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An Adventure in Five Acts (AD&D 2E) (Final Update 25 Feb 2023)
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<blockquote data-quote="ilgatto" data-source="post: 8897089" data-attributes="member: 86051"><p style="text-align: center"><strong><span style="font-size: 22px">An Adventure in Five Acts, Act V: Diamond Castle, Part I: Against the Ice Giant</span></strong></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px">In which the DM informs our noble heroes that they are not in the forest on the dawnward bank of the Blue River but in the inn; that Mim and his men have already arrived; and that the whole conversation about the extended map actually took place in the inn. He also tells them that the enemy camp is about 1,500 feet above sea level and the immediate hinterland some 2,100 feet; that the rest of the royalist army, some 300 men, will arrive in about three days; and that the whole royalist army will then consist of some 1,500 men.</span></p><p></p><p><strong>Day 17</strong>: Not at all bothered by this strange turn of events, the <em>chevalier</em> continues his bewildering statements about blocking rivers and Mim letting his horses charge to a certain death. It must be said that this quickly gets the rest of our noble heroes back into the flow, which soon leads to yet another discussion about what to do next.</p><p>“<em>Messieurs,”</em> the <em>chevalier</em> says. “Although we have the numbers and our horses give us the ability to move at speed, we are still at a disadvantage against heavy infantry behind a palisade. We must lay siege to the enemy and cut their water supply. Find the source and block the river.”</p><p>“My dear fellow,” Navarre says. “Have you any idea of the risks and the amount of time it would take to start searching for the source of a river behind enemy lines?”</p><p>“Gentlemen,” Sir Suvali says. “An inventory! We have the ability to create some one hundred and thirty potions of sleep-inducing tea and the wand still has over sixty charges left in it. Then there is the flying apparatus…”</p><p>“<em>Merveilleux!,”</em> the <em>chevalier</em> exclaims, clapping his hands. “We shall engage in covert action!”</p><p>“I will say it again,” Navarre says frostily. “We need information first. What happened to our kinsmen? Who are the enemy? Where do they come from? What are their motives? What of Blurh? Is he aware of what transpires here? Can we call on him if he should still be holding out up there? Is he responsible for this? I say Blurh is where we must begin.”</p><p>“The enemy is on terrain they know,” Sir Suvali says. “We have magic on our side so we can engage in hit-and-run actions, choose our targets. We can be in and out again before they know what hit them.”</p><p>“To what avail?,” Navarre asks. “Nibble away at their numbers? Kill some patrols? It would hardly inconvenience them.“</p><p></p><p>With the debate continuing like this, more and more nobles arrive at the inn. The innkeeper is running to and fro, taking orders, allocating rooms and then vacating them again to make way for new arrivals of higher station. Presently more than 100 nobles and officers are in the common room, discussing the situation and with opinions ranging from ‘charging the rabble’ to ‘maintaining the status-quo’ and allowing the enemy their territorial gains so that everybody can go home to restore order in the duchies. Still, by now, the consensus seems to be that there has been ‘a revolution of the poor’ and that ‘peasant councils’ have indeed taken control of large parts of the realm.</p><p>Of course, Navarre still isn’t convinced. How could no one have noticed the commoners stirring? Do these people truly believe they can succeed? Pondering the situation, he comes across Sir Oengus and an officer discussing the impending arrival of troops from Dauberval, Sarazin, and Nisibis.</p><p>He stops to listen.</p><p>“That is, if she can get the men moving,” the officer says.</p><p>“She?,” Sir Oengus asks.</p><p>“Well, it is she who leads the men of Nisibis,” the officer says.</p><p>Navarre flashes Sir Oengus a wide grin.</p><p>“<em>Mademoiselle</em> your sister, Lord Moon?,” he says. “Congratulations, old fruit!”</p><p>“Well, it seems she’s got more balls than you and your men put together, <em>old fruit,”</em> Sir Oengus says. “Seeing as she’s also currently commanding the Dauberval and Sarazin lubbers.”