Barrow of the Forgotten Story Hour - Complete! 8/13/08

[Abciximab]

On a Mission – Part II​

Before they could go on, Bootsy stopped them. “These have been some tough characters. We may need all the muscle we can get. I found a few scrolls in the fortress. Two of them are Divine, but one is an Arcane Scroll of Dispel Magic. Maybe it’s powerful enough to get Tristan Back.” Pulling out the scrolls he gave two to Celtir and then raised the third and invoked its magic. In a flash, the tiny viper that was Tristan quickly reverted to his normal form. Just as quickly, the gnome was transformed into a tiny viper.

The companions stood silent for a moment before Wencis spoke up. “What just happened?”

Celtir bent over the new tiny viper in their midst to pick it up, but it lashed out at his hand, trying to sink its tiny teeth into the cleric. “It’s hard to be sure, but I think the scroll may have been cursed. While it did dispel the magic that was affecting Tristan, Bootsy seems to have fallen victim to the effect that was dispelled.”

Frankie looked down at the angry serpent. “Has his mind gone as well?”

Celtir was finally able to grab Bootsy just behind the head and the tiny snake finally relented. “No. He’s just pissed.”

As they gathered the gnomes equipment and Frankie shouldered the Haversack a new threat appeared. Flying out from behind a boulder was a floating orb with six eyestalks and a large central eye. Two beams lanced out at Wencis who was able to dodge them both. Frankie and Celtir quickly drew and fired their bows, both arrows barely grazing the creature. Wencis ran forward launching his hammer at the creature as Tristan took a moment to summon Moro to his side.

The creature fired two more beams at Wencis, one of them burning him slightly, though he was able to dodge the worst of it. The creature was pummeled by hammer and arrow once again as Moro suddenly appeared. The Celestial Dire Wolf leapt into the air and fastened its teeth into the hovering creature and bore it to the ground where the wolf savagely ripped it apart.

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Examining the large cave where the creature had come from, they found a strange sculpture at the back of the cave. A large golden rod supported an array of six smaller gems on rods of brass. A seventh, larger gem formed a centerpiece, also held in place by brass. The design of the piece resembled a beholder, though the sculptor seemingly ran out of material halfway through. The gold and gems were clearly of greater worth than the bits of brass used to bind them all together.

Wencis approached the sculpture to get a closer look. “I think this is the scepter we seek.” He tilted his head as he gazed at it. “Yes, the scepter has been used to make this sculpture. I think I might be able to reassemble it given time.”

The companions took a moment to assess the situation and their state of readiness. Celtir finally spoke up, “We can rest here. Perhaps you can reassemble the scepter while we’re here.”

Wencis nodded and got to work. Focusing his mind he reshaped his essentia into a pair of ghostly gloves and started to work on disassembling the strange artwork. He found it more difficult than he expected, and unused to this type of work ended up inadvertently snapping off a small piece of the scepter.

Hearing Wencis’ curse, Celtir stepped over. “I think I have a simple prayer that could mend that.” Bowing his head and holding the pieces together, the piece was reattached by the power of Solonor. Smiling in satisfaction, Celtir stepped back to allow Wencis to continue his work.

It was difficult and frustrating work, but Wencis finally was successful in disassembling the piece. Reassembling turned out to be another matter. Without knowing exactly how the scepter was shaped he was unable to put it back in any useable condition. Knowing he could not succeed, he sat down in frustration to try and get some rest.

Seeing Wencis’ unsuccessful attempt, Celtir tried to reassure him, “Perhaps it’s enough that it cannot be used in the ritual.”

Wencis just frowned and nodded.

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Returning to the fortress, the companions made ready to enter the next portal. Celtir murmured a quick prayer and there was a quick burst of light that filled the area and seemed to settle into each one of the companions. “According to Zoldathra this is the portal that takes us to another plane. This should protect us from any environment issues. Poisoned or lack of air, temperature extremes, that type of thing. Just remember you can still be hurt, gravity still affects you and magical affects will still harm you.” The others nodded and they all stepped through.

