PHDungeons Nentir Vale homebrew

[PHDungeon]

This is Bella's account of game session #5. As usual, it is in the form of a letter to her patron, Victor Starke.

Victor,

Due to the power of the skulls Flagg has managed to stay one-step ahead of us the entire chase and unfortunately seems to be heading for Grimmsburg. From what I can deduce from witnessing the victims of these artifacts they are powered by an ancient and dark divinity and any who bear the golden skull become possessed by a sinister spirit and are reduced to a savage animal of great agility and strength. Until recently I would have thought that any who wear the skull are already dead but in our last melee with them, one of their band still retained the power of speech, something we had not seen before except in Flagg himself. Unfortunately I was forced to land a bolt inside her head so further questioning was impossible; a fact that Androsax will not let me soon forget.

I am starting to suspect that Flagg may be amassing an army to take you on Victor, he obviously could not do so alone. The good news is that I have convinced my other companions to bring the next set of skulls we find to you. They seem to lose their potency once worn so we are now seeking a fresh bag out of the many that Flagg took from the well.

We will meet soon, but our trip goes slowly, it seems Flagg is determined to slow us down at every turn. From Fallcrest we had been able to procure transportation down the river, and I believed that we would make good time and finally close the lead that our quarry had frustratingly retained over us. Unfortunately, it was not to be for our trip back down the river was not as smooth as our first. A stinking island of refuge blocked our boat and from the garbage frogmen attacked us. Luckily, I was able to push their shaman off solid ground into the water with some well place shots and soon after they fled.

It was not long after this that we reached Brynnstead, and found that Flagg’s men were besieging the town. Not wanting to miss an opportunity at acquiring another skull we stayed to defend the town. Most able-bodied men had been killed in previous attacks; our defenses were sparse. We convinced the local church, a Church of Rao to shelter the populace while we positioned ourselves for the inevitable attack. Derren, either foolishly or bravely, volunteered to remain out in the open as bait disguised as a vagrant while I positioned myself on a roof and the rest took cover in a nearby house.

Soon Flagg’s men were upon us and as expected they went directly for Derren. From my perch on the roof I was able to grievously wound many of them from relative safety but was forced to retreat when re-enforcements closed in on my position. After dispatching the first wave of attackers we made our way into the church where several of the enemy had breached its walls.

Derren joined the battle crying out the name of his ancestor, which he has told us at length is a Saint of Rao. He also seems to be fighting better than usual, his gods seem to be with him…but which gods I wonder?

Early into the second half of the battle I was beset by the Androsax curse. A beast man smashed through one of the windows of the church and landed beside Derryl. The terrified girl ran straight to me. Knowing the brute would follow her I had no choice but to reposition myself and hope I could take him down with a few precise shots. My adrenaline pumping my aim proved true but it was unfortunately not enough to take down the monster and he leapt at me. Fortunately the pews we were standing in made him clumsy and he did not catch me with the full force of his clawed hands or I would have been much more gravely injured.

He stood in front of me, enraged, and my eyes darted in every direction looking for an escape. Unfortunately the battle had moved in my direction and other enemies had cut me off. Desperately I flipped over the pews, the creature’s claws barely missing me and I quickly took refuge in the shadows once more.

The fight was over soon after that and we were victorious. We plan on investigating where these possessed men and women were staying in the hopes of acquiring active skulls. After that, I will be coming home to Grimmsburg.

See you soon,

Bella

 

[PHDungeon]

his is Darren's most recently journal.

Dear Corvin,

We are heading to Grimsburg soon – please prepare mother and father for Deryl’s return. She has been quiet and circumspect, of late. I see now what a fool I was for bringing her to the Vale. There is too much death and darkness for one so small. What a fool I was.

We sailed south with a good Nerathi man and his two sons, but were ambushed by cruel, festering frogmen on the river. We fought them off, but one of merchant's boys was killed. After a brief stay in Moonstair, we reached Brynstead, and there we were beset by a pack of Flagg’s corrupted men. We ambushed them – my friends fought bravely. But none of this matters now, for I am dead to them. What a fool I was ... until I stepped into the light.