</p><p>Navarre looks at him with a face like a lemon before regaining his composure.</p><p>“<em>Touché,”</em> he laughs, slapping his noble fellow on the back. “Well played, <em>mon cher!”</em></p><p>He turns to face the officer.</p><p>“And who of Dauberval is among them?,” he asks the man.</p><p>“Alas, Lord,” the officer says, “I have no more information.”</p><p>So nothing new here.</p><p></p><p>Navarre gets back to the table, where the rest of his noble fellows are speaking to the innkeeper – who turns out to be quite the source of information. He informs our noble heroes that he established the inn 15 years ago when his father died; that his inn is the last stop on the way to Blurh, which he calls Diamond Castle; that barges can sail up the Blue River right up to the inn and that travelers must continue rimward on foot; that it takes one day to reach Diamond Castle via mountain tracks and trails.</p><p>“The Duke is obsessed with security,” the innkeeper says. “Bandits ruled here before he arrived and it is said that it took him a lot of time to establish himself up there. When he finally did, he cordoned off the area around the castle, with his guards not allowing anybody in.”</p><p>“Fifteen years, ‘ey?,” Sir Oengus says. “Have you noticed any recent changes in the color of the river? Seen any strange lights up in the mountains?”</p><p>“Can’t say that I did,” the innkeeper says.</p><p>“And what of Blurh?,” Navarre asks.</p><p>“Last thing I heard the cordon was still intact.”</p><p>“Indeed?,” Navarre muses. “What about large amounts of troops moving down and upstream?”</p><p>“There were some.”</p><p>“And you didn’t consider that to be… unusual?,” Navarre asks.</p><p>The innkeeper flashes him an apologetic grin.</p><p>“Any giants among them?,” Navarre continues.</p><p>“I have heard rumors of such creatures,” the innkeeper says. “I did see them haul barges up into the mountains, though.”</p><p>“Come again?”</p><p>But before the innkeeper can repeat his remark, the <em>chevalier</em> intervenes.</p><p>“What about the height of the river?,” he demands.</p><p>“I’ve never seen it as low as it is now,” the innkeeper says.</p><p>“Where is the source of this river?”</p><p>“Somewhere up in the mountains, I presume,” the innkeeper says. “Where else?”</p><p>“What about Diamond Castle?,” Sir Suvali cuts in.</p><p>“I haven’t been there much but it is a bizarre thing,” the innkeeper says. “Not like a barrow, more like some construct of stone, with towers. The strangest thing.”</p><p>“Ha!,” Navarre beams to the <em>chevalier.</em> “I told you that castles are the future!”</p><p>“Philistines!,” the <em>chevalier</em> mutters under his voice.</p><p>“About these barges,” Navarre continues. “Did they also carry them from the mountains to the river?”</p><p>“Could be,” the innkeeper says, shifting a little in his seat.</p><p>“Could be?”, Navarre asks sharply. “Are you telling me that you didn’t notice anything?”</p><p>“I prefer to stay well away from people passing my inn in large organized groups, if you don’t mind my saying, Lord,” the innkeeper replies, getting to his feet.</p><p>“Unless they knock on your door for drinks, of course,” Sir Eber says. Sir Oerknal and Sir Suvali burst out laughing – apparently the ranger beat them to it.</p><p>The innkeeper grins some more and leaves the table.</p><p></p><p>“Perhaps Blurh is still holding out if this cordon is still intact,” Navarre muses when the man is gone. “Where is this castle? Is it impregnable? Is it so far out of the way that the enemy didn’t bother to take it?”</p><p>“Let’s find out,” Sir Eber says. “Let’s go to the castle through the forest and see what’s what.”</p><p>“I like it,” Sir Oengus says. “We shall approach the castle with raised visors.”</p><p>“<em>Fi!,”</em> the <em>chevalier</em> exclaims. “We must approach like thieves! Blurh might mistake us for the enemy!”</p><p>Navarre looks at his noble friend with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>“You seem to have developed an alarming penchant for furtiveness and larceny of late, old fruit,” he says.</p><p>But the <em>chevalier</em> isn’t listening. Apparently keen to remain on top of absolutely everything, he has turned his attention to Sir Eber and Sir Oerknal, who have started discussing bowel movements. He pours them some more ale and heartily joins in.</p><p></p><p>“He may have a point,” Sir Suvali says to Navarre. “Blurh may have a very specific reason for the cordon, which could mean that he won’t distinguish between royalists or rebels approaching his castle.