Instead of taking them to a new location as the other portals had, the green glow that wrapped around them suddenly flared. Every inch of their skin felt like it had been lanced with white hot needles even as their bones froze from the inside out. Just as they felt they could stand it no longer, they found themselves standing on cracked and broken earth. The portal behind them crackled and spit violently, its green light shot through with streaks of red.

Looking around, the companions saw huge boulders towering around them, half buried in the desiccated earth. As they started to move they noticed that no shadows marked the ground on the barren landscape. Above them the sky glowed a dull rust red with no clouds or sign of sun. A few dead trees dotted the landscape, while a dry streambed strewn with rocks cut through the ground ahead of them. Far beyond, sporadic hills marked the foot of a jagged black peak.

Frankie headed for on of the tall boulders nearby. “Maybe a birds-eye view would tell us which way to go.”

Having climbed up the side of the boulder with relative ease, Frankie got a good look around. The dry, cracked earth spread out in every direction with few notable features other than the mountain. Looking toward the mountain he saw movement in the streambed not far from his companions. Behind a pile of stones was a roiling dark mass of writhing tendrils. The creature was coming around the rocks and headed in their direction. Then, a little closer to his companions, a hideous creature stood and drew a bow. The creature was probably once a Yuan-Ti, but its eyes were empty pools of blackness and its limbs seemed abnormally long.

Before Frankie could even react to what he saw, the Yuan-Ti let fly two arrows. One barely scratched his left arm, the other would have pierced his heart had he not spun when the arrow struck, causing it to glance off his armor and pierce his left arm instead. Yelling to his friends he quickly snapped off the arrow tip and pulled out the arrow even as he was sliding down the boulder to the ground.

As the companions spread out and advance on the approaching enemy they noticed some strange effects. Celtir and Frankie found themselves standing in a location some distance from where they intended to be, as if they had somehow shifted from where they had been. As Wencis approached the Yuan-Ti he sudden felt the ground beneath him shift and drop away and he dropped into a pit that had not been there a moment ago. Arrows from Frankie and Celtir still pierced the Yuan-Ti. While the creature bled freely from its wounds it showed no sign slowing and quickly retaliated with two more shots that barely missed Frankie yet again. Preparing to climb out of the pit, Wencis suddenly found himself back on the surface a short distance from the pit. Raising his hammer he threw it at writhing mass of tentacles as Tristan charged the creature, slashing it with Merthuvial. The creature quickly snatched up Tristan in one of its tentacles and started to squeeze. As the creature lifted him from the ground, a pit opened beneath Tristan’s feet. Had the creature not lifted him into the air, Tristan would have surely dropped into the pit. Dropping his bow for a weapon he was much more comfortable using, Frankie ran up and slashed through the writhing blackness with his axe. The mass seemed to lose its cohesion and slowly dissipated, dropping Tristan to the ground next to the pit. Two more arrows from Celtir and an electrically charged hammer from Wencis quickly dropped the Yuan-Ti.

Once the combat ended, the random effects seemed to decrease in intensity for a bit and the companions were able to organize a search of the Yuan-Ti’s body. On his body they found the stone tablet, the last item on their list of artifacts.

Now the companions found themselves wondering what to do with them. The tablet radiated evil, but did not appear to be magical. Noting that the random effects were becoming more prevalent once more, Celtir magically shaped a nearby stone to look like the tablet, in case they should need a decoy, and then they stepped back through the portal.

Unwilling to return to face whatever Zoldathra had planned for them at less than full strength, the companions went back through the portal that led to the cave where they found the scepter to rest.

 

[Abciximab]

Tower of Worlds​

“Took you long enough,” Zoldathra sneered as the companions arrived in the library. “Have you succeeded in your task?”

Celtir just smiled. “Are we too late?”

“No, but the rite is almost complete. You must hurry to enter the Tower of Worlds and interrupt the ritual before it can be completed. You will have no chance at all if you do not interrupt Sulvaugren.”

“So we have heard. Show us the way, if you would.”

Zoldathra led them down a ramp to the next level down. There stood a single portal. “This will take you where you need to go.”

Celtir looked to Zoldathra, “What will we find when we get there?”

