Adventure – “The Ice Caves of Azinth Tower”

On the 2nd of Uktar, the three Harper agents – Alexi, Thanon, and Nadari – received an invitation to Imryth Tower for eveningmeal. Lady Audara Imryth wanted to thank them for their help with the two missing boys last month. When the heroes arrive at the tower Aleisa, one of Lady Imryth’s apprentices, greets them. She and Alexi had already met several days ago when we was doing some investigations on his own and she especially greets him warmly.

The three agents were then taken to the tower’s dining hall and were shortly joined by two other apprentices – Terrick, a dour faced human, and Nagrath, a halfling. Finally Lady Imryth herself arrived.

The meal got underway with the host talking to each of the three and personally thanking them again. Aleisa was the epitome of grace, talking with each of the heroes as well but seeming to linger more with Alexi. Nagrath spoke mostly with Nadari and seems very interested in her background. Terrick, on the other hand, barely spoke and only answered direct questions with short, terse answers.

After the meal, Lady Imryth invited the three heroes to her study, as she wanted to discuss a personal matter with them. The three apprentices retired for the evening.

Lady Imryth asked the heroes to journey to Azinth Tower and deliver an important magic item to her friend, the wizard Kavon Deralia. The item is called an efreet orb and has an interesting power. The orb can instantly warm and light an area in a 10-foot radius when the command word “fire” is spoken.

Azinth Tower was located several days journey south of Westgate in the Gulthmere Forest at the foot of the mountains. Lady Imryth promised a generous reward for the task as well as all the equipment the heroes would need for their journey. The heroes agreed and made preparations to leave the next day.

Later at their apartment, a feather token from Waevor arrived introducing the newest member of their team, a human warmage called Elric. After some introductions, the four heroes left Westgate for Azinth Tower on the 3rd of Uktar.

On the 5th of Uktar, while the heroes were in the fishing village of Lakehaven, four Night Masks ambushed them. The Night Masks were experienced warriors but the heroes eventually won defeating the four assassins. They left the town quickly fearing retribution from the locals or further attack.

Two days later, on the 7th of Uktar, while making camp in the Gulthmere Forest, Night Masks once again ambushed the heroes. While the weather was beginning to cool, it was still a pleasant evening. The battle this time was bit fiercer. A sorcerer who used his potent magic against them was leading the Night Masks. Alexi was even brought down by a ray of enfeeblement from the sorcerer. The battle was interrupted though, when a huge explosion was seen and heard from the base of the mountains in the direction of Azinth Tower. A moment later, a wave of chill wind and air descended upon the heroes and their enemies. The weather went from mild autumn to bitter chill winter in the span of a heartbeat. Snow began falling immediately. Despite this, the heroes eventually defeated the Night Masks.

The next day they arrived at what was once Azinth Tower. All that was left was blown out, blackened rubble, snow and a crevice in the ground with a strange glow coming from it. The heroes surmised it must have been Azinth Tower that exploded the night before. It was then they noticed two creatures skulking low to the ground around the crevice. Before they could react, the two creatures sprang forward to attack. They appeared to be wolves but were white and able to breath blasts of cold. And their bite carried the chill of winter as well. The heroes though were able to defeat them using fire magic which the hounds seemed to be susceptible to.

After the battle and with much apprehension, the four heroes descended into the crevice.

The crevice, though covered in ice and snow, proved easy to climb down and opened into a darkened cavern. The heroes made their way cautiously though the cavern until coming to a worked stone hallway that ended in a wooden door. In the room beyond were two more of those hounds of winter. Again the heroes were able to dispatch them easily enough.

Beyond the room was a main hallway and several doors. The heroes started at one end and explored the rest of the icy dungeon. They ran into several more hounds of winter and a severely angry ice mephit easily dispatching them all. Eventually they made it to the biggest room of the dungeon and were met with an odd sight.

The far wall was covered in a large face-shaped ice sculpture with a human woman frozen inside. There was also a chunk of ceiling in the middle of the room with a strange frozen shaped formation rising from beneath it as if escaping gas had been frozen instantly.

The rest of the room was as frozen as the rest of the dungeon and the surrounding countryside. From what the heroes could see the woman was Kavon Deralia. Remembering what Lady Imryth told them about the efreeti orb they brought the magic item within a few feet of the frozen woman and spoke the command word “fire”.