</p><p>“So, I’ll take one of you with me and fly to the castle to see what’s going on. We won’t waste charges and the rest will be their normal size if the enemy decides to strike tonight – Mim is going to need all the men he can get when the attack comes. I can always get back and collect the rest if we run into trouble up there.”</p><p>“I’ll come,” Sir Oengus says.</p><p>The sorcerer needs only a fraction of a second to recover: “Navarre?”</p><p>“No need to ask,” Navarre says. “I’m game for anything that could finally lead to the heart of this whole affair.”</p><p>Sir Suvali tries to inform the others of the plan but these hear but little of what he says, their guffaws ringing loudly throughout the room. Nevertheless, Sir Eber and Sir Oerknal agree to his every word, if only to continue their boorish exchange.</p><p>But then the <em>chevalier</em> suddenly seems to notice that something is afoot and that he is not going to be a part of it.</p><p>“Why only you, <em>mon cher?,”</em> he asks Navarre, somewhat piqued. “Why not all of us?”</p><p>“You might want to consider actually listening to people when they are talking to you, my friend,” Navarre returns, getting ready to leave. “And do not come to me with questions about plans in which I did not have a hand. Speak to the sorcerer if you must.”</p><p>“<em>Sorcier!,”</em> the <em>chevalier</em> calls to Sir Suvali, who is already halfway to the door. “Look for the source of the river, will you?”</p><p>“You’ll be the first to know if we find one,” the sorcerer yells back at him, leaving the inn without so much as turning to look at him.</p><p></p><p><strong>21.00 hrs</strong>: And so it is that Sir Suvali, Sir Oengus, and Navarre move to a secluded spot some distance downstream, where the sorcerer procures his wand and reduces his noble companions in size once again. He puts them in the pockets of his <em>mage vest,</em> takes to the air and starts flying rimward.</p><p>When the sun sets about an hour later, the noble trio locate what must be ‛Diamond Castle’. It is located on a high plateau and about a third of the way to the foot of the snow-capped mountains in the background. A large lake stretches from the castle proper to a precipice at the hubward end of the plateau. On its dawnward shore, only barely visible ion the rapidly fading light, they see what appears to be a huge, deserted army camp.</p><p>The castle itself is a rectangular affair that actually comprises two castles merged together, the older of the two being the duskward and the newer the dawnward section. A river runs straight through the older section and empties into the lake. Clouds of steam smoke billow from the courtyard of the new castle.</p><p>When darkness falls, our noble heroes discern numerous fires burning in a perimeter around the castle and the lake, culminating in groups of several fires to each side of the precipice. There are no barges or boats in the lake and, from what they can see, getting anything larger than a canoe up to lake from the Blue River valley would be nothing less than a monumental task. There is no mine in sight, which leads our noble heroes to believe that it will probably be somewhere in the mountains at the back of the plateau. Apart from the fires and some lights in the castle, there are no signs of life on the plateau.</p><p>“Let’s go round,” Sir Suvali says, starting a wide turn to the left.</p><p>Flying past the castle on the duskward side, our noble heroes notice groups of soldiers patrolling the walls and a large circus tent in the courtyard of the new castle. People seem to be moving in and out of it and great clouds of steam appear to billow from it.</p><p>“Is that steam?,” Navarre wonders. “A hot spring?”</p><p>Continuing their tour, our noble heroes reach the back of the plateau, where they have to cross the river coming from the mountains.</p><p>“Let’s check the encampment,” Navarre says.</p><p>When they have flown past, our noble heroes estimate that it may be as much as a decade old and that it seems to have been deserted about a year ago.</p><p>“When was the last time Blurh was at the Fortnight?,” Navarre asks.</p><p>“Three years,” Sir Suvali replies.</p><p>“Hmm….” Navarre says. “It seems unlikely that Blurh would allow for such a camp to exist next to his castle if it was not his own. I think we can safely assume that he is actually behind all this.”