“I cannot be sure, though you can bet the tower will be guarded. His exact plans for the ritual are a closely guarded secret he has shared with only his elite priests and they are with him in the tower. I only have a general idea of what has taken place by what has gone through the portal, how much time has elapsed and my personal knowledge of the ritual.” With a smile Zoldathra added, “Good luck, you will need it.”

Still unsure of what they had gotten themselves into, the companions stepped through the portal. The arch they stepped out of was in the center of a room. From the ceiling, corpses in various stages of decay hung by chains and rusty hooks. Suddenly the light of the arch winked out and a massive shape rose from the darkness.

A mass of hairless, blubbery flesh surrounded them on all sides. Countless screaming mouths, rending claws and bloodstained teeth were all they could see. The flurry of activity that followed would have been hard to follow even if it hadn’t occurred in near darkness. All the companions slashed and pounded at the wretched tide of flesh that had engulfed them. Focusing his mind only on his prayers, Celtir was able to call forth a holy storm that burned at the flesh of the swarming creatures. Moro bit at the creatures as Frankie and Tristan slashed at them. Wencis pounded them again and again with his hammer. It was impossible for the companions to escape the grasping claws and rending teeth of the creatures as there were far too many to keep track of and each of the companions were quickly covered in bleeding wounds.

Using all the skill they could, as well as a fair amount of magic and brute strength, the companions were finally able to decimate the mob and win through. As Frankie, Tristan and Wencis quickly moved to cut down the last few remnants of the mob, Celtir was already focusing on his healing prayers to close the wounds of all the companions as his summoned storm continued to swirl about the chamber.

The companions moved toward the only notable feature in the room besides the darkened portal, a set of descending stairs along the western edge of the room.

At the bottom of the stairs they found a room that was brightly lit by the glowing eyes and mouths of stone cobra heads that adorned the walls. The floor of the room was sloped and an enormous serpent was etched into the stones.

Two hideous creatures slithered toward them, each with the body of a worm, the head of a snake and long, sinuous arms. They recognized them as the same type of creature Xernon had summoned back in the Barrow of the Forgotten King. Beyond them loomed a scaled figure, its hair a mass of serpents. In the blink of an eye Tristan was turned to stone. Averting their gazes the companions charged into the room at the snakes while Moro, angered by the loss on his master, charged the Medusa, tearing at her flesh pulling at her, causing her to fall prone. Wencis, his eyes closed, used his soul magic to detect the presence of the Medusa and was able to launch his hammer and successfully strike the creature. As the Medusa tried to stand, Moro was quick to savage her once again, ripping out her throat and dropping her to the ground once more, never to rise again.

Frankie and Celtir wasted no time and attacked the two serpentine creatures with axe and bow. The worst threat having been eliminated Moro and Wencis turned to assist their friends. The creatures quickly fell to the companion’s onslaught.

Once it was over, they turned to where Tristan's unmoving form stood. Moro sniffed at the statue that was his former master, and then with a soft whimper lay at his master’s feet like a massive eight hundred pound puppy.

Celtir pulled out a couple of scrolls. “The divine scrolls Bootsy found might be able to break the enchantment that he is under.” He quickly unraveled the first scroll and, when its magic failed to overcome the enchantment, just as quickly unraveled the second. With the second casting, Tristan was finally returned to flesh.

Opening an ornate set of double doors on the southern wall the companions found themselves standing before a darkened stair that rose upward and outward. The journey up the stair was unsettling. Interrupted only by a sheet of flame that seared each of the characters, the trip up the stairs seemed to take an inordinate amount of time. After a number of minutes, the exact number could not be agreed upon by the companions, they arrived at another set of double doors.

Each of the companions knew the source of the quest they had started in the distant town of Kingsholm, was near at hand.

 

[Abciximab]

My Only Friend, The End.​

The chamber beyond glowed with the light of demonic fire that seemed to burn the air itself. Three stone biers covered with serpentine imagery stood across the chamber. Two contained what appeared to be bodies wrapped in funeral shrouds. On the third, central bier was set a careful arrangement of yellowed bones. Three Yuan-Ti in ceremonial robes and hoods stood in a triangle around the biers, chanting in sibilant tones. Brass braziers emitted a noxious purple smoke.