With Deryl’s magic giving me a strange gift of flight, I burst into the Temple of Rao. Flagg’s men were devouring villagers – Nerathi and Skanzi alike. Priests of both religions were fighting them back. Bjorn and I crashed into the foul fiends with fire and thunder. Bolts of light coursed through Torfinn and Bella danced deadly through the aisles loosing bolt upon bolt into. It was night, but the whole temple grew brighter with each victory. Through the clangs of steel and gurgles of death, singing grew louder in my ears. Southern canticles fed my spirit. Wounds became painless, and I leapt through the rabble to tear a fiend to pieces. The brightness was unbearable. I could no longer make out Bjorn’s battle-prayers. Torfinn’s features started to shift – a reptilian sneer crossed his face. The chanting was calling out to me from ages past – and in the stained glass, I caught the sad and pious eyes of our great-grandfather, St. Aurielus.

Corvin, the light has blinded me, and now I can see for the first time. We slew them to the last, their bodies proving too far gone for saving. I wept bitterly on the altar, blood covering my face. I have made such good and noble friends in these bitter last few weeks – but I carry a new faith in my heart. Do they know? What will I tell them? When the chanting stopped, and the light faded from my head, my eyes caught the open book on the altar. Some strange compulsion brought me forth to read it.

It was opened to the story of Saint Amra in his days as a smith: “... and so did Amra take up the Hammer of the North and cast it in the fire, purifying its goodness in the flames. And thus did the hammer shine so brightly, it appeared as a sun, and yeah did the heathen become the faithful on the road to the Shining South.”

Corvin, I am not pious or peaceful as well you know ... but I am thinking of getting a tattoo of a hammer surrounded by a halo of flame. Maybe, y’know, start my own holy fighting order. Maidens swoon over prophets with swords.

Your brother,

Derren

 

[PHDungeon]

GM notes from Session #5

The heroes headed south towards Grimsburg on the trail of the elusive Randall Flagg, having determined he was heading in that direction via the Hand of Fate ritual. They have realized now that he and his men are likely in possession of around 60 or so golden skulls from the temple of the Elder Eye they discovered in the Ogrefist hills. All the skulls seem charged with the essence of some sort of malevolent divine being and those that come into possession of them are taken over and transform into supernaturally tough homicidal killers. What exactly Flagg’s plans are remains a little unclear, but they are clear that he leaves a trail of death wherever he goes, and they feel it is their responsibility to stop him.

They joined up with a merchant known as Alsferth and his two boys as well as two of his hirelings. Alsferth had a Knarr (a Viking merchant ship), and they sailed south down the Nentir river towards Grimmsburg. While passing through the Witchlight fens they were beset on by bullywugs in the night. The bullywugs had a shaman (mud lord) who used a special ritual to summon a massive floating sheet of muck, which the ship got caught up in. Bjorn spotted the mud while on watch that night, but two of the bullywugs were holding the rudder of the ship, and the helmsman couldn’t turn the ship in time to avoid the muck before the ship became trapped. The bullywugs were able to take advantage of their marsh walk ability to hop up on the muck and then leap from the muck into the ship. This proved effective and made for an interesting fight. Luckily for the heroes, Bella targeted the mudlord early on, and once he was badly wounded he fled, which broke the morale of the remaining bullywugs, allowing the heroes to win what otherwise might have been a pretty tough fight.

The party continued to follow the river and passed through a couple of other settlements including Moonstair (from P1). In Moonstair they learned that this town had also had several killings, as all the inhabitants of an outlying farm had been slaughtered. The folk in Moonstair figured that trolls were responsible, but the heroes were pretty sure it was Flagg and company.

Finally the river came to Diamond Lake, with the actual town of the same name being on the far shore (see Dungeon’s Age of Worms for Diamond Lake details). They landed in a town called Brynsted, and they found that the town was in panic. Flagg had passed through and slaughtered nearly all of the ruling Gunderson clan was well as the local skanzi priests, who had for the past hundred years been operating out of a former temple of Rao. Two clerics of Rao had reclaimed the temple immediately after the deaths of the skanzi priests, and they were only allowing those of Rao’s faith to take shelter in the temple, even though it had sturdy stone walls and was one of the more defensible buildings in the city. This was particularly true since Gunderson Hall had been burned to the ground by Flagg. For the past several days prior to the party’s arrival, a group of Flagg’s possessed had been entering the town at night and committing multiple murders. With the town’s leaders killed and murders being committed on a nightly basis, the place was rightly panicked. Many had already fled the town for Grimsburg or Diamond Lake. Those who stayed were gathering to spend their nights in the Inn or temple for safety.

