We can survive any Challenge there was only bitterness to be had
JollyDoc's Rise of the Runelords...Updated 12/22
We can survive any Challenge there was only bitterness to be had
WarEagleMage
First Post
Not to give away too much, but the final encounter was not in fact a TPK. It was, however, a TPK in spirit. Although we have a reputation for power gaming, we do get quite involved with our characters. Not to wax too artsy, but there comes a point where introducing another PC just doesn't feel right. I experienced that when I ditched Maruis in Savage Tide (after multiple deaths) in favor of Gregor (the druid). I never did get into him, so I went back to Marius and enjoyed the rest of the game. Now project that feeling over half the party. At nearly 13th level(the AP only goes to 15), the consensus was that (at least for the time being) it just wouldn't be that fun to continue. And while I hate to leave anything unfinished, let's face it - we're playing this game to have fun. That said, everyone seems energized about our new campaign that starts this week. Tune in for more of JD and co's thrilling heroics.
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WarEagleMage
First Post
Also, on a sad note, we just found out that we are losing David (who currently plays Wesh, and who played the fan-favorite Towercleaver in Savage Tide) to a job transfer out of state. We knew this day was coming, but that doesn't make it suck any less.
David and I played D&D together for a few years before joining JollyDoc's table. He also sucked me into City of Heroes where we've fought crime late into the night for the last 4+ years. David is a brilliant player and an even better friend. We're going to miss him and his never-ending supply of geeky T-shirts around the table.
David and I played D&D together for a few years before joining JollyDoc's table. He also sucked me into City of Heroes where we've fought crime late into the night for the last 4+ years. David is a brilliant player and an even better friend. We're going to miss him and his never-ending supply of geeky T-shirts around the table.
Joachim
First Post
Seconded. Glass raised in tribute.
JollyDoc
Explorer
Yes, I decided to synopsize for the sake of expediancy. It is my dearest hope to have the update posted tonight. Then I'll begin CotCT, which we played our first session of this past week. I will be writing CotCT as more of an adventure log, again for the sake of expediancy. I also plan on posting it on Paizo as well as here. Our cast of characters is colorful:
a half-orc bum who is also a druid
a duskblade pissed at the world
an unwilling paladin
a bodyguard who has failed his charge
a sorcerer with an addiction problem
a fortune teller pining for a lost love
Graywolf-ELM
Explorer
I still read regularly, and am running my group through the crimson throne now. Looking forward to reading how your group does.
If I get a vote, I just like the fact that you are willing to post out what happens, either format works for me.
GW
If I get a vote, I just like the fact that you are willing to post out what happens, either format works for me.
GW
JollyDoc
Explorer
RISE OF A RUNELORD
The Sandpoint Seven continued deeper into Mokmurian’s library, battling through a pack of extradimensional “hounds” that lived within the angles or reality. Beyond these guardians, the companions found Mokmurian himself. The stone giant sorcerer had barricaded himself within a vast lecture hall where he had prepared for the arrival of his intruders. He had witnessed their approach through the eyes of the severed head of the zombie lord the heroes had previously encountered. The Seven made a near fatal error by dividing their numbers to enter the chamber, only too late realizing that what they had at first thought was a second entrance, instead turned out to be a dead-end. Mokmurian caught the group completely off guard, isolating several of them with his magic and then striking at them one-by-one. For a brief moment, the companions were forced into a fighting retreat until Reaper managed to rip the wizard’s protective wards from him, leaving the giant vulnerable, at which point Adso, with his mage-slaying expertise, put down Mokmurian’s evil once and for all. Among the wizard’s possessions was a note which, besides detailing his invasion plans for Varisia, indicated a point along the Lost Coast, very near Sandpoint in fact, that Mokmurian had indicated as a site for the possible ruins of a “hellfire furnace.” The note went on to say that the ruins might hold a key to finding someone named Xaliasa, whom the mage labeled a traitor, as well as something called the Runeforge.
Finally, beyond Mokmurian’s lair, the seven companions came upon the lost Library of Thassilon. The librarian, an ancient clockwork construct still in working order, proved quite helpful to their inquiries, and gave them valuable information about Karzoug, the Runelord of Greed, his capital city of Xin-Shalast, and a detailed history of the rise and fall of Thassilon itself. By the time they emerged back to the surface of Jorgenfist, Conna had convinced the giant army of Mokmurian’s death, and had ordered the individual tribes to disperse.
