Banewarrens d20 (Angelsboi's party)

[diaglo]

Anticipation is making me wait

"Fiddle, get up," Alya shouted as he healed the hin. "Arendel has returned. The Burning Brand is only a few minutes behind him."

Fiddle stirred. He rolled over and hid behind the Dragon reclaiming his ring.

The others were once again in defensive positions. It looked like they meant to do Himool and Company some harm. Fiddle wasn't sure if he felt like it. He had suffered the most in the battle with the Dragon, but he had survived. All of them had. Alya, Arendel, and Darian were just inside the first ruined tower. Calrom was on the roof off to Fiddle's right. And Sully was on the wall to his left. Fiddle watched the entrance with his bow drawn. He nocked one of the magical arrows Alya had given him.

"Invisible," Fiddle thought. "Just like last time. The two rogues will be invisible."

Sully signalled to the others. He mumbled a spell and....

 

[diaglo]

The common threat is gone; no longer allies

Carl appeared off to the right of Darian, Arendel in hawk form, and Alya the trog. A small bead of fire left his hand.

BooooMMMmm.

The fireball exploded in the midst of the spellcasters. Alya hummed and winked out of existence. Sully returned fire with lightning. Carl was staggered. Several brief motes also flashed just outside the wall and inside the courtyard. Arendel called on another wave of fire. The heavens opened and a torrent of flame struck poor Carl. He was dead before it registered. Darian redirected his magic outside the walls. A loud crash and then silence. Himool gained the wall. He would be on Sully in a few more moments. Fiddle and Calrom hit him with arrows.

No word or sign from Alya. Sully assumed pixie form. He moved away from the threat Himool posed. Still no rogues, nor the priestess of Tymora. Arendel directed a torrent of hail to fall on the courtyard to prevent unhindered passage into the Moathouse. It also partially struck Himool and the area just outside on the drawbridge. Darian hit Himool with another burst of sound. Himool leapt off the wall for safety. He tripped and landed in a heap.

"Arendel, someone is climbing up the wall over here," Darian shouted.

Darian had also prepared a muddy trap earlier to help find invisible trespassers. But the area was well out of candle light. As a matter of fact the only places lit were the coin on Fiddle's belt and the lantern next to Darian. Fiddle put away his bow and drew his blades. Dorek appeared. The dwarf nicked Fiddle with his heavy axe and missed with the lighter one. A fighter after Fiddle's own heart. It would be a shame to kill him. Calrom fired at Dorek.

Alya was quiet. Sully gained altitude and riddled Himool with bolts of magic. Arendel also took to wing. Whether he cast another spell or not Fiddle couldn't tell. Darian cast a spell of his own. The elven lass appeared. She stabbed at the priest. Three small badgers came into being behind her. Dorek took another swipe at Fiddle, before turning to flee.

"Surrender," Fiddle called back. "I might be able to save your life."

Fiddle stabbed under the dwarf's guard with Lightning Strike as a parting shot. Calrom dropped his bow and drew his rapier. He ran for Fiddle's light and landed poorly. Fiddle continued after the Dorek and buried his sword to the hilt in the dwarf's back.

"Oh, well," Fiddle helped Calrom up. As far as he was concerned it was over. He and Calrom searched the corpse.

Oona jumped off the wall and to the safety of the reeds. She swam the moat. And....somewhere along the way Darian, Sully, and Arendel finished off the Band of the Burning Brand. The priestess of Tymora had collapsed just outside the gate. She hadn't even been in one second of the fight. Alya winked into existence again, too. He was badly frozen and burned. But he was alive, just not conscious.

 

[diaglo]

Aftermath

The party placed the items they recovered off the dead into a pile in the middle of the courtyard. Fiddle went about recovering parts from the Dead dragon while Alya and Sully tried to figure out what if any of the items were magical or valuable. Darian and Calrom took care of the bodies. The Burning Brand had come to the fight without most of their things. No packs, no food, no animals...Arendel returned with the party's animals...no spellbook.