Instantly, the temperature around the woman rose and the ice began to melt. Within a few minutes, the woman was freed. In the next instant she was wisked away by magic and disappeared. For a moment the heroes were unsure of what to do. They noticed the ice covering everything was melting quickly. When the frozen gas warmed, it seemed to escape out the door much more quickly then seemed normal. Then without warning, the now unfrozen water elemental attacked.

The heroes fought valiantly against the outsider and eventually won out. With the elemental dispatched the wizard they were supposed to meet up with gone, the heroes decided to head back to Westgate.

After a several day journey they finally made it back to Imryth Tower in Westgate. They were met by Lady Imyrth and Kavon Deralia. She apologized for leaving them but was under the effects of a specialized contigency spell. To thank the heroes for their trouble and for saving her friend, Lady Imyrth offered the heroes a choice of any one item from her magic item stock.

Unanswered Questions
Why did the Night Masks attack the heroes? What were they after? And how did they know where the PCs were going?
What is so special about the efreeti orb that two powerful spellcasters are working on it?
Is there anything more to Lady Imryth's apprentices?
What exactly happened at Azinth Tower?
What was the escaping gas?

"Ice Caves of Azinth Tower" addendum

I forgot to mention that before the heroes left for Azinth Tower Nadari had given the plain, grey dagger to Lady Imryth to see if she knew anything about it. When the heroes finally returned on the 14th of Uktar and met with Lady Imryth and Kavon, they also learned about the dagger. It is an artifact called Reckoner. Though it has no enhancement bonuses to hit or damage it does have an unprecedented enchantment on it. It bypasses all forms of damage reduction and hardness. It can shave slivers off of diamonds and pierce the armor of an iron golem. It can even bypass incorporeality. In fact, the very gods fear its sting. But it only does normal dagger plus the wielder's strength in damage.

Currently, Nadari is in possession of Reckoner.

The Fourth Adventure - "The Mysterious Tower"

On the 21st of Uktar, the agents are met by Waevor in their apartment and told about their latest mission. He tells them that he has uncovered some interesting information from the books they recovered from the crypt of St. Bethesda. In one of the books he found several references to a wizard who had lived in the area long ago and had created a tower in the middle of a ruined keep to retire in from adventuring. It also stated that this wizard had had some contact with King Verovan, the last king of Westgate and that the wizard may have either advised or helped in the creation of King Verovan's extradimensional hidden cache of magic items and artifacts. The cache was actually found several years ago by other Harper agents but was then sealed forever. But with what Waevor discovered, this wizard may have known of another way into the cache. This, Waevor thought, was something too good to not pursue. So he asked the agents to find the tower and search it for the wizard's journal.

The ruins and the tower were only less than a days walk from Westgate. And so the agents set out the next morning. The rumors they heard about the ruins though was that they were haunted so as the agents approached in the late afternoon they were cautious.

The ruins themselves were just that, ruins of an ancient keep with overgrown grass and piles of rocks everywhere. A few of the ancient stone walls still stood however. As the agents approached they were set upon by giant beetles making their nest in the debris outside of the walls. The four agents easily dispatched them.

Upon entering the ruins, they immediately noticed the pristine marble white tower standing in the middle of the ruins. It was only about 30 feet high and about 15 feet in diameter. The agents could see no windows or doors or any other openings in the tower itself. The strange thing about it was the shimmering blue-white forcefield completely encasing the tower. They also noticed something floating about the top of the tower between the white walls and the forcefield.

As they approached they heard a baleful moan coming from the top of the tower. It frightened some of the agents but the others stood resolute. The chilling moan came from the ghost floating near the top of the tower behind the forcefield. The rumors of the tower being haunted were apparently true.

There were several areas of interest still in the ruins - an overgrown garden, several buildings, and a mostly intact section of the keep's wall. Hopefully one would provide the way into the tower. The agents set out examining the ruins of the keep.

After several battles with more giant beetles and an assassin vine, the agents finally found a way down into the crypts below the ruins. They were hoping there was a way past the forcefield and into the tower down there. And after two days, several battles with unholy undead, vicious bugbears, an otyugh and other creatures, and having to bypass or suffer through some devious traps they eventually found themselves standing in a hallway with a lever in the side of the wall. And just six inches past the lever was the tower forcefield and the door to the tower. At this point the agents realized that when the ancient wizard cast the spell to encase his tower in a forcefield for protection he was off by just a few inches and the off lever was outside the forcefield. Essentially the wizard trapped himself until he died.

