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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DND_Reborn" data-source="post: 8109580" data-attributes="member: 6987520">THE QUEST IS OVER--THE CHALLENGE WON--TIME FOR THE NEXT CAMPAIGN! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />The four heroes--mourning the loss of yet another companion--boldly ventured forth to face the vile ancient shadow dragon, a monster which had already claimed the life of one of their number. Bathing themselves in light, the charged forth to find themselves assaulted by a cloud of necrotic energy that sapped them strength and vitality. Quickly the band moved in as one, intent on vengeance and victory. The dragon toyed with them, confident in its enormous might, fortitude, and magic. Rarely has such battle been witnessed by mortal man, but by a force of constant pressure and cunning, the heroes managed to vanquish the vile foe, cheering as the monster collapsed to the shaken and battered earth below, as it breathed its final breath.The towering iron golem lurched forward off of its pedestal; its weight causing the ground to shift beneath the company's feet. The assassin's assault from his hidden position was swift and sure. Monk and barbarian faced the colossal construct, battering it with sword and staff and fist. The caster stepped back into the tunnel, watching their escape should the battle turn for the worse--and good thing he did as four stone golems marched in unison to aid their compatriot. A wall of force stopped their advance and allowed the band to focus on the iron golem, their relentless assaults and mighty magics penetrating its defenses and tearing it down--blow by blow and spell by spell. With the larger construct conquered, the heroes turned to the stone golems awaiting them behind the invisible barrier. With timing and tactics practiced over hundreds of conflicts, the group laid waste to the weaker golems, attacking them as wolves and tearing them down one by one.The moment the party burst through the door to tackle the master of these cursed halls, the archmage turned to them with a smile and stopped time itself! An instant later piercing dagger strikes of force energy rocked the heroes, they turned to retaliate, but the evil wizard as gone. On their guard and propping their defenses, suddenly screams of agony and terror tore through their minds as darkness enveloped them all. As they were blind and stumbling about, the archmage relished in their confusion and fear as he erupted fire, cold, and lighting again and again against them. The party was forced to flee and regroup, using their own magic to track the master of the castle. Like a game of cat and mice, the evil evoker attacked from one direction and then another. Finally, trapped like rats in a cage, he hovered over them assaulting them with spells of fire and lightning, his magical shields protecting him from their attacks when the nearly landed the mark. But theses heroes were tried and true, tested literally in the fires of Hell, and would not give up hope, even as their numbers fell one after another. Spent, exhausted, and barely fighting the assassin and monk were all that remained. They could see doubt creep into the eyes of the archmage. If he fled or was defeated they might find their friend and win the contest he had agreed to--he could not renege or he would perish. Barely holding himself aloft, the wizard watched as another oathed arrow flew towards him, as he turned his hand to once again invoke his shield. But the arrow was too quick and struck true, piercing his left eye and driving deep into his brain. His head rolled back as his spell failed and he fell a dozen feet, crashing onto the bed below. Zelligar the Unknown was defeated at last, but the quest was not over...After reviving their two friends, the assassin and monk knew their time was short. They had search the domains of the archmage for nearly two days, hoping to find their captured friend before time ran out. Exhausted from battle, blood pouring from soaked bandages, and sore muscles straining to move ever onward, the heroes continued their search. Knowing wine was nearby in the lounge and hoping to rest a few moments before moving on, they returned to the luxurious room and sat on the benches which lined the walls. The monk cautiously approached the lone statue that adorned the center of the room. The woman was beautiful, her carved features lined with grace. Like the others, he knew this statue was magical. Nearly every statute they had encountered was a trap or a golem in disguise. The sorcerer rose to join the monk, taking a sip of the wine from the tankard he had filled from the nearby barrel. As the warm liquid cascaded down his parched throat, he looked the heavenly face, thinking this was likely a succubus or other demon trapped. He noticed her up-turned head, eyes gazing towards the colorful but faded fresco on the ceiling. In a flash of brilliance, he thought it looked as though the statue's lips were slightly parted, so he lifted his tankard high and poured the blood-red wine into her mouth. Suddenly the ground shook, the stone of the statue fractured and exploded in fine dust, and their friend collapsed before them on the small pedestal where the statue once stood. The others rose from their feet, in the distance a faint cry of utter defeat, "NO!" echoed through the halls. The party lifted the weakened Elsbeth, she could not stand on her own, and turned to witness the glory of the solar entering the room. "You have succeeded. You are free to leave this realm" the celestial spoke as it lifted it hands in golden light. With a blinding flash, the cold stone around the heroes disappeared, and they stood once again in the open courtyard of the Keep on the Borderlands. The warm sun filled their hearts--but it was no match for the joy and happiness they felt--they had won.The Heroes: (all character level 20)Brodus - Male half-orc fighter/thief (finished female human)Fang - Male dragonborn sorcerer/druid (finished female earth genasi)Coldsteel - Male dragonborn barbarian/fighter (renamed Laziakka- finished female high elf)Percival "Percy" - Male human monk/wizard/druidThe Fallen:Tristan - Male human paladin/cleric (died fighting the ancient shadow dragon so the party could survive)Brother Gilbert - Male human bard/wizard (died under the warping curse of the sibrex)Thera Ferrlaun - Female high elf rogue/wizard/cleric (died in the capture of Elsbeth by Zelligar)Other Companions of the CampaignPagnar - Male dwarf bard/paladin (retired in Penin, company's representative to the King)Petlandria - Female drow elf ranger (deserted the group after they freed Zelligar from his stone tomb, whereabouts unknown)Munath - Male mountain dwarf (left party to help his clan rebuild after raids, living in Amgol in the Thorandin Mts.)Wren - Male human cleric (escorted survivors to new homes, whereabouts unknown)Grief - Female tiefling warlock (left party with Wren, whereabouts unknown)Sorrow - Female tiefling barbarian (left party with Wren, presumed to be with Grief).Campaign Summary:Total sessions: 50 "doubles" of 8-12 hours each, approximately 500 hours of game-play, 20 months.Total encounters: 321Total campaign XP: 2,580,000</blockquote>

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