"They've set us up," Fiddle whispered to Calrom. "They went back to Peldan's Helm and told everyone there we stole the Sword. And we've slain them. We have the mark of highwaymen about us now. Not to mention we have their stuff. I feel dirty." Fiddle washed his hands. He was dirty from stripping the dragon of its hide.

It wasn't safe inside the Moathouse. So the party set camp in a defensible area in the woods. They let the animals of the night have what remained of the Dragon's carcass in the courtyard. Alya spent the night identifying items. He drank a lot of wine, swallowed a lot of crushed pearls and stirred a lot with his owl feather. Himool had a suit of mithril chain. It was too big for Fiddle.

"Why did you do this?" he cursed the dead elf.

In the morning, Alya had the answer to most of the magic. He relayed the information. And the party divvied up the items for easy portability.

"Where to next?" Sully asked during the morning meal. "I have my vial of True Dragon's blood. But I only have 30 days or so to get it exposed and back to my Auntie. I'm up for a trip to the Underdark. You are all welcome to come along."

"I'm there," Fiddle and Calrom said in unison.

"Me too," Arendel nodded.

"And me," Alya agreed.

"Hellloooo," Darian smirked. "Look at my forehead and armor. Priest of Lathander here. I'd look like a big old shiny beacon. I'd attract everything there. I'm for travelling to another location and selling or recrafting the items we just acquired."

"Oh, I see," Sully answered. "I follow you under the ground and into the Pit o' Hell to recover a Holy Sword and now you don't want to help with my Auntie."

The conversation got hot and furious. Everyone got in on it. Eventually, things cooled down. But no decision was made on the direction to head.

Fiddle sat widdling one of the Dragon claws to add to his necklace of trophies.

 

[diaglo]

update to follow after today's session

will they go living in a land down under?

or will they piddle around getting their magic items created?

 

[biorph]

will they go living in a land down under?

Where clerics glow and bard's chunder?

oh no wait that was this session, while we were above ground.

 

[diaglo]

Possible way down #1

The morning saw the party on the road to Tilverton. Sully had not convinced Darian to join in the adventure into the Underdark. The priest of Lathander wanted to return home to Cormyr, sell the excess items, and travel another road. At least in Tilverton Sully might find another priest to join the quest. No one wanted to test Fiddle's theory about Peldan's Helm now having a price on their heads.

Besides, Fiddle thought perhaps he might be able to trick Darian. First try would be near the border. The hole into the Underdark provided by the gibberlings would be a perfect test.

The next couple days' journey was quiet. No one spoke much. The road was well worn. Many heavily ladened wagons had passed recently. Up ahead, trouble. Smoke rose into the sky a couple miles into the woods.

Arendel, Calrom, and Fiddle set off to check on the fire. Sully and Darian brought the rest of the horses and animals with them at a slower pace. Alya took to wing as an avariel. Fiddle couldn’t keep pace with the druid and the ranger once they entered the woods. He turned back and signaled to Sully and Darian.

Fiddle found the tracks of a lone elf. The elf traveled from the woods to the hole. Fiddle went directly there with Sully and Darian. They passed Arendel and Calrom arguing at the site of an ambush. No signs of further trouble nor survivors. Alya flew over to Fiddle and the others. They left the druid and ranger.

A hawk was pinned to the ground with arrows just outside the entrance to the Underdark. Fiddle crept forward to investigate. Darian kept a wide berth. Drow, perhaps. Fiddle looked further into the tunnel. Three human bodies riddled with similar arrows. Merchants. Alya peered inside too. The tunnel took a bend a few feet beyond the bodies.

Calrom and Arendel caught up with the group. They were still bickering, but at a whisper. Arendel assumed fox form and trotted into the tunnel.

 

[diaglo]

Some things are not as they seem

A moment later, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. And then shouting in a foreign tongue.