</p><p></p><p>Sir Suvali has made a turn to the right and, now, our noble heroes approach the fires burning on the dawnward side of the precipice. They hover in the air for a bit and clearly see men moving on the ground below – some arriving, some departing, some with dogs, some without them. When our noble heroes get to the other side of the plateau, past the second concentration of fires, they land at some vantage point to discuss what they have found.</p><p>“Was that a dam between those fires?,” Navarre asks.</p><p>“Aye,” Sir Oengus says. “Must be the reason why the river is so low in the valley.”</p><p>“Makes you wonder how long that dam has been there,” Navarre says.</p><p>“Let’s ask one of the guards,” Sir Suvali says. “Snatch one from one of the campfires, take him back to the army and start getting some answers.”</p><p>“I would prefer a guard from the castle walls,” Navarre says. “The men at the campfires may be just mercenaries and they may not know what is going on inside the castle. Remember that Blurh has a reputation for being paranoid.”</p><p>“Too risky,” Sir Suvali says. “There’s too many people around that tent and too many guards on the walls. We’d risk being seen and shot at. What’s more, the way back would be too long.”</p><p>“Point taken,” Navarre says.</p><p>“Agreed?,” the sorcerer says. “We’ll approach from the air and I’ll cast my spell. We land when everybody’s asleep and I’ll use the wand on the first one we get to. I’ll stash him in my pocket and head back.”</p><p>“Let’s do it,” Sir Oengus says.</p><p>“One moment,” Navarre says. “Chances are we witnessed a changing of the guards at that fire. I think we should make sure about that so we won’t run into any nasty surprises. This will also give us the most time if things go pear-shaped.”</p><p>The noble trio take to the air, fly past the dam again and land in a suitable spot to observe the goings on at the first fire. They have to wait almost all of two hours before Sir Oengus sees something move.</p><p>“There they are,” he says.</p><p>And, sure enough, two men arrive and two others leave. When everything has settled down, Sir Suvali takes to the air, gets within range and casts his spell. Unfortunately, only one of them starts sagging slowly to one side.</p><p>“Drat!,” he says, before casting another spell.</p><p>While it would have been nice if this would have led to both men being fast asleep now, the three-faced god seems to have decided against such a fortunate turn of events. Instead, after the sorcerer has cast his second spell, the first guard turns out to have all but slumped into the fire and presently the heat wakes him from his magical slumber.</p><p>Quick as a hawk, Sir Suvali lands next to him and touches him with the wand, just in time to prevent the man’s screams from alerting everybody on the plateau. He grabs the squeaking guard, stuffs him into the pocket where Navarre is and takes to the air again, leaving our noble hero to deal with the problem. Indeed, Navarre has some considerable trouble getting the guard to stop struggling and screaming and he eventually has to put a knife to his throat.</p><p>“Shut – the – f**k – up!,” he hisses.</p><p>The guard finally gives in and now Navarre has little trouble tying his hands and feet.</p><p></p><p>Now, the DM informs the noble trio that they end up in a smallish, comfortable cave at the edge of the plateau, where there won’t be any random encounters, where there is a source of fresh water, and where they can recuperate and memorize lost spells. After Navarre has congratulated the DM on this rather excellent reference, Sir Suvali starts brewing some tea from the sleep-inducing herbs while Navarre starts questioning the agitated prisoner.</p><p>“Who are you?,” he starts.</p><p>The prisoner flushes and straightens his back.</p><p>“I am John Soldier!,” he says defiantly.</p><p>“In whose service?”</p><p>“I am descended from a long line of soldiers in the service of Blurh. But no more! We have freed ourselves from the yoke of the oppressor and the era of progress has begun! Nothing can stop us! The time of kings and dukes is over!”</p><p>“Is it?,” Navarre says mockingly. “And who will replace the kings and dukes?”</p><p>“Councils of the people!,” the prisoner says. “No more oppressors! From now on, all are equal and we will decide our own fate!”</p><p>“And what, pray, has been the fate of Lord Blurh?,” Navarre asks.</p><p>“An unfortunate accident has led to the death of the oppressor Blurh and his wife and children some time ago!”