The heroes, particularly Bjorn, were not pleased to hear that the clerics of Rao were only offering shelter to those of that faith, and they went to the temple and confronted the priests. When they arrived the priests were just about to disenchant the warhammer of the dead skanzi priest, but Bjorn managed to stop them by trading a magic holy symbol of Rao they had found on a dead priest near Winterhaven for the warhammer. They also successfully convinced the priests to allow all the villagers to take refuge in the church regardless of religion.

That night all the surviving villagers gathered in the temple. The heroes used Darren as bait. He posed as a drunk under a tree near the temple and lured several of the possessed to him. The heroes ambushed their foes and managed to kill five of them, but there were more about and the rest were busy attacking the temple. The heroes had to rush to the nearby temple, and there they helped the townsfolk fight off the remaining possessed. It proved to be a fairly tough fight, but there were no fatalities for the PCs, and Flagg’s minions were defeated. Flagg was not among them and it is presumed that he had already moved onto Grimsburg.

The heroes are now hoping to acquire a sample of a “live” skull, as they don’t currently have one, and they decided it would be a good idea to give one to Starke to analyze when they get to Grimsburg. They suspect that the possessed may have lairing in an abandon keep near the town. The keep once belonged to the Bryne family, which was a Nerathi family that the town is named for. However during the War of Retribution the Gunderson clan slaughtered the Brynes and took the town. For one year the Gundersons resided in Bryne keep, but they were driven out on the anniversary of the massacre when the Ghost of Lord Bryne killed all the Gundersons in the keep (I’ll post the tale next). Thus, the surviving Gundersons built their own hall in the town, and the keep has been abandoned since then.

In the upcoming session the heroes plan to search the keep for any golden skulls that may have been stashed there by the possessed. From Brynsted they plan to head to Grimsburg where they hope to find and defeat Flagg. Based on what I’ve got planned, the next couple of sessions should prove to be quite climactic and harrowing. At the end of this past session they leveled up to 3rd.

 

[PHDungeon]

The Skalds tell the following Story about Bryne Keep.

It is well known that the skanzi are a warlike people and that they are sometimes prone to bloodlust and battle fervor. It is said that Gunder Swenson, who became the founder of what is now known as the Gunderson clan was a particularly violent man, and the night he led the attack on Bryne keep was a night of bloodshed and slaughter.

It was yule in the year 623, and it had been one year since Jarl Gunder and his clan had defeated the Brynes and established themselves in Bryne Keep. They were feasting and drinking, as wealthy skanzi lords are wont to do on cold winter nights, particularly at yule, when it all began.

Gunder Swenson’s third son, Olaf had retired upstairs to his chambers early for the night to be with his young new wife Bridda. The rest of the clan remained in the hall, content in their revelry. They were suddenly startled by a wailing shriek from one of the chambers above. Bridda came rushing down the stairs, naked and pale. So terrified was she that all she could muster was, “Olaf is dead.”

As soon as she spoke these words, the fire and all the candles in the hall went out. All was dark, darker than the deepest night. The room grew cold. A single pair of heavy boot steps could be heard coming down the stairs. They were slow and purposefully, and with every step they got closer and closer. All stood still, for they were all blind in the darkness. They waited and they prayed.

Whoosh

A cold blue fire erupted in the hearth, bathing the room in its chilling light. Standing at the entrance to the hall was the ghost of Lord Bryne. In one had he carried a blood soaked sword, and in the other he carried the head of Olaf Gunderson. He tossed the head into the air, and it rolled across the dining room table. The revelers were so terrified that they could not even scream.

Little is known about exactly what happened next. It is said that furniture, dishware and food all began to whirl through the air battering the fear struck revelers. And Lord Bryne was in their midst, slashing with his blade, carving down man, woman and child; until only one remained.

Had all of Jarl Gunder’s clan been present that night, Lord Bryne, would likely have had his revenge, and perhaps then his spirit would have rested peacefully. But the norns had decided otherwise.