When the agents pulled the lever the forcefield dropped for the first time in several hundred years. They heard a chilling groan of relief as the ghost, now finally free to move onto the afterlife, escaped.

Proceeding cautiously through the door, the agents found themselves in a room much larger than would could fit inside such a small-width tower. Obviously great magics were at work within the tower. The first room consisted of the wizard's living chambers and library. Unfortunately though, the jounral they sought was not among the vast array of books. Also present was a staircase leading up.

On the second floor they were greeted by a strange sight indeed. Two of the most gorgeous females the agents have ever seen were there each in their own solid cage of force. One female was blonde and the other was brunette. Also there was the staircase leading up but it too was encased in a solid cage of force. Finally there was a control panel with three buttons on it. The two females began pleading with the agents begging to be set free and that the other was an evil fiend. The blonde wanted them to push one fo the buttons which she claimed would free her and that the middle button freed the stairs. She also claimed the other woman was a fiend. The brunette said that the other other button was the only one not trapped and that the blonde was evil.

After a long debate the agents pushed the middle button and the forcefield around the stairs dropped. They then went up and left the females pleading after them. On the third level, the agents found several doors in the wall as well as free standing doors with other free standing doors inside forcecages. Dari found a secret door which the agents opened.

The secret door lead to a chamber filled with piles of gold and other treasure. Sitting atop the gold was a well-dressed gentleman warning them not to enter. He turned out to be a good djinn that had been bound by the wizard to not allow one item from his treasure horde to be taken by anyone but the wizard for 1001 years. And there was still a ways to go on the time.

Another debate ensued. Meanwhile Thanon went back downstairs and freed the blonde who turned out to be a nymph and was telling the truth. The brunette shifted form into a fiendish quasit and began cursing at Thanon. He then went back up stairs while the blonde thanked him and promised to return with a reward for each of them.

Finally, after trying to negotiate with the djinn, the agents decided that their mission was too important and proceeded into the treasure room. Battle ensued with the djinn pleading with them to leave all the while attacking them. Eventually the agents won out the the djinn was defeated.

While gathering the horde of gold coins, scrolls, magic weapons and wondrous items, the agents also found the journal they were looking for. Packing all the treasure up, the agents proceeded to leave the tower. On the way out, Thanon released the quasit to do battle with it, hoping that by defeating the quasit he could relieve some of the guilt he felt about helping to kill another good creature.

Eventually the agents returned to Westgate on the 24th of Uktar. They met with Waevor and turned the book over to him. They were allowed to keep all the treasure for themselves.

Unanswered Questions
--------------------
- What was in the book the agents recovered?

The Fifth Adventure – “Murder of Seven Points”

On the 9th of Nightal, the four Harper agents – Alexi, Thanon, Nadari, and Elric – met up with Waevor and a human paladin of Tyr called Courynn Dulsaer. Courynn had been in pursuit a serial killer for the last several months across most of the Dalelands, Sembia and Cormyr. Courynn reported that in small towns and cities across those lands gruesome murders occur with the victim being sliced open from wrist to wrist and left to bleed out and die. The murders would occur every 2 nights. And after the fifth victim the murders had always stopped. Courynn also reported seeing a pattern softly glowing in the blood of the victims at each murder whenever he used his detect evil ability. The pattern would become more complex with each murder but he had never been able to make sense of it.

Seven nights ago on the 2nd of Nightal, the first murder occurred. Another occurred on the 4th, the 6th, and the 8th. Courynn who also happened to work with the Harpers arrived in Westgate on the 8th and contacted Waevor for help.

The agents then began going over the details and looking for ways to guess where the next murder would take place. They each pursued many different avenues with some good information coming from clerics at the temple of Tyr and a sage by the name of Mintassan. On their way to see Mintassan the agents were attacked by a group of vicious Night Masks and in the melee, Alexi was killed. Dari and Thanon took Alexi’s body back to the temple of Tyr and had a raise dead spell cast on him. Meanwhile Elric and Courynn went on and gathered some information from Mintassan.

The next day – the 10th of Nightal – the agents regroup at their apartment and with the clues they gained from the clerics of Tyr and the sage Mintassan they believe they discovered where the next murder would take place. So that evening they stake the sight out and sure enough an area of magical darkness settles over the site and more Night Masks appear along with an old friend – Aleisa, one of Lady Imryth’s apprentices. She seemed to be working with the Night Masks.