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With the imminent threat of the giant army removed, the Sandpoint heroes dispersed for some much-needed down time. Reaper returned to Fort Rannick to oversee its proper outfitting, while all of the others, save Wesh, journeyed to Magnimar. Wesh had pressing matters to attend to in Sandpoint, namely his lady-love Ameiko. Events, however, had other plans for the mage. Though welcomed back to the town as a hero once more, he had no sooner arrived home than he was summoned to a meeting with Father Zantus, Sheriff Hemlock, and Mayor Deverin. It seemed that a large sinkhole had opened in the center of town near the garrison, and since then, strange sounds had been growing louder and louder each night. When Hemlock sent a contingent of guards into the hole to investigate, none of them returned. When Wesh went to see the hole for himself, he realized that it was located quite near to the site where they had found the Catacombs of Wrath and the runewell hidden within. The mage knew this was no coincidence, and so he summoned his companions once more.
When the group descended into the sinkhole themselves, they found the original catacombs in shambles. A previously-collapsed corridor, however, had been reopened. Beyond it, they found a strange temple of sorts, apparently dedicated to Lamashtu, with every available surface covered in chaotic writing. No sooner had they entered the shrine, than a disembodied voice spoke to them, demanding answers. Whomever it was wanted to know about the current state of the surface world, what had become of Thassilon, and especially, the whereabouts of Runelords Karzoug and Alaznist. Reaper answered the questions, but was disingenuous. The speaker, however, seemed to take him at his word and offered to answer questions in return. Reaper’s first question was the speaker’s identity. The response was that he was an incarnation of Lamashtu. When Reaper asked about the name Xaliasa, however, the unseen interrogator demanded to know where the necromancer had heard that name. Reaper told him of Mokmurian, and the speaker revealed that he himself had once been known by that name. Reaper followed up by asking about the Runeforge. Xaliasa laughed, and told him that if he sought the Runeforge, it would be his death.
After that, Xaliasa spoke no further. Instead, the companions soon found themselves embroiled in a battle with a pack of shadowy hounds, led by a towering glabrezu demon. Initially, the melee was one-sided, with the fast-moving hounds inserting themselves among the heroes with surprising speed and ferocity, tripping the weaker members before descending upon them savagely. The tide shifted, however, when Cruemann and Adso began picking off the hounds one-by-one, allowing the mages to regain their composure and bring their power to bear. A moment later, however, and a new player entered the field…a strange-looking human with maddened eyes…Xaliasa, also known as the Scribbler. Though a powerful mage in his own right, the Scribbler was no match for the Seven, especially after Adso took down the mighty glabrezu by puncturing its lungs with his bare hands.
One they group had put down their enemies, they began exploring the remainder of the complex. Outside of what-was-apparently Xaliasa’s personal quarters, however, Wesh was affected by a powerful, mind-affecting trap laid by the dead mage. He became convinced that his companions had succumbed to Lamashtu’s influence and were determined to sacrifice him to their dark goddess. In fear and desperation, he fled, teleporting back to the surface. Once there, he quickly informed the town leaders of what had occurred, and warned them that they must collapse the sinkhole and form a cordon around it. Horrified, the town rushed to comply, hardly able to believe that their saviors could have turned on them. Several hours later, however, Xaliasa’s charm wore off, and Wesh realized what he’d done. Too embarrassed to reveal the truth, he informed the town that he would return to the catacombs and would bring back his companions intact, or he would not return at all.
Once Wesh was back with his companions and had sheepishly apologized, the group began studying Xaliasa’s writings in depth. Most of them amounted to a reprinting of Lamashtu’s holy scriptures, but hidden among the ramblings were several unrelated stanzas which, when taken together, formed a strange riddle:
If magic bright is your desire,
To old Runeforge you must retire!
For only there does wizard’s art,
Receive its due and proper start.
On eastern stores of steaming mirror,
At end of day when dusk is nearer,
Where seven faces silent wait,
Encircled guards at Runeforge gate.
Each stone the grace of seven lords,
One part of key each ruler hoards;
If offered spells and proper prayer;
Take seven keys and climb the stair.
On frozen mountain Xin awaits,
His regal voice the yawning gates
Keys turn twice in Sihedron…
Occulted Runeforge waits within.
And now you’ve come and joined the forge
Upon rare lore your mind can gorge…
And when you slough the mortal way
In Runeforge long your work shall stay.
Wesh recalled that, in Varisia, Lake Stormunder was known for its plentiful hot springs and geysers. He also remembered that a mysterious circle of seven stone heads stood upon the western slope of the mountain known as Rimeskull on Stormunder’s eastern shore…
____________________________________________________
Rimeskull Mountain lay far to the north of Sandpoint, near the extreme borders of Varisia, yet the journey only amounted to a matter of hours once Duerten imbued the company with ability to travel upon the wind. When they arrived at Lake Stormunder, they found its steam-coated surface just as it was described in the Scribbler’s rhyme. Several hundred feet from the lake’s edge, the land leveled off into a circular hill, upon which stood seven large, stone heads. High above the hill, an ancient, eroded carving of a face graced Rimeskull itself, its mouth a gaping cave reached by a large, winding stair that stretched from the hilltop.