Gunder’s eldest and second eldest sons had been absent from the feast, for they were serving as warriors to King Bori Sturgleson in Grimsburg. And so it was that Lord Bryne’s vengeance against Jarl Gunder’s family was thwarted. Yet, there was one survivor, the one who is the source of so much of this tale. That survivor was Olaf’s wife Bridda.

No one is certain exactly why she was allowed to leave when all others were killed, and this is not something she ever spoke of. What is known is that she eventually made her way to Grimsburg, and there she became the lover of Gunder’s eldest son- Steapa.

The tale concludes later that same winter when Steapa awoke in the night to find Bridda hovering over him with a knife, ready to slit his throat. Tears were streaming down her face, and she hesitated. Steapa threw her off him, and for the second time that winter she ran off naked into the night- this time never to be seen again. Or so it would seem…

It is said that from time to time, on cold winter nights, on the streets near what is now Strugleson Castle, a tearful naked maiden has been seen running through the darkness only to vanish without a trace.

 

[PHDungeon]

Unfortunately, the real life monster made a surprise ambush against our game session that was scheduled for last Sunday. It rolled a natural 20 and the game session was killed by the massive crit damage. However, we should be back in business this coming Sunday.

 

[PHDungeon]

Game Session #6 (Part #1, Brynsted Keep- refer to the story of the keep above for details on the horrors the heroes will confront)

Cast

Bella and TOD (touch of death- her crossbow), level 3 changeling rogue.
Darren Androsax, level 3 human fighter
Deryl Androsax, level 3 human sorcerer (player absent from this session)
Bjorn Thorskirk, level 3 human cleric of Thor
Torfinn, level 3 deva invoker

The heroes have been making their way down the Nentir river towards the coastal town of Grimsburg in pursuit of Flagg. Flagg has left a trail of murder and death in his wake. Using his collection of mystical golden skulls, taken from the temple of the Elemental Eye in the Ogrefist hills, he has created a small army of possessed homicidal minions. It seems that the bulk of his band have decided to make Grimsburg their killing ground and the heroes are hoping to get there in time to find a way to stop them.

In the town of Brynsted, they found a band of the possessed terrorizing the folk of the town. Having dealt with that band of killers they decided that it would be prudent to seek out their lair and see if there were any unused golden skulls that could be salvaged and hopefully take back to Starke for study.

The heroes decided to make their way to Bryn keep, believing the possessed might have laired there. Darren insisted that his sister Deryl remain behind with the merchant Alsferth, and she complied. Thus it was Darren, Bella, Bjorn and Torfinn that set out for the keep. It was crouched on a hill not far from town. They had heard stories of the place, terrible stories, and they were cautious as they entered the bailey. Signs that the keep was haunted arose immediately, for a great white mist had crept up out the ground and blocked their exit. This did not dissuade them, and they first searched the ruined stables, but found no sign of a lair. Next they climbed to the top of one of the watchtowers where they had a commanding view of the countryside. They also realized that the mist rose nearly to the tops of the battlements and surrounded the entire castle. It seemed they were trapped.

They decided to explore the keep. They entered from one of the watchtowers and began searching the upper level first. This portion of the keep consisted of the bed chambers and solars for the castle’s residents. One thing they noticed right away was the temperature. It had been unnaturally cold outside the keep, but inside it was as cold as the skanzi winter. The first room they explored must have belonged to Olaf Gunderson, for on the fur blankets of the bed was the body of naked young man; the head was missing from the body. The body had not decayed even though it had been decades since the ghost of lord Bryne had been said to have slaughtered the Gundersons. The heroes suspected that the unnatural cold had preserved the corpse. A trunk containing the dead man’s possessions sat at the foot of his bed, and a shivering Darren moved forward to investigate. He had just begun rummaging through the trunk, when his sunrod cracked and went dead. The room went dark.

Bella had been standing guard at the doorway with TOD when everything went black. She cursed under her breath. She hated not being able to see. Then she heard them- heavy booted foot steps walking slowing down the hallway, getting closer and closer. She could see not see her foe through the darkness, but her imagination ran wild. A cold blue fire burst to life in the bedchamber’s brazier. It’s light spilled out into the hall, and standing before Bella, illuminated in the blue light, was the Ghost of Lord Bryne. In his hand was a bloody sword. The ghost looked quite solid and tangible, but he stepped through the wall with no difficulty, and he was then in the Olaf’s chambers with the rest of the heroes. In a chilling voice he gave them a dire ultimatum.