During the battle, the agents never saw the killer but were able to dispatch all of the Night Masks, except one, as well as Aleisa. Unfortunately, the murder still took place. By battles end, Elric was struck with some soul wrenching taint.

On the 11th of Nightal, the agents firmly believed the murders would continue because of several pieces of information they had already received. The most important being that the image that Courynn sees at each murder site does not look complete. They then tried to find the site for the next murder. Elric went to Mintassan to learn what he could do about the taint. After a long examination, the sage told Elric that certain cleric spells could remove the taint. He then went to the temple of Tyr with Thanon to see about getting the spells cast. The clerics in a rash of generosity, agree to heal him. During this, Alexi is captured by Night Masks. These Night Masks though seem more interested in if he knew why the Night Masks were attacking him. He is questioned by a rugged looking man with a scar on his right cheek. The man also asked Alexi questions about Thanon and what the cleric knew about his father. Fully expecting to be killed Alexi was told by the rugged looking man that he would spare Alexi’s life but would have to make it sound like he was killing him. He beat him into unconsciousness and Alexi eventually woke up in an alleyway. Shortly thereafter, the rest of the Harper agents who were out looking for him find Alexi and bring him back to the apartment.

On the 12th of Nightal the agents once again staked out the site hoping to catch the killer who seemed to be able to walk unseen. The agents are first engaged by a lone Night Mask and some areas of magical darkness. Using continual flame torches and a fireball, they dispelled some of the areas of magical darkness and found only a single stone at the center. The agents then battled with the Night Mask who succeeded in distracting them long enough for his master to complete the sixth murder at the cost of his own life. Once again the killer is able to slip away but this time Dari did catch a glimpse of him but at a cost. He struck her with a bolt of eldritch energy that seemed to eat at her soul. She also found herself suffering from the same soul wrenching taint that Elric had two days prior. Unfortunately it was much more severe causing a slight shift in her personality. She was eventually healed of the taint but not before she had succumbed a little to it as well as used it to feel where the final ritual might take place.

On the 13th of Nightal, Mintassan arrived at the agents’ apartment with some more information. He related how the ritual being performed matched one done long ago to open a stable portal to the Abyss. He also said that if the killer does succeed the only way to close the portal would be to use some Dust of Heaven’s Footprint to close it. He told the agents that there was only one person he knew of that had some and that was a man by the name of Chorazin.

Chorazin often frequented the Purple Lady and so the agents headed there to meet with him. After much diplomatic conversation, Chorazin reluctantly agreed to give a small vial of the dust to the agents and told them how to use it.

On the 14th of Nightal, the agents again stake out the place where they think the final murder should take place. But once again they are confounded by areas of magical darkness as well as the killer’s ability to walk unseen. The seventh murder took place right in front of them, the pattern was completed. When Courynn detected evil on the site of the murder he saw an upside down seven-pointed star glowing red in the blood.

The agents knew now that they would have to allow the ritual to finish before they could stop it. They knew it had to take place underground and they knew the general area of the city in which it would take place which just happened to be in the area of the forgotten crypts of the shrine to St. Bethesda.
The next night on the 15th of Nightal, having prepared for battle during the day, the five Harper agents descended into the sewer tunnels that connected to the tunnels of the crypt they had discovered just a few months prior.

After several hours of searching they finally came upon the lair of the killer. As they entered a rather vile section of the sewer, they could see the man that had killed so many so brutally. He was just finishing the final incantation that opened the portal to the Abyss.

The agents wasted no time in engaging him in battle. But before they could use the dust to close the portal, a single shadow demon was able to escape. The agents fought a two front battle between the killer and the demon.

During the fight, Elric was able to toss the dust into the air above the portal. And as planned, Thanon filled the area with positive energy normally used to turn undead. This energy activated the dust, which caused the portal to close slowly and violently.

The agents continued the battle with the killer and the demon. The demon was killed first. Then the killer blasted Courynn with his eldritch energy that was so tainted with evil, Courynn succumbed to it. His alignment shifted and he lost his paladinhood. Courynn though did land the final blow on the killer but the damage had been done.

The agents returned to the temple of Tyr where the clerics could look after Courynn and hopefully find a way to restore his paladinhood.