When they landed near the stone heads, Wesh was able to identify each of them as one of the seven Runelords, one for each sin. Within the mouth of each face was an empty hollow. Reasoning that the Scribbler’s rhyme involved using magic from each school upon the appropriate statue, the group began with Alaznist, the Runelord of Wrath. As Wesh hurled a magic missile at the head, an ear-splitting trill filled the air, and a golden key appeared within the carving’s mouth. Unfortunately, the statue’s activation awoke an ancient resident of Rimeskull…the white dragon Arkrhyst, also known as Freezemaw.
Freezemaw attacked suddenly, and without warning, dropping silently down from Rimeskull’s heights. The dragon’s first victim was Cruemann, whom it snatched from among his companions, carried him out over the lake, and then dropped him into the water, intending to come back later and finish its meal. It then circled back to unleash its frigid breath on the remainder of the Seven. The heroes had not survived so long, however, by being unable to adapt. Though the initial attack had caught them off guard, they quickly recovered and began to retaliate against the dragon, using a barrage of magic. Then, when Freezemaw closed to attack again, Adso leaped upon the wyrm, his punches and kicks piercing its magical defenses as if they didn’t exist. Once Freezemaw was dead, Cruemann was recovered, and the group finished imbuing their respective spells upon each of the remaining Runelord heads, retrieving a key from each.
The Seven next began the long ascent towards the mouth of Xin. When they reached the top of the stair, however, they encountered more guardians…a pair of titanic earth elementals. Though horribly strong and powerfully built, the elementals were slow and clumsy, and although they gave the companions several moments of doubt and panic, ultimately, the heroes won through. Beyond the mouth of the cave, they found a long tunnel that descended to a huge, gaping hole filled with frozen icicles. A winding ramp led down to the bottom, where lay an enormous, frozen cathedral containing seven rune-carved pillars surrounding a larger, eighth one. Keyholes were found in each of the smaller pillars, and when the proper key was placed in each one, the pillar began to glow and the key vanished. Once all seven were active, the central pillar began to ripple with arcane energy, forming a large, vertical whirlpool at its base. Through the pool could be seen a long tunnel. The choice seemed obvious, and the companions stepped through. On the other side, they found themselves standing in the tunnel they had seen, but behind them, the portal had closed. There was no way back.
The corridor led to a large, domed chamber containing a bubbling pool in the center. The Sihedron Rune was inscribed upon the floor surrounding the pool. Each point of the rune pointed to a twenty-five foot tall statue which faced the pool. Behind each of them could be seen an arched passage. Each of the statues represented, in exquisite detail, one of the seven Runelords. For no particular reason, the companions chose the path behind Runelord Zutha, the Runelord of Gluttony, whose associated school of magic was necromancy. After a strange, vertiginous transition, the group found themselves in marble corridors with silver molding decorated with the images of angels. Immediately, all of the heroes, save Reaper, felt uncomfortable and unwelcome in the halls. Reaper, on the other hand, felt like he’d come home at last.
Pressing onward, they soon entered a chilling crypt, whose walls were decorated with grinning skulls. Arrayed around the perimeter of the chamber were nine desiccated mummies, who sprang to terrifying life when the intruders entered. To a man, once more save Reaper, the companions were paralyzed with overwhelming revulsion and fear. As the mummies attacked, Reaper knew that his allies would be dead within a matter of seconds, and in fact, Duerten was struck down in front of him before the necromancer could act. Thinking quickly, he gathered the others close to him and teleported them back to the central chamber. Then, reentering the tomb alone, he proceeded to deal with the undead, first trapping them in a cloud of solid fog, and then immolating them with a barrage of fireballs.
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In the aftermath of the battle with the mummies, Dexter made the unpleasant discovery that his flesh was beginning to dissolve in the spots where the undead had touched him…he had contracted mummy rot. With Duerten dead, no one was familiar with the disease, and could not cure it. The company decided to reenter the Ravenous Crypts, hoping to find an answer within, yet all they discovered were numerous empty corridors and tombs…until they happened upon what appeared to be a necromantic research lab. There, strapped to a vivisection table, was a young man, still very much alive. When they freed him, they discovered that he was a priest named Xander. Furthermore, he had been a resident of the Runeforge for the past ten-thousand years! Xander explained that he had been an apprentice of an illusionist named Vraxeris, himself an apprentice of Xanderghul, the Runelord of Pride. He related that he and his fellow residents of Runeforge had originally been sent there as part of a cooperative effort among the Runelords (such as it was) to research the deeper nature of Rune magic. They never expected to leave the forge, but at some point, they became aware that a devastating cataclysm must have befallen Thassilon, for no new contact came from the empire. As the years wore into centuries, some of the groups died out, while others became more powerful. As the centuries stretched into millennia, the denizens succumbed to madness, dementia and depression. In time, the occupants became the Runeforge’s prisoners as much as its caretakers. Then, something changed. Several years ago, the Runeforge pool reactivated for the first time in ten millennia. The masters of the Abjurant Halls of Envy immediately attempted to claim the pool as their own, an act that mobilized the coordinated retaliation of the other surviving factions. This resulted in the complete eradication of the Abjurant Halls. The short-lived truce was quickly broken thereafter, and in the resulting chaos, Xander was captured by forces of Gluttony. The grateful priest was anxious to join forces with the Sandpoint companions, for he was more than ready to leave his prison. Furthermore, he recognized Dexter’s affliction and was able to cure the rapidly weakening rogue. With their new ally, the group departed the Ravenous Halls, and decided to investigate the stronghold of Karzoug’s followers, the Vault of Greed.