</p><p>“Unfortunate indeed,” Navarre says, gnashing his teeth and glaring angrily at the man. “And all this under the banner of Ulm?”</p><p>“The High Priest of Ulm is one of the leaders of the council,” the prisoner says. “He is an engineer and he will bring progress to the people!”</p><p>“I see,” Navarre says. “Well, it would seem that some are more equal than others in your little scheme. By what name goes this priest?”</p><p>“He is called mister Albert Murphy.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ilgatto, post: 8897089, member: 86051"] [CENTER][B][SIZE=6]An Adventure in Five Acts, Act V: Diamond Castle, Part I: Against the Ice Giant[/SIZE][/B][/CENTER] [SIZE=3]In which the DM informs our noble heroes that they are not in the forest on the dawnward bank of the Blue River but in the inn; that Mim and his men have already arrived; and that the whole conversation about the extended map actually took place in the inn. He also tells them that the enemy camp is about 1,500 feet above sea level and the immediate hinterland some 2,100 feet; that the rest of the royalist army, some 300 men, will arrive in about three days; and that the whole royalist army will then consist of some 1,500 men.[/SIZE] [B]Day 17[/B]: Not at all bothered by this strange turn of events, the [I]chevalier[/I] continues his bewildering statements about blocking rivers and Mim letting his horses charge to a certain death. It must be said that this quickly gets the rest of our noble heroes back into the flow, which soon leads to yet another discussion about what to do next. “[I]Messieurs,”[/I] the [I]chevalier[/I] says. “Although we have the numbers and our horses give us the ability to move at speed, we are still at a disadvantage against heavy infantry behind a palisade. We must lay siege to the enemy and cut their water supply. Find the source and block the river.” “My dear fellow,” Navarre says. “Have you any idea of the risks and the amount of time it would take to start searching for the source of a river behind enemy lines?” “Gentlemen,” Sir Suvali says. “An inventory! We have the ability to create some one hundred and thirty potions of sleep-inducing tea and the wand still has over sixty charges left in it. Then there is the flying apparatus…” “[I]Merveilleux!,”[/I] the [I]chevalier[/I] exclaims, clapping his hands. “We shall engage in covert action!” “I will say it again,” Navarre says frostily. “We need information first. What happened to our kinsmen? Who are the enemy? Where do they come from? What are their motives? What of Blurh? Is he aware of what transpires here? Can we call on him if he should still be holding out up there? Is he responsible for this? I say Blurh is where we must begin.” “The enemy is on terrain they know,” Sir Suvali says. “We have magic on our side so we can engage in hit-and-run actions, choose our targets. We can be in and out again before they know what hit them.” “To what avail?,” Navarre asks. “Nibble away at their numbers? Kill some patrols? It would hardly inconvenience them.“ With the debate continuing like this, more and more nobles arrive at the inn. The innkeeper is running to and fro, taking orders, allocating rooms and then vacating them again to make way for new arrivals of higher station. Presently more than 100 nobles and officers are in the common room, discussing the situation and with opinions ranging from ‘charging the rabble’ to ‘maintaining the status-quo’ and allowing the enemy their territorial gains so that everybody can go home to restore order in the duchies. Still, by now, the consensus seems to be that there has been ‘a revolution of the poor’ and that ‘peasant councils’ have indeed taken control of large parts of the realm. Of course, Navarre still isn’t convinced. How could no one have noticed the commoners stirring? Do these people truly believe they can succeed? Pondering the situation, he comes across Sir Oengus and an officer discussing the impending arrival of troops from Dauberval, Sarazin, and Nisibis. He stops to listen. “That is, if she can get the men moving,” the officer says. “She?,” Sir Oengus asks. “Well, it is she who leads the men of Nisibis,” the officer says. Navarre flashes Sir Oengus a wide grin. “[I]Mademoiselle[/I] your sister, Lord Moon?,” he says. “Congratulations, old fruit!” “Well, it seems she’s got more balls than you and your men put together, [I]old fruit,”[/I] Sir Oengus says. “Seeing as she’s also currently commanding the Dauberval and Sarazin lubbers.” Navarre looks at him with a face like a lemon before regaining his composure. “[I]Touché,”[/I] he laughs, slapping his noble fellow on the back. “Well played, [I]mon cher!”