Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="S'mon" data-source="post: 1134757" data-attributes="member: 463">Leo's account:The Lord of KanuuHaving dispatched the blank eyed guards, rescued the dominated Lord of Kanuu and gathered on the ground floor of the manor house, the group was getting ready to descend into the depths of darkness found under a trapdoor in the storeroom. Suddenly, the door opened and Sol moved in the room. Still possessed, the Sidhe moved with a graceful and lightning fast move, striking at Xiang and wounding him severely. Somehow, when they subdued Sol upstairs, Aos and Xiang had forgotten that they had to be very thorough when tying-up him up and he had escaped. Roaring in fury, Xiang, seemingly goaded into an supernatural frenzy, repeatedly struck Sol. The elf staggered. Aos then stepped forward and calmly ran his rapier through the unfortunate elf, who slumped onto the ground. Eerily, a small puddle of green slime leaked out of the ear of the corpse and laboriously started crawling across the floor towards the trapdoor. With a grunt of distaste, Xiang used his spear’s acid strike to obliterate it.  Slightly shaken, Leo then cast an effect onto a coin, which he knew would counteract the unnatural darkness present in the room below. The coin was dropped, revealing a cellar with an archway leading into further darkness. This unnatural darkness was present throughout the room and corridor, creating strange effects and unsettling shadows beyond the countering light of the coin. Led by Aos, the group descended. Approaching the archway, Aos reported that he could see another set of stairs leading down. The group formed up behind him and with his darkvision Leo could see a room with a myriad of small bones scattered on the floor from a variety of animals, including some crushed human remains. There were also four side alcoves with skeletal remains. Cautiously moving forward, Aos stiffened and with sign language reported that he saw movement ahead. Xiang was the first to react, swiftly moving forward, followed rapidly by Aos. Leo could hear a strange swishing sound, reminiscent of arrows in flight, an angry roar from Xiang and several heavy thuds. Then he heard a cry of “hold”. Both Tarquin and Leo moved forward to a T-junction in the corridor. As they stepped on the centuries old stone flagstones, their boots made eerie crackling and rustling sounds as they crushed the bones. Approaching the corner, they found Aos and Xiang facing a humanoid figure, clutching a powerful longbow. It was difficult to see it properly in the darkness but it was speaking in Ean (?). It was bleeding heavily.“Drop your weapon”! cried Aos.“You drop yours” replied the figure. “If you don’t attack me, then I won’t attack you. You don’t look like the minions of Spidron”. “That sounds fair” added Xiang. Leo thought that was remarkably restrained of Xiang as he had three arrows stuck in him at the time. Leo was not paying a great deal of attention at this moment. He didn’t know why, but he felt very uneasy. There seemed to be a slight echo to the rustling caused by the group’s movement; but the echo didn’t seem natural. He tried to concentrate on the sound but maddeningly it seemed just out of his hearing range. The whole place was eerie. It was obviously some sort of ancient catacomb that had been recently opened and it seemed to be full of strange rustling and skittering sounds. Leo was aware that somewhere in here must a powerful being capable of dominating a whole village. The stranger was talking to Xiang and Elros. “My name is Elros and I am a tracker. Several months ago, a spirit creature from the Deeper Darkness, calling itself Spidron came to my village and completely took over all the inhabitants. They all perished. I have been following it for several months and finally I have tracked it to this place. It is doing the same again. It is imperative that I find and destroy it. I have been looking for it in this accursed maze but it is dark and the enemy hides well. You are the first normal people I have seen for a long time.”Leo moved closer to the stranger. He could now see that Elros had a lot of Sidhe blood in him. Possibly he was of mixed parenthood. Elros suggested that the group take a particular direction. Leo wasn’t happy that a complete stranger had suggested this course of action but he kept his peace and decided to watch him very carefully. It could be just possible that the mythical Spidron was the stranger himself. The group formed up and was ready to move forward when suddenly, at the back of the group, right next to Leo, a heavily armoured, large, bearded helmeted figure appeared out of thin air. To say that Leo was alarmed would be an understatement; then to hear his name being called out by this figure nearly made him faint. Fortunately, a moment later he recognised it, mainly by its large winged helmet. It was Sigurd; or Captain Sigurd of Gaxmoor, or Lieutenant Sigurd of the Bloodhammer Knights. Also a long-time friend and adventuring partner of Leo, Tarquin and Aos. Another figure appeared out of the darkness; Larius follower of Sigurd and another friend of the three. “Leo my old friend,” boomed Sigurd. “ How are you? What are you doing here? Where are we?"It was still taking a little time for Leo to recover from his shock. Here he was, in the middle of the catacombs of Kanuu, a mountain village in the middle of nowhere. He was tracking down a spirit creature, while escorting the Margravine to the lands of the Makyans. Someone had been able to track him and place a pair of old time comrades right beside him. While the sight of Sigurd and Larius was very welcome, the thought that someone was able to do all of this without his knowledge made him feel queasy.However, this flashed in his mind briefly and then he had to get down to the business at hand. Brief introductions and explanations were made. Suddenly, as they were being finished and Leo was about to ask some questions of Sigurd, there was a rustling, skittering noise and several dozen skeletal and zombified rats rushed the group from both directions. Small razor sharp teeth and fangs glistened in the darkness as the