Unanswered Questions
· Who was the rugged man from the Night Masks and why did he let Alexi go?
· Why did he want to know what Thanon knew about his father?

The Sixth Adventure - Interludes and Examinations Part 1

This is Part 1 of a split adventure. The party splits up and this one deals with Thanon, Alexi and Dari. Part 2 will deal with Elric and Courynn.

On the 17th of the Nightal, Dari, Thanon, and Alexi said farewell to Elric and Courynn. The warmage and the now ex-paladin left on a quest to destroy the dagger that the killer used to commit the murders. The dagger is a powerful item of evil power and Courynn is tasked with destroying it in hopes to regain his lost paladinhood.

Meanwhile the other three Harper agents stayed in Westgate to try and make sense of recent events. Having just left the temple, they heard shouts of alarm from behind them. Running down the street towards them they saw a lithe, cloaked figure being chased by temple guards and a cleric of Tyr.

Reacting quickly, Thanon cast hold person and the fleeing thief is held in place. The guards and cleric arrived a moment later took hold of the thief as Thanon released his spell. The thief turned out to be a young human woman with short dark hair. Her features reminded Alexi of someone but he could not remember.

As the guards took the thief away, they thanked Thanon. At his name the thief started and asked if he was indeed Thanon Laminos. He responded that he was and before the guards hauled her back to the temple she said something completely profound. “I knew your father.”

This shook Thanon to the core. He inquired about the thief and when he could speak to her. Her name was Mara Andronel and he would be able to see her the next day. The name also seemed familiar to Alexi but again he could not place it.

The next day, the agents decided to meet at the temple to speak to Mara. In the morning, Dari decided to go to the market and have a look around. While there and without warning she was poked in the back with a dagger. She could feel the poison seeping into her but she was able to fight off its affects. Then she was knocked over the head into unconsciousness. When she finally came to hours later, she was stripped of all her equipment, except Reckoner for some reason, and bound to a chair in the middle of a dilapidated warehouse. She could faintly hear the water lapping against the shore so she surmised she must have been near the docks.

Just then an innocuous looking man seemed to step of thin air near the shadows. He asked if she was all right and she asked what he wanted of her. He explained that he had been hired to apprehend her and was awaiting his employer to arrive to take possession of her. She offered to double what he was being paid but he refused saying it was nothing personal just business and he had to keep a level of professionalism. He then turned and left and she decided to wait before making a move.

Meanwhile, Thanon and Alexi made their way to the temple. Thanon inquired if Dari had arrived but the gate guards had not seen her. They proceeded without her and met with Lorcan Connalson, a mid level cleric that Thanon had had dealings with in the past. Lorcan asked what they needed and Thanon asked if he could speak with Mara. The cleric agreed and let the two agents in to where she was being held.

Mara was no surprised that he had come. He asked how she knew his father and what else she knew about him. She says that her mother, Selene Andronel, had been in a relationship with Zacarias Laminos. Her mother had been a merchant that had had dealings with the Night Masks. Her mother had never really wanted to deal with that group but was forced into it. When she met Thanon’s father, she felt like she finally could get out from under the sway of the Night Masks.

All was going well for a short time. Almost too well, she said. Her mother seemed to become even more passionate about Zacarias after a particularly long merchant trip to Procampur. And he seemed equally infatuated with her even to the point of neglecting his duties to Tyr. But all seemed well. Until one night in early Hammer of 1372. Mara explained she had been away when she heard news of an attack on her mother’s home. Witnesses told of figures in dark cloaks attacking the house and using some kind of magic. They reportedly saw her mother killed and no one could say what happened to Zacarias but he was never seen again.

Then, a few weeks ago, she received an anonymous letter stating that her mother was actually still alive and that the clerics of Tyr had some information about it. It even suggested that her mother was being held captive somewhere in the temple. So she began investigating the temple and seemed to get blocked at all turns. She believed there was some conspiracy within the temple of Tyr surrounding the fate of her mother. She was sneaking in to find out any information she could about her mother to help uncover the truth. She said the letter she got was still in her apartment if they wanted to see it.

They thanked her and promised to return when they had a way to help her.