“My killers slaughtered my entire family and household in the name of your heathen skanzi gods. They are responsible for my curse and my pain. Now you dare to trespass in my home bearing your pagan symbols.”

“I offer you one chance to save yourselves.”

“Swear on your souls that you will slay the last scion of the Gunderson clan, so that I may finally find peace. Do this and you may leave this place without further harm. Do it not and you will all die here by my hand.”

“What say you?”

By this point, Bella had become quite convinced that they had made a mistake. Flagg’s possessed had not laired in the keep, and coming here had been an unnecessary risk. All she wanted now was to be on her way, and if cutting a deal with the ghost would allow her to escape with her life than she was all for it.

Unfortunately for her, the rest of the heroes were not so eager to sacrifice their honor, particularly Bjorn and Darren. As was becoming a pattern, Darren made a couple of comments that proved offensive to the ghost, and Lord Bryne attacked. He instantly proved to be a deadly fighter. His blade easily passed through armor and drained the very life force of his foes. None of the heroes were interested in trying to fight an undead foe that had nearly killed an entire skanzi clan.

Bella and Bjorn both called for a retreat, and they made their way towards the tower. Torfinn and Bjorn used their divine powers to burn the ghost with holy radiance and force it back out of the room, but they knew the tactic would only delay it for a moment. They took advantage of the opportunity and fled up the tower and onto the ramparts.

They reached the top of the next tower, and rigged up a grappling hook and rope. Their goal was to climb down and take their chances with the mists. Bella began to climb down into the strange mist.

Then Lord Bryne was back. He rose up through the floor of the tower and laughed as he noted they were trying to escape.

“You cannot escape this place, only death awaits you in the mists. Stand here with honor and fight. Let it be my blade that kills you.”

Torfinn, had a terrible feeling that the words he spoke were no bluff. He called for Bella to climb back up the rope, but it was too late. She had already entered the mist. Suddenly she screamed, and it sounded as though she had lost her grip on the rope. There was a dull thud as she hit the ground far below.

In anger Torfinn lashed out, hurling Thor’s lightning at the ghost. Darren and Bjorn called out their own battle cries and rushed the fiend. It was difficult to tell how much effect their weapons were having on the creature, for it was not a thing of flesh and blood. Still, their attacks seemed to be causing some discomfort, and that reassured them that perhaps it could be at least temporarily destroyed. They could think of few other options. It was too late to resume negotiations, and escape into the mist seemed impossible. Yet, battling the ghost in melee was a horrific endeavor. It was fast and skilled with its ghostly sword. If it had not been for Bjorn’s healing magic, they surely would have had their life forces drained completely.

Meanwhile, in the mists, Bella found her mind assaulted by psychic horror. It was as though the ghosts of all the Bryne clan that had been slain by the Gunderson’s were lurking in the fog, and they were all screaming in her head, transferring their agony to her. This had caused her to let go of the rope. Fortunately, Bella was like a cat, and even though she fell, she managed to catch onto the rope at the last second and land on her feet, taking little damage from what might have been a deadly fall.

She raced through the mist, hoping to escape. The ghosts still screamed in her head, making it feel like it might burst. She hoped that she might find her way out. Then she heard Torfinn calling her name. His voice seemed distant, but it was calling her back, telling her that there was no escape and that she must find the rope. Bella followed his voice, and still the ghosts in the mist ate at her mind and soul. The terror nearly overwhelmed her. Her heart was beating faster than it ever had before, and she felt as though she might fall dead on the spot. Her legs were shaking, and she could barely stand. She felt cold, so cold. But she was a survivor, and she was determined to live. She followed the sound of Torfinn’s voice. She could see nothing. Then her hand made contact with the solid stone of the watchtower. She felt her way along, and the gods were with her. Suddenly she felt the rope. She knew she was nearly dead. She reached into her belt pouch and removed a single magical potion of healing. She drank it down, and it probably saved her life. It wasn’t near enough to fully restore her, but it at least it gave her the strength to attempt to climb the rope.