A forth Yuan-Ti that gave true meaning to the term Abomination stood before the central bier. He was monstrously obese, with multiple folds of scaly skin hanging from his jowls and neck. Rivulets of blood bubbled up from beneath his black eyes and flowed freely down his face.

Before the creatures could react, the companions charged into the room. Wencis quickly ran up to the first chanting Yuan-Ti and was surprised to find it so engrossed in its evil litany that it made no attempt to defend itself as he struck it down.

Tristan approached the other chanter and seeing it unwilling to face him in combat raised Merthuvial above his head and charged the huge Yuan-Ti abomination. Moro ran up, and placing his paws upon the central bier, sank his teeth into the large abomination. Wencis’ hammer struck the creature as well. Frankie quickly ran through, dispatching the chanting Yuan-Ti Tristan had passed up and worked his way around the room. Celtir called out a prayer to Solonor, summoning a holy storm that almost filled the entire room and burned at the Yuan-Ti.

The great Abomination tore into Moro with scimitar and teeth, shouting all the while, “Fools! I am Sulvaugren, Master of Worlds! Welcome to your Doom!”

Frankie quickly dispatched the last chanting Yuan-Ti and followed up with an attack against Sulvaugren, slashing at him from behind.

Sulvaugren savaged Moro once again and blood matted the great wolf’s fur as the other companions rained blows on Sulvaugren’s tough hide. Two slashing cuts from Frankie earned him Sulvaugren’s attention and the large abomination spun on him and savaged Frankie with tooth and blade. Frankie was left so bloodied by the attack, Celtir had to shift his position to heal him lest he be killed by Sulvaugren’s next attack.

Sulvaugren was also bloodied by the combined attacks of the companions and continued to be burned by Celtir’s Holy Storm. Seeing his end was near, Sulvaugren called out, “You cannot defeat me! If you strike me down I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine!”

As he was viciously attacked by the companions, his flesh continuously burned from the storm, he raised his arms above his head and cried out, “For Sertrous!” before falling to the floor in a heap.

Wencis looked to Celtir, “I have a bad feeling about this. I don’t think it’s over yet. You best deal out all the healing you can as quickly as possible.”

Tristan and Celtir did all they could as quickly as possible, healing all the companions most grievous wounds.

An instant later a dull thrumming filled the room as the floor began to shake and crack. With a sound like thunder, the central bier shattered and exploded, filling the chamber with a cloud of dust and rock.

Slowly the dust cleared revealing a large winged humanoid abomination. The Risen King had arrived. Rotting, green, slimy skin was stretched taught over exposed bone and sinew. The creature flexed its sharp claws and a roar came from a face filled with a mass of tentacles that hid the creature’s mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

Even as the creature appeared, the companion’s felt another presence. The Forgotten King was here as well! His energy filled them and the weapons and artifact that once belong to the King and his followers. They suddenly knew what weapons they had that would be most effective. They new that the King would bolster their skills and abilities, allowing them to do things they might otherwise be incapable of. They knew this was the final battle in their quest for the Bones of the Forgotten King.

The moment passed as Celtir suddenly writhed in pain as a swarm of serpents seemed to burst forth from his skin, falling to the floor all around him. Then the creature slashed at Moro with tooth and claw leaving him bleeding heavily once more. The companions unleashed their attacks, but found the creature’s tough hide almost impossible to penetrate. Those weapons that did slash through its tough hide barely seemed to leave a wound. The only weapon that seemed effective when it struck was Merthuvial and for that, Tristan was the next to suffer grievous wounds at the claws of the beast.

Celtir knew they could not face this creature in a stand up fight. “Fall back! Back to the room below!” He cried, before using the power of the Forgotten King to utter a prayer to summon another Holy Storm.