Once within the entry hall, the first thing the company encountered was a wall of roiling mist that filled the last half of the corridor. Wesh determined that the fog radiated transmutation magic, but beyond that, he could determine nothing about it. Cautiously, they entered…and emerged unscathed on the far side. There, they found themselves in an ornate antechamber containing a large, bubbling fountain. Frolicking within it were half a dozen water mephitis, denizens from the Elemental Plan of Water. Initially belligerent and taunting, Reaper earned their respect when he told them they were looking to destroy Karzoug’s minions. The mephitis, who had accidentally stumbled upon the Runeforge, had been bullied, harassed and several of them even murdered by the transmuters. They wanted nothing more than to see the wizards punished. The spoke of the leader of the mages, a steel-skinned human named Ordikon. Armed with this information, the companions pressed on.
As they explored the Vault, they found room after room unoccupied save for a few fountains filled with goldfish. Oddly enough, these too radiated transmutation magic. Finally, at the far end of the complex, they came upon Ordikon’s lab. The transmuter was the sole survivor of his enclave. Long ago, he had learned the secret of transforming his flesh to living steel. Unfortunately, the change had also made steel of his mind, making him unable to study or learn any further. Over time, he was driven mad. He reacted to the intrusion of the interlopers with blind rage. His impotent anger was nothing compared to Adso’s mage-slaying skills. An investigation of Ordikon’s lair revealed only a shimmering pool of raw magic, but no clue as to the secret of stopping Karzoug’s return. Discouraged, the companions started back towards the Runeforge pool. Once more they passed through the misty hallway, but this time, when they emerged on the far side, Reaper and Sinclair were gone.
__________________________________________________
Wesh automatically assumed that the transmutative properties of the mist had something to do with the disappearance of his companions. Furthermore, an idea came to him when he recalled the fountains they had come across within the Vault. Taking only Xander with him, the wizard dimensionally hopped past the mist and back inside the halls of Greed. Once there, Xander imbued himself with the ability to see the true nature of hidden things. One-by-one, they revisited the fountains, and within each, the priest saw that the fish swimming within were actually transformed people, each and every one. In time, they found Sinclair and Reaper, both also in the form of goldfish, their minds transformed as well. Xander was able to dispel the effect and restore his new comrades. Sadly, his power was not enough to rescue the dozens of other trapped souls within the pools.
Once again, the seven gathered around the Runeforge pool, completely at a loss as to what they were looking for in that forsaken place. It was Xander who offered a solution. He suggested they visit the Shimmering Veils of Pride and appeal to his former master, Vraxeris. He reasoned that, with his appeal, the illusionist might help them find a way to prevent the imminent return of Runelord Karzoug. He was mistaken. When they entered the halls of Pride, they found every surface covered with mirrors, the effect extremely disorienting. When they came to an intersection, with Adso in the lead, the monk was taken completely by surprise when two of his reflections suddenly stepped from the mirrors on either side of him. Chaos immediately broke loose. Adso’s duplicates were just as fast as he was, and possessed all of his skills…including his skill at mage-slaying. Before the others knew what was happening, the evil monks were among them, punching and whirling like dervishes. Within seconds, Wesh had fallen, his chest collapsed under a barrage of hammer-blows. It was only Xander’s quick action, by breathing a Breath of Life back into the wizard, that kept Wesh’s soul from departing forever. Still, the Sandpoint Seven had numbers on their side, and with coordinated effort, they were able to bring down the duplicates. Unfortunately, Adso still stood between the enchanted mirrors, and no sooner had his first two doubles fallen, than two more appeared. It was touch-and-go again, with Adso collapsing beneath his own power turned against him. Ultimately, however, the second pair was defeated as well, and Reaper quickly placed a roiling fog cloud within the passage, preventing any of them from seeing any more of their reflections. Xander tended Adso’s wounds, and the monk then felt his way through the fog until he found the cursed mirrors, then shattered them both.