[/I] He turns to face the officer. “And who of Dauberval is among them?,” he asks the man. “Alas, Lord,” the officer says, “I have no more information.” So nothing new here. Navarre gets back to the table, where the rest of his noble fellows are speaking to the innkeeper – who turns out to be quite the source of information. He informs our noble heroes that he established the inn 15 years ago when his father died; that his inn is the last stop on the way to Blurh, which he calls Diamond Castle; that barges can sail up the Blue River right up to the inn and that travelers must continue rimward on foot; that it takes one day to reach Diamond Castle via mountain tracks and trails. “The Duke is obsessed with security,” the innkeeper says. “Bandits ruled here before he arrived and it is said that it took him a lot of time to establish himself up there. When he finally did, he cordoned off the area around the castle, with his guards not allowing anybody in.” “Fifteen years, ‘ey?,” Sir Oengus says. “Have you noticed any recent changes in the color of the river? Seen any strange lights up in the mountains?” “Can’t say that I did,” the innkeeper says. “And what of Blurh?,” Navarre asks. “Last thing I heard the cordon was still intact.” “Indeed?,” Navarre muses. “What about large amounts of troops moving down and upstream?” “There were some.” “And you didn’t consider that to be… unusual?,” Navarre asks. The innkeeper flashes him an apologetic grin. “Any giants among them?,” Navarre continues. “I have heard rumors of such creatures,” the innkeeper says. “I did see them haul barges up into the mountains, though.” “Come again?” But before the innkeeper can repeat his remark, the [I]chevalier[/I] intervenes. “What about the height of the river?,” he demands. “I’ve never seen it as low as it is now,” the innkeeper says. “Where is the source of this river?” “Somewhere up in the mountains, I presume,” the innkeeper says. “Where else?” “What about Diamond Castle?,” Sir Suvali cuts in. “I haven’t been there much but it is a bizarre thing,” the innkeeper says. “Not like a barrow, more like some construct of stone, with towers. The strangest thing.” “Ha!,” Navarre beams to the [I]chevalier.[/I] “I told you that castles are the future!” “Philistines!,” the [I]chevalier[/I] mutters under his voice. “About these barges,” Navarre continues. “Did they also carry them from the mountains to the river?” “Could be,” the innkeeper says, shifting a little in his seat. “Could be?”, Navarre asks sharply. “Are you telling me that you didn’t notice anything?” “I prefer to stay well away from people passing my inn in large organized groups, if you don’t mind my saying, Lord,” the innkeeper replies, getting to his feet. “Unless they knock on your door for drinks, of course,” Sir Eber says. Sir Oerknal and Sir Suvali burst out laughing – apparently the ranger beat them to it. The innkeeper grins some more and leaves the table. “Perhaps Blurh is still holding out if this cordon is still intact,” Navarre muses when the man is gone. “Where is this castle? Is it impregnable? Is it so far out of the way that the enemy didn’t bother to take it?” “Let’s find out,” Sir Eber says. “Let’s go to the castle through the forest and see what’s what.” “I like it,” Sir Oengus says. “We shall approach the castle with raised visors.” “[I]Fi!,”[/I] the [I]chevalier[/I] exclaims. “We must approach like thieves! Blurh might mistake us for the enemy!” Navarre looks at his noble friend with a raised eyebrow. “You seem to have developed an alarming penchant for furtiveness and larceny of late, old fruit,” he says. But the [I]chevalier[/I] isn’t listening. Apparently keen to remain on top of absolutely everything, he has turned his attention to Sir Eber and Sir Oerknal, who have started discussing bowel movements. He pours them some more ale and heartily joins in. “He may have a point,” Sir Suvali says to Navarre. “Blurh may have a very specific reason for the cordon, which could mean that he won’t distinguish between royalists or rebels approaching his castle. “So, I’ll take one of you with me and fly to the castle to see what’s going on. We won’t waste charges and the rest will be their normal size if the enemy decides to strike tonight – Mim is going to need all the men he can get when