Up on the tower top, Darren and Bjorn continued to do battle with Lord Bryne, while Torfinn supported them by conjuring a holy wall of light for them to stand within. They were not faring well. Lord Bryne seemed virtually unstoppable, and he had inflicted terrible wounds on the two warriors. However, Torffin’s wall of light gave them strength, and as long as they stood in it, they received its vigor. Furthermore, they had caused pain to the ghost as well. Yet victory still seemed far from their grasp.

Torfinn then realized that Bella had made it to the rope. He could see the rope being pulled taught, and he knew that she was trying to climb. But the fog had taken its toll, and she wasn’t making any progress. He knew that if he didn’t help her, she would die down in the mist. He also knew that if he didn’t keep hurling his magic at the ghost, his other friends would likely fall soon as well. However, Bella seemed to be in more imminent danger. He reached down and grabbed the rope, and mustering all his strength, he began to pull her up. Somewhere in the back of his mind he cursed his mortal weakness. Vague memories of divinity haunted him. What had he done to be cast out of Vahalla? What had he done to be forced to wear this mortal shell? Whatever it was, he could not remember. However, the passion of the gods was still strong within him, and he used that passion to give him strength. He pulled with all his might, and Bella did her best to climb. Suddenly, her head emerged from the mist. She was looking pale and weak, but she managed to climb up over the battlement and raise her crossbow.

By this time, Bjorn and Darren were in dire need of help. Lord Bryne had nearly finished them. It was only Torfinn’s sustained wall of holy light, and the constant flow of vigor that it was providing, that had enabled them to remain standing. Torfinn and Bella rushed to their aid. Bella raised her crossbow and fired, placing a deadly bolt in the ghost’s head while Torfinn again blasted him with lightning. Darren and Bjorn had caused the ghost their fair share of injuries, and now with all four of the heroes focused on the horror, it found itself hard pressed. The ghost would never consider fleeing, and it was determined to take at least one hero with it. However, this proved not to be. Though it came very close, the heroes prevailed and the ghost was dissipated.

With Lord Bryne gone, the mist retreated into the earth, and the temperature returned to normal. The heroes found themselves free to tend to their wounds and explore the remainder of the keep. In the great hall they found the slaughtered remains of the Gunderson clan, along with Olaf’s head sitting on the hall’s great trestle table. Among the dead was the corpse of Lord Gunder. They liberated the body of its silver armbands, sword and ring of keys. The keys proved to be a boon, as they gave the heroes access to the keep’s treasury, and their they found the wealth of the Gunderson clan, which consisted of valuable gems and jewelry along with gold and silver. It was the most valuable treasure horde they had ever discovered.

The heroes plundered the keep and they took carefully moved the loot to Alsferth’s ship, for there was still a Gunderson in the town with a small retinue of warriors, and it seemed likely that he would try to claim the horde for himself if he discovered the heroes were in possession of it. They managed to keep their wealth hidden, and soon they had set sail.

Their attempts to find the lair of the possessed had failed at the keep, but they still suspected one might be nearby. Torfinn cast a Hand of Fate ritual, and from the spell they learned that the lair was actually south of Brynsted. Thus, they traveled down along the coast of Diamond Lake by ship, keeping a look out for any signs. It wasn’t long before they spotted the remains of some abandoned farmsteds nestled by the shore of the lake. They docked the ship and began their search. This time luck was with them, and inside the ruins of one of the buildings they found a large sack that held four of the golden skulls. All the skulls were “active”. They brought them back to the ship, and tied the sack to a sturdy rope. They tied the other end of the rope to the ship and cast the sack overboard. They did not trust it on board with them, so it would drag along behind them submerged beneath the water.

They prayed to the gods that soon they would be in Grimsburg.

 

[PHDungeon]

A journal from Darren Androsax regarding game session #6 and the party's escapades in Grimsburg.

Dear Corvin,

Grimsburg, at last! I am writing you on the eve of a great battle – who knows if I will ever put quill to parchment again. It was good seeing you, and mother and father, too. Please keep Deryl safe here while my friends and I confront the odious and possessed Flagg.