Frankie took one last slash with his axe and ran for the door, the beast raking his back as he withdrew. Trying to buy time for his companions, Tristan raised his blade, summoning help from the Celestial Plane, “To Me!” he cried. A Celestial Hippogriff answered his call, appearing behind the Risen King. Though the Hippogriff’s attacks were ineffective, the creature would help create a distraction so the companions could fall back.

Just as Wencis and Celtir were about to join their companions at the door a large section of the floor was suddenly covered by ten foot long tentacles that grappled anything they could reach. The two found themselves unable to overcome the unbelievable strength of the black tentacles. Tristan and Moro stood their ground before the Risen King, unwilling to fall back and leave any of their friends behind.

Demonstrating incredible concentration on both their parts, both Celtir and Wencis were able to call upon their divinely gifted abilities to escape. Wencis, using the power of the Forgotten King, called upon an ability that others like him might possess and created a Dimensional Door to escape from the clutches of the tentacles. Celtir simply petitioned Solonor for the ability to move freely, unrestrained by most bonds and quickly retreated to the door.

Celtir called out again, “Down the stair everyone!”

The companions ran to the stair as one. Tristan and Moro both suffered raking attacks as they disengaged from the Risen King, but all the companions were able to make it to the stairs.

The Risen King took a moment to dispatch the Hippogriff and then quickly followed the companions.

Once again it seemed to take minutes to traverse the stairs and to buy a little more time, Wencis quickly shut the doors then backed away as Celtir prayed for a Wall of Stone to appear directly in front of it. Just as the spell was completed, the companions heard the blows of the Risen King ripping into the doors and stone. They quickly formulated a plan as Celtir doled out healing. Surround it. Flank it. Summon another Holy Storm. Tristan, Moro and Celtir hid on the Stairwell going up to the entry-room as Frankie and Wencis stood along the northern and eastern walls to draw the creature out.

All too soon the wall of stone was reduced to a pile of stone and the Risen King rushed into the room, slashing and biting Frankie. The others surrounded the creature on all sides, hacking and slashing as Celtir prayed for another Holy Storm.

As the storm appeared, burning at the flesh of the Risen King, the creature glanced at Celtir and once again, a swarm of snakes burst from his flesh leaving Celtir bloodied. The creature then returned its full attention to Frankie, who, against his better judgment, had switched from his trusty great axe to a small rusty dagger that the spirit of the Forgotten King had been telling him all along would be more effective than his great axe. Wouldn’t you know it, the damn spirit was right. Frankie just shook his head and continued his attacks.

Seeing that the companions were taking a serious beating, Wencis realized they would have to fall back again. “Go! Everyone upstairs! I might be able to trap this creature!”

The others had no idea what Wencis was talking about, but then again none of them truly understood his abilities or knew what he was capable of, so they made for the stairs as Celtir released a burning ray of energy that seared the creature. They felt despair when they saw Wencis caught in writhing black tentacles again and then suffer the savage attacks of the Risen King, but once again he was able to Dimension Door out. The others ran up the stairs as quickly as possible.

Then, just as he was about to spring his plan, Wencis writhed in pain. This time he was the subject of the Risen King’s Serpent Wrath. Hundreds of serpents burst from Wencis’ skin leaving him a bloody mess. Wencis slumped to the floor and did not rise.

With a roar, the Risen King turned to the stairs and started up. Up above, the chamber was lit by the strobe effects of Celtir’s and Tristan’s Positive Energy Bursts. All too soon the Risen King was among them slashing and biting.

Celtir once again summoned a Holy Storm as the others slashed with their weapons. Once more, the Risen king focused his rage on Frankie. When Frankie dropped to the floor in a bloody heap, Tristan was the next to suffer under the Risen King’s wrath.

All the damage they had inflicted was starting to show. The Storm burned at the flesh of the Risen King and, as it raised itself to its full height and let out a loud roar of anger, Tristan saw his opening and thrust Merthuvial into the evil heart of the beast. Even as the vile beast vomited blood it seemed prepared to strike Tristan down. Praying to Solonor once more Celtir sent another searing ray of energy that blasted the face of the beast, burning the flesh from its skull.

With a disgusting gurgle, the Risen King fell and slowly dissolved until there was nothing left but a pile of bones.