the attack comes. I can always get back and collect the rest if we run into trouble up there.” “I’ll come,” Sir Oengus says. The sorcerer needs only a fraction of a second to recover: “Navarre?” “No need to ask,” Navarre says. “I’m game for anything that could finally lead to the heart of this whole affair.” Sir Suvali tries to inform the others of the plan but these hear but little of what he says, their guffaws ringing loudly throughout the room. Nevertheless, Sir Eber and Sir Oerknal agree to his every word, if only to continue their boorish exchange. But then the [I]chevalier[/I] suddenly seems to notice that something is afoot and that he is not going to be a part of it. “Why only you, [I]mon cher?,”[/I] he asks Navarre, somewhat piqued. “Why not all of us?” “You might want to consider actually listening to people when they are talking to you, my friend,” Navarre returns, getting ready to leave. “And do not come to me with questions about plans in which I did not have a hand. Speak to the sorcerer if you must.” “[I]Sorcier!,”[/I] the [I]chevalier[/I] calls to Sir Suvali, who is already halfway to the door. “Look for the source of the river, will you?” “You’ll be the first to know if we find one,” the sorcerer yells back at him, leaving the inn without so much as turning to look at him. [B]21.00 hrs[/B]: And so it is that Sir Suvali, Sir Oengus, and Navarre move to a secluded spot some distance downstream, where the sorcerer procures his wand and reduces his noble companions in size once again. He puts them in the pockets of his [I]mage vest,[/I] takes to the air and starts flying rimward. When the sun sets about an hour later, the noble trio locate what must be ‛Diamond Castle’. It is located on a high plateau and about a third of the way to the foot of the snow-capped mountains in the background. A large lake stretches from the castle proper to a precipice at the hubward end of the plateau. On its dawnward shore, only barely visible ion the rapidly fading light, they see what appears to be a huge, deserted army camp. The castle itself is a rectangular affair that actually comprises two castles merged together, the older of the two being the duskward and the newer the dawnward section. A river runs straight through the older section and empties into the lake. Clouds of steam smoke billow from the courtyard of the new castle. When darkness falls, our noble heroes discern numerous fires burning in a perimeter around the castle and the lake, culminating in groups of several fires to each side of the precipice. There are no barges or boats in the lake and, from what they can see, getting anything larger than a canoe up to lake from the Blue River valley would be nothing less than a monumental task. There is no mine in sight, which leads our noble heroes to believe that it will probably be somewhere in the mountains at the back of the plateau. Apart from the fires and some lights in the castle, there are no signs of life on the plateau. “Let’s go round,” Sir Suvali says, starting a wide turn to the left. Flying past the castle on the duskward side, our noble heroes notice groups of soldiers patrolling the walls and a large circus tent in the courtyard of the new castle. People seem to be moving in and out of it and great clouds of steam appear to billow from it. “Is that steam?,” Navarre wonders. “A hot spring?” Continuing their tour, our noble heroes reach the back of the plateau, where they have to cross the river coming from the mountains. “Let’s check the encampment,” Navarre says. When they have flown past, our noble heroes estimate that it may be as much as a decade old and that it seems to have been deserted about a year ago. “When was the last time Blurh was at the Fortnight?,” Navarre asks. “Three years,” Sir Suvali replies. “Hmm….” Navarre says. “It seems unlikely that Blurh would allow for such a camp to exist next to his castle if it was not his own. I think we can safely assume that he is actually behind all this.” Sir Suvali has made a turn to the right and, now, our noble heroes approach the fires burning on the dawnward side of the precipice. They hover in the air for a bit and clearly see men moving on the ground below – some arriving, some departing, some with dogs, some without them. When our noble heroes get to the other side of the plateau, past the second concentration of fires, they land at some vantage point to discuss what they have found. “Was that a dam between those fires?,” Navarre