There are a few things I wanted you to know for our work in the Vale. It is a place of great dangers and even greater opportunities. Destiny calls us there, and if I should fall, ever I hope to have made the road more hospitable to you and our descendants, older brother. Why this talk of doom and gloom? Has my soul been infused with a holier purpose than wine, women and song? Perhaps. But it may also be a basic fear. To defeat Flagg, our irksome benefactor Starke has suggested we confront him in his new inventions – clockwork suits of armour that belch gouts of alchemical fire. It is hard at times to tell genius from madness.
And Starke is both – I am afraid. He displayed his wife like a sculpture and artefact – her nude flesh was beautiful, but marred by the strange arm he had grafted to her. It left me longing for simpler times, and magics connected to the gods and primal spirits. There is some deep foulness behind his easy manner – but we still owe him gold by the thousands – actually 2,250 pieces to be exact. And he is the lesser of two evils, for now.

I was able to tell you of our adventures in Bryne Keep, but let me update you on the rest. Starke had revealed a casual interest in the skulls, and was given one by a mysterious stranger – some old man with an obscure message for our friend Torfinn, something about his exile on earth and being a herald of Ragnarok. Nonsense, or so I thought. Torfinn is a dreamy lad, full of good intentions. The skull was given over to Starke’s arcanist Flagg, who presumably became possessed and followed his demon heart to the temple with the elemental eye upon it. There he liberated the remaining skulls and distributed them gleefully to followers and victims on the road. As I said, we face him tomorrow.

Other research proved more beguiling. I made my way to the great Library of Skaldsholme to research the symbol of the eye wreathed in flames. Good old Betelbriar the archivist lead me to an inner sanctum. You know how much time I spent in the library, pleading for access to the more forbidden records. Well, there i was, in marbled domes amongst red velour and noble book-cases. It had that intoxicating smell of parchment and glue, wood polish and incense. And then, in deep robes and all the grandeur of the Sturglesons, my eyes lay upon her ... chief librarian Brianna. I nearly gave up the life of adventuring then and there. She seemed excited, too. Perhaps it was the symbol of the eye, or the way she drew out the thick, bony scroll case, slowly, wrapping her delicate hands around the shaft before procuring its forbidden contents. We examined its milk white pages greedily, quickly, with the hushed urgency of badly behaved children.

Two texts appeared in our hands– the first is a poem about the end of the world, the second a description of how to create the skulls. Sacrifices, exposure to the stars, and the whole damned malign purpose of them: to release the great beast of end times upon the world with each death of the skull-bearer. Once a skull has possessed a person, and that person is slaughtered, the dark cloud of evil is awakened, freed and released by an ever increasing degree. How then to ensure that the last few skulls remain unused? Will Starke prove the stronger than his henchman Flagg?

I had a dream the other night of Starke holding a great golden apple, riddled with black worms, plunging it into my chest. When I looked down, my torso had been replaced with a clock. Then Bjorn came and threw a hammer atop me. The last thing I remember is the hammer catching fire.

Let us hope, brother, that I am no more gifted with prophecy than you are gifted with smooth-talking the maidens.

Your Brother,

Derren


From the Codex Hereticum of Rao
... thus did the precepts of Rao uncover the Malletus Infernum, a sect of sun-god worshippers who blended ideas of justice and wrath from one of the northern smith-gods. The thirty members were easy to discover as they had used the inks of the Shallam-razar to decorate their bodies with sun and hammer motifs. Twenty-one members repented and seven zealots were burned at the dais of the god. Two escaped in the year 548 CE, but the cult is presumed lost to time.

 

[PHDungeon]

This is an entry from Bella. It doesn't really relate to any events that actually took place in the game session, but it still serves to develop her character.

Session 6 - Cullen

It was only upon crossing the doors threshold that I realized how much I missed my room/workshop at Starke’s Mansion. My fingers graced the familiar tools upon my workbench and I couldn’t help but think how good it would be to craft a new weapon. Having acquired some wealth with the Androsax children I will ask Starke to send one of his artificers to magically endow ToD with the chill of the grave, I would be most interested in watching the ritual having just recently gained the gift of understanding magic.