Then the two agents then left to both look for their errant companion and to head to Mara’s apartment and retrieve the letter. At the market they did some information gathering and learned that Dari had been there but no one had seen where she had gone off. Thanon and Alexi debated whether to look for her some more or continue to Mara’s apartment. Finally trusting in their friend that she was all right, they continued to the apartment. Once there, Alexi was able to easily pick the lock and they quickly found the letter. Looking at the letter, Thanon noticed something startlingly.

The handwriting on the letter was the exact same as the handwriting on the letter from his father he had recovered from the temple of Tyr a couple of months ago*(see note below).

Again, Thanon was shocked. Could this mean his father was still alive? And if he was where was he? And could this mean Selene was still alive as well and truly being held prisoner by the clerics at the temple of Tyr?

He knew he had to find out and that meant a trip back to the temple. So Thanon and Alexi headed back to the temple to see if they could find anything out.

Meanwhile, Dari had been trying to find a way to escape. She had been deftly trying to wriggle free, or at least get a hand on Reckoner when she was interrupted by the return of the plain looking man. He informed her his employer and they were making preparations for her journey. Her questions as to who his employer was and where she was going went unanswered. Just then, her captor’s employer revealed himself. She was shocked to see it was Nagrath, Lady Imryth’s halfling apprentice.

He explained that he was from the same tribe as her and had learned of her crime, the accidental death of the high priestess. When he met Dari two months ago he contacted the tribe to find tell them he had found the one responsible for the death of the high priestess and asked what they wanted him to do. They finally tasked him with capturing Dari and bringing her back. He knew that he was no match for Dari and her friends so he hired a professional to help him. He truly felt sorry for he did really like her but his duty to the tribe overrode his personal feelings.

Back at the temple, Thanon and Alexi ended up talking to Brother Lorcan again. They told of what they found at Mara’s apartment and their concerns about a possible conspiracy within the temple. He then became very serious and asked if they could meet him a couple of hours after eveningmeal at Big Edna’s Tavern. He would like to go over things there were there. The agents agreed and left. They had another mystery in front of them now too. Where had Dari gone?

Being that it was still early afternoon they went back to the market to try and find her trail. Alexi spent some time searching and finally picked up her trail. It led them towards the seaside arm of Westgate harbor. Eventually just after sundown, they came to a dilapidated warehouse.

Sneaking up to the warehouse door, Alexi opened it silently. Once again his urban tracking skills paid off as he could clearly see Dari tied to a chair in the center of the warehouse with Nagrath standing in front of her. The two of them were obviously speaking and did not see them open the door.

The two agents attempted to sneak into the warehouse undetected but were spotted by Nagrath’s cohort. He warned his employer and battle ensued. Eventually, the three agents won out as Nagrath surrendered and his cohort escaped into the night.

Needing to make their appointment with Lorcan, the three agents needed a place to store Nagrath and they knew that they would not make it all the way to Lady Imryth’s tower without being late. So Alexi came up with a solution. Drawing upon the contacts he had made with the Guldar family, he took Nagrath to their docks and persuaded the guards there to watch Nagrath for a couple of hours. They agreed and the three agents made their way to Big Edna’s tavern for their meeting with Lorcan.

At the appointed hour, Lorcan met with the agents in the tavern. He apologized again for the secrecy but he did not want what he had to say to be overheard by the wrong people.

He told the agents that he believed that there was a secret cult within the temple of Tyr dedicated to evil ways and they were keeping Selene for some reason. This was why she was being kept in secret. He also hinted that Just Captain Torndith Hammersong might be involved in the cult and perhaps even the Croamarkh himself. He feared for the life of Mara and thought she might be in danger within the temple.

He also told the agents that there is a secret sublevel to the temple that is accessible only by a set of secret stairs from the third level of the temple. On this sublevel was where he believed they had Selene imprisoned.

He suggested that perhaps they could infiltrate this sublevel but if they did so Alexi and Dari would have to be disguised. It would still be difficult but he felt they could do it. He also suggested they get Mara out of the prison. He felt this would be a lot easier and that was something he could handle. They agreed and while Thanon and Lorcan went to get Mara out, Thanon gathered some information on Mara. He did not find anything else out that they did not already know.

The next night, with new resolve, the three Harper agents along with Mara, snuck into the temple of Tyr with the help of Brother Lorcan. Thanon kept telling himself it was for the good of Tyr if there really was a dark conspiracy within the temple that he once again found himself sneaking into his own temple*(see note below).