Battered and bloodied, the company continued on, until they stood within the great hall of Pride, with its awe-inspiring shrine to the Peacock Spirit. There, on the threshold, Xander came to a halt, his mouth agape in disbelief. Arrayed around the shrine were six exact duplicates of his master Vraxeris. With one voice they announced that “the Master was not to be disturbed,” and that they should “please keep your screaming to a minimum while you are punished for daring to venture this close to his magnificence.” Then, once more in unison, they struck, releasing a devastating barrage of fireballs, all centered upon the Sandpoint Seven. Under the withering assault, Cruemann, Wesh and Xander all succumbed. Adso and Dexter were unscathed, thanks to their quick reflexes, but Sinclair and Reaper were horribly wounded. In despair, the remaining companions were forced to retreat, leaving their dead behind them.
Seven had entered the Runeforge. Four stood, yet with no priest among them, they had no hope of restoring their fallen brethren. Worse, Reaper discovered that his teleportation skills offered them no escape. The Runeforge was removed from their world. They were trapped, four new prisoners of the Runelords’ machinations, doomed to dwell for all eternity within the halls of sin…
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What of Karzoug, you may ask? Did the Runelord of Greed indeed return to the world of the living? If so, what became of Varisia? And what of those who remained stranded in Runeforge? Do they live still? These questions remain unanswered…for now…
The Sandpoint Seven continued deeper into Mokmurian’s library, battling through a pack of extradimensional “hounds” that lived within the angles or reality. Beyond these guardians, the companions found Mokmurian himself. The stone giant sorcerer had barricaded himself within a vast lecture hall where he had prepared for the arrival of his intruders. He had witnessed their approach through the eyes of the severed head of the zombie lord the heroes had previously encountered. The Seven made a near fatal error by dividing their numbers to enter the chamber, only too late realizing that what they had at first thought was a second entrance, instead turned out to be a dead-end. Mokmurian caught the group completely off guard, isolating several of them with his magic and then striking at them one-by-one. For a brief moment, the companions were forced into a fighting retreat until Reaper managed to rip the wizard’s protective wards from him, leaving the giant vulnerable, at which point Adso, with his mage-slaying expertise, put down Mokmurian’s evil once and for all. Among the wizard’s possessions was a note which, besides detailing his invasion plans for Varisia, indicated a point along the Lost Coast, very near Sandpoint in fact, that Mokmurian had indicated as a site for the possible ruins of a “hellfire furnace.” The note went on to say that the ruins might hold a key to finding someone named Xaliasa, whom the mage labeled a traitor, as well as something called the Runeforge.
Finally, beyond Mokmurian’s lair, the seven companions came upon the lost Library of Thassilon. The librarian, an ancient clockwork construct still in working order, proved quite helpful to their inquiries, and gave them valuable information about Karzoug, the Runelord of Greed, his capital city of Xin-Shalast, and a detailed history of the rise and fall of Thassilon itself. By the time they emerged back to the surface of Jorgenfist, Conna had convinced the giant army of Mokmurian’s death, and had ordered the individual tribes to disperse.
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With the imminent threat of the giant army removed, the Sandpoint heroes dispersed for some much-needed down time. Reaper returned to Fort Rannick to oversee its proper outfitting, while all of the others, save Wesh, journeyed to Magnimar. Wesh had pressing matters to attend to in Sandpoint, namely his lady-love Ameiko. Events, however, had other plans for the mage. Though welcomed back to the town as a hero once more, he had no sooner arrived home than he was summoned to a meeting with Father Zantus, Sheriff Hemlock, and Mayor Deverin. It seemed that a large sinkhole had opened in the center of town near the garrison, and since then, strange sounds had been growing louder and louder each night. When Hemlock sent a contingent of guards into the hole to investigate, none of them returned. When Wesh went to see the hole for himself, he realized that it was located quite near to the site where they had found the Catacombs of Wrath and the runewell hidden within. The mage knew this was no coincidence, and so he summoned his companions once more.
When the group descended into the sinkhole themselves, they found the original catacombs in shambles. A previously-collapsed corridor, however, had been reopened. Beyond it, they found a strange temple of sorts, apparently dedicated to Lamashtu, with every available surface covered in chaotic writing. No sooner had they entered the shrine, than a disembodied voice spoke to them, demanding answers. Whomever it was wanted to know about the current state of the surface world, what had become of Thassilon, and especially, the whereabouts of Runelords Karzoug and Alaznist. Reaper answered the questions, but was disingenuous. The speaker, however, seemed to take him at his word and offered to answer questions in return. Reaper’s first question was the speaker’s identity. The response was that he was an incarnation of Lamashtu. When Reaper asked about the name Xaliasa, however, the unseen interrogator demanded to know where the necromancer had heard that name. Reaper told him of Mokmurian, and the speaker revealed that he himself had once been known by that name. Reaper followed up by asking about the Runeforge. Xaliasa laughed, and told him that if he sought the Runeforge, it would be his death.