“Should we go investigate?” Fiddle asked. “It can never be good when someone is shouting like that even if it is in a different language.”

“It’s elven,” Alya said as she strode past. “Could be the drow.”

Fiddle quickly ducked in behind the avariel as a shadow. The others waited outside. They rounded the bend. Arendel was in elf form again held back at sword point by a wounded sun elf. The druid tucked his drow medallion under his armor. Fiddle recognized why the elf was nervous now. The three elves chatted away. He lowered his sword. Alya attempted to heal the elf’s wounds. Nothing visibly changed.

“Hello,” Fiddle stepped into the light. “Can you speak in Common? I don’t understand a word you all are saying.”

Darian and Sully arrived. Darian joined in on the conversation. Sully and Fiddle just shrugged.

“Sully,” Alya whispered in draconic. “I don’t trust our friend. Would you be a dear and dispel the magic around here?”

Finally, Fiddle got an idea something wasn’t kosher. Alya must have explained Sully’s actions. She nodded to the gnome.

Ppooofff.

All the magic in the area was removed. Alya was a male kobold again. This did not sit well with the elf. Darian placed himself in the middle of the negotiations. He directed everyone outside and even translated a little for Fiddle and Sully to understand.

Calrom met the new elf, Grishelm of the Deepingdale Rangers, with a sneer. The two rangers kept their distance. Fiddle searched the human merchants. They were dead alright. And someone had already stripped them of their valuables.

The conversation continued outside the tunnel. Calrom translated for the non-elves. The hawk was the elf's former companion. No one seemed to care they were just outside of a drow stronghold.

"He is not to be trusted," Alya sang.

The sun elf froze and stared at the kobold. Fiddle moved behind him. Calrom drew his sword.

 

[diaglo]

All is revealed

And Alya's song faded as Grishelm fled. Fiddle casually mounted Marmaduke and drew his own weapons. Alya pelted the sun elf with arrows. While Arendel placed a barrier of greenery in front of the escape route. He and the bear closed on the ranger. Sully also smacked their foe with magic. The elf slowed to a walk.

"Surrender and you may yet live," Sully added.

Darian struck the elf in the back of his head with a beam of light. His hair and skin burned. He was in a sorry state. Calrom finished his maneuver.

"I only drew my sword," he shrugged and ran to catch up.

The flora around Fiddle came to life. Marmaduke was held in place. Fiddle dismounted and ran for the edge of the activity. Alya took avariel form again and gained height. The others likewise moved to be clear of the clinging plants. The bear hugged Grishelm. The elf passed out. Arendel approached and healed his wounds.

Alya stripped him while Calrom bound him. Fiddle put away his blades and pulled out his coin sap.

Darian, Arendel, Calrom, and Alya questioned the prisoner more thoroughly and less politely than before. He sang like a canary. A member of a 4 elf cell sent to frame the drow and continue the war with the humans. He was one of the "True People", the Eldreth Veluuthra. And his cell would be meeting at the old Temple to Corellon Larethian in the Vale of Lost Voices in 6 days time. He had fought the drow recently.

"Lets kill him," Arendel said.

"Why do you know him?" Calrom asked. "Are you afraid he may give your secret away."

"Nay," Darian interrupted. "We should take him to Cormyr since we are already headed that way. They have a Temple of Tyr. Maybe the Just Ones will get more out of him and help their neighbors."

"They have a Temple of Tyr in Ashabenford," Sully hinted. "And Filani mentioned a way into the Underdark around there."

"We could at least try the Border Tower," Darian kept on pushing. "We are much closer to Cormyr than to Ashabenford."

The party buried the dead merchants and took care of the elf. Fiddle knocked him out again with his sap. Calrom noticed there were less merchants here than tracks. The drow must have taken some prisoners. They made camp further down the road.