End of Session 16.

End of The Barrow Trilogy Campaign.

 

[Abciximab]

Thanks to All!

Yes, the trilogy has ended. It took the whole 6 hours to finish, but it’s done.

The running battle at the end was probably the highlight for all. The hit and run tactic was probably the only chance they had.

Some may notice I changed a few things. For one, the Risen King did not look like a human. I had a good mini I wanted to use, so I went for it. The abilities were basically the same but with 2 claws instead of multiple bastard sword attacks. I also removed his fast healing, the poison effects of the Evard’s Black Tentacles (The outrageous grapple check was bad enough) and the snake swarm from his Serpents Wrath didn’t contribute beyond the squares into which they appeared (once you moved they wouldn’t follow). Other than that, they defeated the Risen King as written.

Bootsy was absent. I think it would have made a big difference having an arcane caster.

We had a good laugh about Frankie having to switch from a great axe to a rusty dagger. Frankie loves his axe.

Frankie and Wencis both Survived. Wencis goes down, time for his first stabilization check, low roll to stabilize – 01%.

Frankie goes down, time for his first stabilization check, MundinIronHand passes his dice to Frankie, low roll to stabilize – 01%.

Thank you to any who have taken the time to read of our adventures, I hope you enjoyed the journey. A special thanks to those few (3) who posted. It was great to read your posts.

I had hoped for more input, not about my writing or the quality (or lack thereof) of the writing (I have no illusions about that), but just to know who’s out there. I had really hoped to hear from others who had played the trilogy and how things went for them, but perhaps this series wasn’t very popular.

What will the Companions of the Barrow face in the future? Well, if we have the opportunity, I think it might be aquatic in theme. (Night of the Shark trilogy, converted to 3.5 perhaps?)

Thanks again to all. Now I have to put the finishing touches on my Human Duskblade (Sword and Board or Cheesy Spiked Chain?) for High Clerics campaign which will hopefully start at the end of September. We also have to figure out what we’ll do until he’s ready… Tristan says he has something in mind…

Great, now I have to think of another character.

Fini.

 

[Abciximab]

What's next for the Companions of the Barrow?

Epilogue​

By some small miracle all had survived the battle. Once all were healed back to consciousness, the companions returned to the ritual chamber and searched through the rubble of the room. They found little intact. The sudden arrival of the Risen King had destroyed much of the chamber. As for Sulvagren, there was almost nothing left. All they found was a small amount of his equipment. The shield that had been stolen from the barrow was taken by Tristan. Nearby in a small pouch they found a bone scroll tube. Sealed within was a short note.

Sulvagren,

Our preparations are almost complete. The Army of the Dragon is gathering. We shall strike Elsir Vale from the North and West while you strike from the South and East. We have established an outpost nearby to monitor activities along the western border of the Vale. Indeed, Drellin’s Ferry shall be the first to fall to our might.

Once your summoning is complete and your forces are ready, we shall crush the Northern Kingdom and then we shall move on to the other border kingdoms. The Realms will be ours!

While the Army of the Dragon is almost prepared, I will continue to add to their strength with the Gifts of Our Lady, summoned forth from Our Lady’s Infernal Court, Avernus.

Soon the all the realms will kneel before our might!

Azarr Kul.
Next to the signature was inscribed a red hand, five fingers outstretched.

Wencis looked up from the parchment. “Looks like we need to get out of here quickly and make our way to Elsir Vale.”

With a renewed sense of purpose, the companions gathered their equipment, and made their way back to the portal.

 

[Abciximab]

Direction Change.

Well, it looks like the companions will not be returning anytime soon.

After a short campaign by Tristans player (Which I hope may continue someday, I was having fun w/ my Barbarian/Dragon Shaman) we had a spur of the moment need to change campaigns. Since changing Red Hand to an adventure for 8th level characters was a bit too much work for spur of the moment (about 1 hours notice) we switched to Shackled City with fresh 1st level characters.

A lot more opportunity for Role Playing and NPC interaction with this one. The group has had a great start to chapter one so far. Hopefully it's at least as enjoyable as the Barrow trilogy.