asks. “Aye,” Sir Oengus says. “Must be the reason why the river is so low in the valley.” “Makes you wonder how long that dam has been there,” Navarre says. “Let’s ask one of the guards,” Sir Suvali says. “Snatch one from one of the campfires, take him back to the army and start getting some answers.” “I would prefer a guard from the castle walls,” Navarre says. “The men at the campfires may be just mercenaries and they may not know what is going on inside the castle. Remember that Blurh has a reputation for being paranoid.” “Too risky,” Sir Suvali says. “There’s too many people around that tent and too many guards on the walls. We’d risk being seen and shot at. What’s more, the way back would be too long.” “Point taken,” Navarre says. “Agreed?,” the sorcerer says. “We’ll approach from the air and I’ll cast my spell. We land when everybody’s asleep and I’ll use the wand on the first one we get to. I’ll stash him in my pocket and head back.” “Let’s do it,” Sir Oengus says. “One moment,” Navarre says. “Chances are we witnessed a changing of the guards at that fire. I think we should make sure about that so we won’t run into any nasty surprises. This will also give us the most time if things go pear-shaped.” The noble trio take to the air, fly past the dam again and land in a suitable spot to observe the goings on at the first fire. They have to wait almost all of two hours before Sir Oengus sees something move. “There they are,” he says. And, sure enough, two men arrive and two others leave. When everything has settled down, Sir Suvali takes to the air, gets within range and casts his spell. Unfortunately, only one of them starts sagging slowly to one side. “Drat!,” he says, before casting another spell. While it would have been nice if this would have led to both men being fast asleep now, the three-faced god seems to have decided against such a fortunate turn of events. Instead, after the sorcerer has cast his second spell, the first guard turns out to have all but slumped into the fire and presently the heat wakes him from his magical slumber. Quick as a hawk, Sir Suvali lands next to him and touches him with the wand, just in time to prevent the man’s screams from alerting everybody on the plateau. He grabs the squeaking guard, stuffs him into the pocket where Navarre is and takes to the air again, leaving our noble hero to deal with the problem. Indeed, Navarre has some considerable trouble getting the guard to stop struggling and screaming and he eventually has to put a knife to his throat. “Shut – the – f**k – up!,” he hisses. The guard finally gives in and now Navarre has little trouble tying his hands and feet. Now, the DM informs the noble trio that they end up in a smallish, comfortable cave at the edge of the plateau, where there won’t be any random encounters, where there is a source of fresh water, and where they can recuperate and memorize lost spells. After Navarre has congratulated the DM on this rather excellent reference, Sir Suvali starts brewing some tea from the sleep-inducing herbs while Navarre starts questioning the agitated prisoner. “Who are you?,” he starts. The prisoner flushes and straightens his back. “I am John Soldier!,” he says defiantly. “In whose service?” “I am descended from a long line of soldiers in the service of Blurh. But no more! We have freed ourselves from the yoke of the oppressor and the era of progress has begun! Nothing can stop us! The time of kings and dukes is over!” “Is it?,” Navarre says mockingly. “And who will replace the kings and dukes?” “Councils of the people!,” the prisoner says. “No more oppressors! From now on, all are equal and we will decide our own fate!” “And what, pray, has been the fate of Lord Blurh?,” Navarre asks. “An unfortunate accident has led to the death of the oppressor Blurh and his wife and children some time ago!” “Unfortunate indeed,” Navarre says, gnashing his teeth and glaring angrily at the man. “And all this under the banner of Ulm?” “The High Priest of Ulm is one of the leaders of the council,” the prisoner says. “He is an engineer and he will bring progress to the people!” “I see,” Navarre says. “Well, it would seem that some are more equal than others in your little scheme. By what name goes this priest?” “He is called mister Albert Murphy.” [/QUOTE]
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An Adventure in Five Acts (AD&D 2E) (Final Update 25 Feb 2023)
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