After that, Xaliasa spoke no further. Instead, the companions soon found themselves embroiled in a battle with a pack of shadowy hounds, led by a towering glabrezu demon. Initially, the melee was one-sided, with the fast-moving hounds inserting themselves among the heroes with surprising speed and ferocity, tripping the weaker members before descending upon them savagely. The tide shifted, however, when Cruemann and Adso began picking off the hounds one-by-one, allowing the mages to regain their composure and bring their power to bear. A moment later, however, and a new player entered the field…a strange-looking human with maddened eyes…Xaliasa, also known as the Scribbler. Though a powerful mage in his own right, the Scribbler was no match for the Seven, especially after Adso took down the mighty glabrezu by puncturing its lungs with his bare hands.
One they group had put down their enemies, they began exploring the remainder of the complex. Outside of what-was-apparently Xaliasa’s personal quarters, however, Wesh was affected by a powerful, mind-affecting trap laid by the dead mage. He became convinced that his companions had succumbed to Lamashtu’s influence and were determined to sacrifice him to their dark goddess. In fear and desperation, he fled, teleporting back to the surface. Once there, he quickly informed the town leaders of what had occurred, and warned them that they must collapse the sinkhole and form a cordon around it. Horrified, the town rushed to comply, hardly able to believe that their saviors could have turned on them. Several hours later, however, Xaliasa’s charm wore off, and Wesh realized what he’d done. Too embarrassed to reveal the truth, he informed the town that he would return to the catacombs and would bring back his companions intact, or he would not return at all.
Once Wesh was back with his companions and had sheepishly apologized, the group began studying Xaliasa’s writings in depth. Most of them amounted to a reprinting of Lamashtu’s holy scriptures, but hidden among the ramblings were several unrelated stanzas which, when taken together, formed a strange riddle:
If magic bright is your desire,
To old Runeforge you must retire!
For only there does wizard’s art,
Receive its due and proper start.
On eastern stores of steaming mirror,
At end of day when dusk is nearer,
Where seven faces silent wait,
Encircled guards at Runeforge gate.
Each stone the grace of seven lords,
One part of key each ruler hoards;
If offered spells and proper prayer;
Take seven keys and climb the stair.
On frozen mountain Xin awaits,
His regal voice the yawning gates
Keys turn twice in Sihedron…
Occulted Runeforge waits within.
And now you’ve come and joined the forge
Upon rare lore your mind can gorge…
And when you slough the mortal way
In Runeforge long your work shall stay.
Wesh recalled that, in Varisia, Lake Stormunder was known for its plentiful hot springs and geysers. He also remembered that a mysterious circle of seven stone heads stood upon the western slope of the mountain known as Rimeskull on Stormunder’s eastern shore…
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Rimeskull Mountain lay far to the north of Sandpoint, near the extreme borders of Varisia, yet the journey only amounted to a matter of hours once Duerten imbued the company with ability to travel upon the wind. When they arrived at Lake Stormunder, they found its steam-coated surface just as it was described in the Scribbler’s rhyme. Several hundred feet from the lake’s edge, the land leveled off into a circular hill, upon which stood seven large, stone heads. High above the hill, an ancient, eroded carving of a face graced Rimeskull itself, its mouth a gaping cave reached by a large, winding stair that stretched from the hilltop.
When they landed near the stone heads, Wesh was able to identify each of them as one of the seven Runelords, one for each sin. Within the mouth of each face was an empty hollow. Reasoning that the Scribbler’s rhyme involved using magic from each school upon the appropriate statue, the group began with Alaznist, the Runelord of Wrath. As Wesh hurled a magic missile at the head, an ear-splitting trill filled the air, and a golden key appeared within the carving’s mouth. Unfortunately, the statue’s activation awoke an ancient resident of Rimeskull…the white dragon Arkrhyst, also known as Freezemaw.
Freezemaw attacked suddenly, and without warning, dropping silently down from Rimeskull’s heights. The dragon’s first victim was Cruemann, whom it snatched from among his companions, carried him out over the lake, and then dropped him into the water, intending to come back later and finish its meal. It then circled back to unleash its frigid breath on the remainder of the Seven. The heroes had not survived so long, however, by being unable to adapt. Though the initial attack had caught them off guard, they quickly recovered and began to retaliate against the dragon, using a barrage of magic. Then, when Freezemaw closed to attack again, Adso leaped upon the wyrm, his punches and kicks piercing its magical defenses as if they didn’t exist. Once Freezemaw was dead, Cruemann was recovered, and the group finished imbuing their respective spells upon each of the remaining Runelord heads, retrieving a key from each.