swarm hurled itself at the front ranks. The warriors found it difficult to cope with these pests as they attached themselves to clothes, armour and weapons, climbing up trouser legs and burrowing down boots. Fortunately they were undead and Tarquin’s holy power was able to get rid of many of them at once. Whilst annoying, they weren’t really dangerous and the warriors were making short work of them when suddenly a new clicking noise was heard and a horde of large bats flew at the group. They were cloaked in more unnatural darkness and it was most difficult to see them. However, again they were more annoying than dangerous and while they did cause a bit more hurt to the warriors they were soon dealt with.The group got ready to move forward and at this stage Sigurd explained that he had been sent by the mage Clarendon; he also explained that Tarkane had grown tired of the Democrats and had arrested various individuals such as the lawyer Adam Dickinson. Others were wanted for questioning, including Leo.  Sigurd had been told to give Leo and Aos an amulet that would make it very difficult for them to be located. The ramifications and consequences of this news bounced inside Leo’s brain but it was not the right time or place for it. He also had to reconcile this oddly jovial Sigurd to the morose figure he remembered when he had seen him previously. Things must have gone well for him. So, he forced himself to concentrate on the problem at hand.Using Elros’s tracking skills, the group made their way forward. They met another attack of small insect creatures, which was again dispatched without too much aggravation. The group then moved forward. At this point Elros’s uncanny keen hearing became very useful. Carefully moving back, he whispered: “I heard a slight slithering sound coming from that direction. It could be Spidron.” The group moved at speed but did not find the creature. Doubling back, Elros again thought he heard the same sound. Turning one corner, he moved towards another when he stopped and with swift grace fired an arrow into the darkness. Suddenly a pair of slimy unnatural hands grasped themselves around his neck with an iron grip, almost choking him into unconsciousness. “Why do you hunt me in my home” whispered a strange seductive voice in the group’s mind but they paid it no attention, rushing forward. Elros suddenly slumped and was dragged into the darkness but it was too late for the enemy. Titania cast a powerful effect in her clear soprano. Tarquin moved forward with unnatural speed to face the creature. A beam of dazzling light sprang from his hand and struck it in the chest. A sizzling sound was heard and followed by a foul stench. Sigurd rushed forward and struck it with his sword. There was a flash of icy blue as the blade’s freezing touch seemed to have a stunning effect on the foe. Finally, Leo moved forward and a swarm of missiles left his hands and struck the figure. The robes crumpled and the stench became even more acute. Then a mass of slime started moving away laboriously. With a disgusted look on his face Xiang stepped forward and obliterated this abomination. The Lord of Kanuu was no more.The group then found a large cave, which was the creature’s lair. Various valuables were found as well as a set of black full plate, covered in runes and filigree, made of a metal that Leo could not identify and strangely slick to the touch. Also inside the cave was a glass cabinet, which had a body inside and radiated slight magic. Leo carefully examined this thing and determined that it was necromantic in nature and seemed to be some sort of draining device. Due to his recent experience with necromantic items, Leo immediately recommended this thing be destroyed.Affairs were reasonably straightforward after that. The group went back to the Margravine, who was very surprised to see Sigurd and Larius. Elyra the handmaiden and Sigurd’s ex was even more surprised and most curious as to what had happened to him. Lord Amari recovered from his domination and was most unhappy about the state of his town, which had systematically been looted by the Spidron. The townspeople were finally beginning to recover their wits but it was taking a long time. The group rested there a couple of days and took the opportunity to identify some of the dweomered items they had collected. Most of these were very useful although some were designated as surplus to requirements and therefore to be sold at the earliest opportunity. Leo debated whether he should transport himself back to Gaxmoor with Sigurd’s news. In the end he decided that Dovistar was a wily old fox, who was perfectly aware of what was going on in Imarr and had already taken precautions about the Order’s small staff there. He also breathed a sigh of relief that the order had transferred itself to Gaxmoor. So the caravan and the group left Kanuu and finally entered Makyan territory after purchasing a trading license on the border. The caravan and the group arrived at a trading post. This was as far as Gysshk was going. After this point the group and the Margravine were on their own. The group took advantage of this area to buy and sell various bits and pieces and with their purses jingling and riding their new horses, they set out. The first few days were uneventful although the terrain was getting even wilder. Elros was scouting and as usual Leo was surrounded by his swarm of little seeing balls. The group was approaching a pass through a ravine. The cliffs on either side were at least forty foot tall and topped with boulders that looked unsteady. Elros was very uneasy and was certain he spotted someone on the cliffs. Leo, now more than happy to trust the newcomer, sent his “eyes” up there. After a long and minute search, Leo finally was able to discern what was making his companion so uneasy. Four figures were hiding up there, almost invisible against the background, close to the unsteady boulders, obviously waiting for the group to enter the ravine. Carefully the eyes moved forward to gather greater detail. Upon their return to Leo he was able to describe them to the rest of the group.“Death Dealers”! hissed Xiang.</blockquote>

Verification