 

[diaglo]

There and back again

The trip to the Border Tower was uneventful. Fiddle made a habit of putting the elf to sleep and checking his bindings. Plus he sported a rag in his mouth to keep him even more quiet. Alya saw to his other needs; like food, water and natural body services.

“Hail on the road,” a familiar guard called to the party. “What do you carry and where are you headed?”

“Hail in the Tower,” Darian responded. “We need a word with the War wizard.”

Arendel had 2 new horses he tended from the caravan. Fiddle’s 5 horses, Marmaduke, Mulebone, the Bear, and the new mount Darian rode made for a large train of their own. Mulebone carried a good portion of the party’s spare items.

The War wizard was not very helpful. He promised to hang the fool elf as a bandit, but otherwise wished to keep Cormyr out of the Dales business. So any chance of taking the road to Tilverton or to the magical portal Fiddle wished to visit with Sully was soon squashed. Because it meant the elf was now on his way back to Ashabenford with the party. No items sold, none traded, none created, none changed. All around a very uneventful trip.

Fiddle hoped no one in Ashabenford put two and two together concerning the Band of the Burning Brand. The return trip confirmed one thing. The drow were active. The few items of use left behind on the burnt caravan were now gone. Still the party avoided Peldan’s Helm and made good time to the Mistledale capital. Darian cast a few spells on the trip to try and prolong the life of the dragon parts and blood.

The party also discussed their next course of action. They had missed the rendevous with the other cell members. And they had missed going down in the Underdark as long as the elf was still a prisoner. So they decided to get a Tyrian priest to certify the truth about the elf and hand him over to the authorities.

 

[diaglo]

The road still traveled

The party encountered a patrol of Riders just outside of Ashabenford. They exchanged pleasantries and agreed to escort them into town. First stop the White Hart Inn and then the Temple of Tyr and then who knew. The party unloaded their items and gear at the Inn. The bid the Riders well and promised them a round of drinks later. Then they set off for Harask Malorn's house. Malorn took them to the council chamber for secrecy at Fiddle's request. He offered the party a contract to escort Dumic the Red to Daggerdale for the Midsummer's Dales council. It seemed the Burning Brand could not fulfill the contract. It was only right the Stormslayers should act on their friend Himool's behalf. After agreeing to the contract Fiddle asked dumped Grishelm at Malorn's feet. He then told the High Councilor all they knew of the elven plot. He was not happy. Many of the humans would use this as an excuse to exterminate all elves in the area. And it meant keeping the elf hidden from Dumic. Dumic would be one of the most outspoken of the humans. They would leave in the morning.

Alya took off for Norister the Mage's shop. He was interested in trading. While Fiddle, Sully, and Arendel stayed to listen to a bard sing, Jhaer Brightsong at the White Hart. Her music was quite good. Darian and Calrom took the prisoner to the Temple of Tyr. They returned shortly afterwards. The priest would be prepared to see them and the prisoner in the morning. He kept the news of the prisoner quiet in the meantime.

Fiddle tried hard to get Jhaer to notice him. He tried all of the secret signals he could remember Jevvica using. None worked. Finally Arendel led the young elven lass away.

"Not all bards are Harpers, Fiddle," Sully reminded him.

"Don't wait up for me," Arendel winked.

The next morning the party gathered outside of the Councilor's house. Alya and the elf carefully bundled and hidden on the back of Mulebone. Jhaer was travelling with them. She also had business to discuss in Daggerdale. Dumic arrived later. He was a very rotund man, balding on top with a bright red face. He rode a draft horse and pulled a heavily laden donkey behind. The ass struggled with a large wine cask. Fiddle got the impression it would not be full long.

"So you are my escort," Dumic bellowed. "And what makes you so special?"

Fiddle began to sing his tale of slaying the Dragon, Nightscale. Dumic laughed and hoisted the hin up in front of him.

"You are a very funny creature," Dumic chortled all morning long. "Lets be off. Do we have a guide?"

"That would be me," Calrom set the pace.