The Seven next began the long ascent towards the mouth of Xin. When they reached the top of the stair, however, they encountered more guardians…a pair of titanic earth elementals. Though horribly strong and powerfully built, the elementals were slow and clumsy, and although they gave the companions several moments of doubt and panic, ultimately, the heroes won through. Beyond the mouth of the cave, they found a long tunnel that descended to a huge, gaping hole filled with frozen icicles. A winding ramp led down to the bottom, where lay an enormous, frozen cathedral containing seven rune-carved pillars surrounding a larger, eighth one. Keyholes were found in each of the smaller pillars, and when the proper key was placed in each one, the pillar began to glow and the key vanished. Once all seven were active, the central pillar began to ripple with arcane energy, forming a large, vertical whirlpool at its base. Through the pool could be seen a long tunnel. The choice seemed obvious, and the companions stepped through. On the other side, they found themselves standing in the tunnel they had seen, but behind them, the portal had closed. There was no way back.
The corridor led to a large, domed chamber containing a bubbling pool in the center. The Sihedron Rune was inscribed upon the floor surrounding the pool. Each point of the rune pointed to a twenty-five foot tall statue which faced the pool. Behind each of them could be seen an arched passage. Each of the statues represented, in exquisite detail, one of the seven Runelords. For no particular reason, the companions chose the path behind Runelord Zutha, the Runelord of Gluttony, whose associated school of magic was necromancy. After a strange, vertiginous transition, the group found themselves in marble corridors with silver molding decorated with the images of angels. Immediately, all of the heroes, save Reaper, felt uncomfortable and unwelcome in the halls. Reaper, on the other hand, felt like he’d come home at last.
Pressing onward, they soon entered a chilling crypt, whose walls were decorated with grinning skulls. Arrayed around the perimeter of the chamber were nine desiccated mummies, who sprang to terrifying life when the intruders entered. To a man, once more save Reaper, the companions were paralyzed with overwhelming revulsion and fear. As the mummies attacked, Reaper knew that his allies would be dead within a matter of seconds, and in fact, Duerten was struck down in front of him before the necromancer could act. Thinking quickly, he gathered the others close to him and teleported them back to the central chamber. Then, reentering the tomb alone, he proceeded to deal with the undead, first trapping them in a cloud of solid fog, and then immolating them with a barrage of fireballs.
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In the aftermath of the battle with the mummies, Dexter made the unpleasant discovery that his flesh was beginning to dissolve in the spots where the undead had touched him…he had contracted mummy rot. With Duerten dead, no one was familiar with the disease, and could not cure it. The company decided to reenter the Ravenous Crypts, hoping to find an answer within, yet all they discovered were numerous empty corridors and tombs…until they happened upon what appeared to be a necromantic research lab. There, strapped to a vivisection table, was a young man, still very much alive. When they freed him, they discovered that he was a priest named Xander. Furthermore, he had been a resident of the Runeforge for the past ten-thousand years! Xander explained that he had been an apprentice of an illusionist named Vraxeris, himself an apprentice of Xanderghul, the Runelord of Pride. He related that he and his fellow residents of Runeforge had originally been sent there as part of a cooperative effort among the Runelords (such as it was) to research the deeper nature of Rune magic. They never expected to leave the forge, but at some point, they became aware that a devastating cataclysm must have befallen Thassilon, for no new contact came from the empire. As the years wore into centuries, some of the groups died out, while others became more powerful. As the centuries stretched into millennia, the denizens succumbed to madness, dementia and depression. In time, the occupants became the Runeforge’s prisoners as much as its caretakers. Then, something changed. Several years ago, the Runeforge pool reactivated for the first time in ten millennia. The masters of the Abjurant Halls of Envy immediately attempted to claim the pool as their own, an act that mobilized the coordinated retaliation of the other surviving factions. This resulted in the complete eradication of the Abjurant Halls. The short-lived truce was quickly broken thereafter, and in the resulting chaos, Xander was captured by forces of Gluttony. The grateful priest was anxious to join forces with the Sandpoint companions, for he was more than ready to leave his prison. Furthermore, he recognized Dexter’s affliction and was able to cure the rapidly weakening rogue. With their new ally, the group departed the Ravenous Halls, and decided to investigate the stronghold of Karzoug’s followers, the Vault of Greed.
Once within the entry hall, the first thing the company encountered was a wall of roiling mist that filled the last half of the corridor. Wesh determined that the fog radiated transmutation magic, but beyond that, he could determine nothing about it. Cautiously, they entered…and emerged unscathed on the far side. There, they found themselves in an ornate antechamber containing a large, bubbling fountain. Frolicking within it were half a dozen water mephitis, denizens from the Elemental Plan of Water. Initially belligerent and taunting, Reaper earned their respect when he told them they were looking to destroy Karzoug’s minions. The mephitis, who had accidentally stumbled upon the Runeforge, had been bullied, harassed and several of them even murdered by the transmuters. They wanted nothing more than to see the wizards punished. The spoke of the leader of the mages, a steel-skinned human named Ordikon. Armed with this information, the companions pressed on.