Without much trouble, most likely due to their disguises, the late hour and the help of Brother Lorcan, they were able to find and get to the secret sublevel of the temple. There they found an antechamber and beyond that a small guardroom with four guards. Looking at them, Thanon got then sense that they were fairly unskilled. Odd, he thought, that such inexperienced guards would be set to guard an obviously secret area of the temple. Without dwelling too much on that oddity, Thanon strode out and was able to intimidate the guards into letting him and his companions pass.

Beyond the guardroom was a long wide hall with six cells, three on each side. As they passed under the arch leading to the cells, a magical force that seemed to attack their minds struck Alexi, Dari and Mara. Thanon alone was unaffected. Thanon and Dari were able to ward off most of the effect of the spell but Mara was not so lucky and nearly lost her life. She cried out in pain, which drew the attention of the guards. Quickly thinking, Dari bluffed the guards by saying Mara had hurt her ankle. The four proceeded down the rest of the hall. At the end, Thanon was able to heal Mara’s damage.

In the last cell on the left, the only one occupied, they found a beautiful dark haired woman sitting alone. She looked similar enough to Mara that everyone knew she was her mother. It was then that Alexi was finally able to remember why Selene’s name sounded so familiar and why Mara reminded him of someone.

Selene looked exactly like the murder victim in Procampur that he had investigated over a year ago. It was this murder investigation that had lead to an investigation of the current Hamayarch of Procampur and possible connections to the Night Masks of Westgate. Alexi knew that this woman in the cell was the same as the one who had been killed, or at least they looked the same. Also, the name of the woman killed was Selene Andronel. He wasn’t sure exactly what was going on but he became even more suspicious than before.

Alexi then pulled Thanon back to tell him what he knew. Unfortunately, Mara had already started trying to get the door open to release her mother. She was able to and Selene stepped out of her cell.

Just then two figures dressed in dark cloaks appeared down the hall in the guardroom. Before anyone could react, one of the figures extended his hand and cast a spell. A green ray of energy shot from his hand a struck Selene. She was then enshrouded in a field of glowing green energy.

The Harper agents and Mara rushed to defend themselves and Selene. Alexi still uncertain about Selene attempted to subdue her. She instead made a break for the guardroom. Thanon cast spells and moved to engage the new intruders while the other dark cloaked figure wearing full plate, shield and wielding a warhammer moved to intercept Selene. Magic and mayhem ensued for a few seconds before Selene finally got to the guardroom and past the spell surrounding the cells. Thanon stood between Selene and the dark cloaked figure with the hammer when he noticed the dark cloaked figure was a woman and she was also wearing a holy symbol of Tyr.

Thanon was thoroughly confused.

But not for long as just then Selene spoke in the harsh, guttural tongue of the Abyss and a moment later a huge demon appeared in the guardroom.

Chaos and death followed after that. Eventually though, the combined efforts of the three Harper agents and the two newcomers were able to defeat the summoned vrock and Selene. When she fell, Selene’s form changed to that of a succubus.

One of the newcomers, the one with the hammer, introduced herself as Colette. She and her companion were members of the Knights of the Chalice, an elite and secret organization tasked with hunting down and destroying demons. They had just recently learned of Selene’s presence within the temple and had been investigating why she was still being held instead of destroyed. Their inquiries had been cut short with the arrival of the Harper agents and Mara attempting to free Selene.

Just then, clerics of the temple along with guards came down the stairs and started trying to sort out what had happened. The Knights and the Harper agents were able to slip out without much notice in all the confusion.

The next day, Alexi went back to the Guldar docks and retrieved Nagrath. He delivered the halfling to Lady Imryth and informed her what happened.

*(NOTE: Several months ago, Thanon and Dari had attempted to sneak into the temple to get some information about the whereabouts of Thanon’s father, Zacarias. Though they ended up getting caught, Dari was able to talk her way out of trouble as well as get a letter Zacarias had left Thanon. Thanon on the other hand had been severely reprimanded by the clerics and was put on probation for a year and a day.)

Unanswered Questions
· Is there really a conspiracy within the temple?
· Why was Selene being held in the temple?
· Who was the man Nagrath hired and what will become of Nagrath?
· Where is Thanon’s father?

Woo! My warmage rocks.

sithramir said:

Woo! My warmage rocks.

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We shall see, we shall see. You're adventure with Courynn will be tough. Bwahahahahahaha. Oh sorry, was that an evil DM laugh