As they explored the Vault, they found room after room unoccupied save for a few fountains filled with goldfish. Oddly enough, these too radiated transmutation magic. Finally, at the far end of the complex, they came upon Ordikon’s lab. The transmuter was the sole survivor of his enclave. Long ago, he had learned the secret of transforming his flesh to living steel. Unfortunately, the change had also made steel of his mind, making him unable to study or learn any further. Over time, he was driven mad. He reacted to the intrusion of the interlopers with blind rage. His impotent anger was nothing compared to Adso’s mage-slaying skills. An investigation of Ordikon’s lair revealed only a shimmering pool of raw magic, but no clue as to the secret of stopping Karzoug’s return. Discouraged, the companions started back towards the Runeforge pool. Once more they passed through the misty hallway, but this time, when they emerged on the far side, Reaper and Sinclair were gone.
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Wesh automatically assumed that the transmutative properties of the mist had something to do with the disappearance of his companions. Furthermore, an idea came to him when he recalled the fountains they had come across within the Vault. Taking only Xander with him, the wizard dimensionally hopped past the mist and back inside the halls of Greed. Once there, Xander imbued himself with the ability to see the true nature of hidden things. One-by-one, they revisited the fountains, and within each, the priest saw that the fish swimming within were actually transformed people, each and every one. In time, they found Sinclair and Reaper, both also in the form of goldfish, their minds transformed as well. Xander was able to dispel the effect and restore his new comrades. Sadly, his power was not enough to rescue the dozens of other trapped souls within the pools.
Once again, the seven gathered around the Runeforge pool, completely at a loss as to what they were looking for in that forsaken place. It was Xander who offered a solution. He suggested they visit the Shimmering Veils of Pride and appeal to his former master, Vraxeris. He reasoned that, with his appeal, the illusionist might help them find a way to prevent the imminent return of Runelord Karzoug. He was mistaken. When they entered the halls of Pride, they found every surface covered with mirrors, the effect extremely disorienting. When they came to an intersection, with Adso in the lead, the monk was taken completely by surprise when two of his reflections suddenly stepped from the mirrors on either side of him. Chaos immediately broke loose. Adso’s duplicates were just as fast as he was, and possessed all of his skills…including his skill at mage-slaying. Before the others knew what was happening, the evil monks were among them, punching and whirling like dervishes. Within seconds, Wesh had fallen, his chest collapsed under a barrage of hammer-blows. It was only Xander’s quick action, by breathing a Breath of Life back into the wizard, that kept Wesh’s soul from departing forever. Still, the Sandpoint Seven had numbers on their side, and with coordinated effort, they were able to bring down the duplicates. Unfortunately, Adso still stood between the enchanted mirrors, and no sooner had his first two doubles fallen, than two more appeared. It was touch-and-go again, with Adso collapsing beneath his own power turned against him. Ultimately, however, the second pair was defeated as well, and Reaper quickly placed a roiling fog cloud within the passage, preventing any of them from seeing any more of their reflections. Xander tended Adso’s wounds, and the monk then felt his way through the fog until he found the cursed mirrors, then shattered them both.
Battered and bloodied, the company continued on, until they stood within the great hall of Pride, with its awe-inspiring shrine to the Peacock Spirit. There, on the threshold, Xander came to a halt, his mouth agape in disbelief. Arrayed around the shrine were six exact duplicates of his master Vraxeris. With one voice they announced that “the Master was not to be disturbed,” and that they should “please keep your screaming to a minimum while you are punished for daring to venture this close to his magnificence.” Then, once more in unison, they struck, releasing a devastating barrage of fireballs, all centered upon the Sandpoint Seven. Under the withering assault, Cruemann, Wesh and Xander all succumbed. Adso and Dexter were unscathed, thanks to their quick reflexes, but Sinclair and Reaper were horribly wounded. In despair, the remaining companions were forced to retreat, leaving their dead behind them.
Seven had entered the Runeforge. Four stood, yet with no priest among them, they had no hope of restoring their fallen brethren. Worse, Reaper discovered that his teleportation skills offered them no escape. The Runeforge was removed from their world. They were trapped, four new prisoners of the Runelords’ machinations, doomed to dwell for all eternity within the halls of sin…
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What of Karzoug, you may ask? Did the Runelord of Greed indeed return to the world of the living? If so, what became of Varisia? And what of those who remained stranded in Runeforge? Do they live still? These questions remain unanswered…for now…