It came as a shock when I passed the mirror and saw Cullen hovering in the reflection just over my shoulder. As you remember Cullen was an imaginary friend of mine that sometimes still visits me in my dreams. He takes the form of a small impish creature with wings made entirely of crystal. I even made a replica of him that I carry with me always. My hand flew to it now, only to find it missing.

“I am sorry my Lady, sweet Lady, do not be angry with me”, the homunculus implored, “Your powers grow, so I will soon be able to join you in this world to help you”

“Cullen?”, I responded in a shocked whisper, “but you have only come to me in my dreams before”

“Yes this is true, oh my lady I do not have long so I beg of you to listen to your most humble servant. I am your familiar, until now you have not had the ability to bring me into the world but the time for that is coming soon.”

“You are real? ”

“Yes and no, sweet Lady. You will soon have the ability to craft me from the arcane energies that grow inside of you. I will be able to scout for you, gathering information for you about dangerous places. Though I will be real, I am not a living being and cannot be killed.”

“I will be able to create you? How will I know how to do that?”

“When the time comes my lady, it will come naturally. I very much look forward to being in your service. Oh my Lady I am sorry but our time is short but I will see you again soon.”

With that the ghostly image faded.

I stood in front of the mirror is shock for quite some time before coming to my senses. I almost believed I imagined it and yet I knew it had happened. Reaching into Cullen’s resting place I found the miniature statuette had returned. Looking at it closely it was obvious that it was not in the same position as when I had originally carved it. This is something that I was already used to as having looked at it after having dreams of Cullen I would find that the statues, although stationary when observed seems to shift positions when no one is looking.

So, Cullen would be able to assist me in the real world soon. I could see immediately how that could be useful. The only problem being that I would have to tell my companions about my limited abilities as a sorceress. I loathe giving up any of my secrets to anyone, but having a familiar may be worth the risk. I will think on it tonight, perhaps Cullen will be able to advise me in my dreams.

It is going to be an interesting day.

 

[PHDungeon]

In Grimsburg:

The heroes arrived in Grimsburg in early afternoon on the 20th of April 720 CE. They parted ways with the merchant Alsferth and headed for Androsax manor. There they found that a few of Starke’s debt collectors/thugs were chatting with Lord and Lady Androsax. Poor lady Androsax was about to turn over some jewelry that had been passed through her family for generations when Darren arrived on the scene. He turned over a large portion of the treasure he’d acquired from Bryne Keep and that was enough to keep the debt collectors happy and send them on their way back to Starke. The heroes dropped off their supplies and treasure, and they left Deryl to stay with her family, even though tensions between them were tight. They also discovered that Flagg had come to Grimsburg and that there had been many killings in the farmhouses outside he city walls during the past few nights. As of the previous night, dead bodies had been found within the city walls. The citizens of Grimsburg were quickly moving towards outright panic and hysteria, for the body count was rising by the day.

From Androsax manor, they made their way across Grimsburg to the district known as the Styes. This part of town was a vast slum that sprawled out over several islands that sat at the mouth of Nentir river. It had once been a beautiful and affluent part of town, but over the years that had changed. It had gone into decline and was now home to the city’s most disreputable folk. This was where Starke made his home. Starke’s compound consumed one of the little islands utterly. It was many things. First and foremost is was a fortress of stone and iron. Secondly, it was a virtual factory, for its bowels were filled with workshops belonging to Starke. Here his artificer apprentices toiled away helping him with his various projects. Finally, the place was his home, and up above the workshops and fortifications sat a beautiful villa with a lavish piazza. Security to Starke’s compound was tight; several guards were stationed at the gear operated, iron lift bridge that led to the place’s only visible entrance. The guards were well trained and equipped and accompanied by clockwork hounds. Fortunately, Bella was on favorable terms with Starke, and he’d been expecting her. The heroes were allowed entry, and they were taken up to the villa where they awaited Starke in a beautifully appointed sitting room.

An hour later they met with Starke. He was a handsome, well dressed man with a plumed hat. The meeting with Starke went well. He was in good spirits and pleased that Bella had managed to recover a few of the skulls. He indicated that he had a role in the affair, for he had been given the original golden skull by a mysterious stranger. He then turned the skull over to Flagg to study, and Flagg had been possessed by the item. Starke agreed to help the heroes. He sent out a small flock of clockwork birds to watch the city from the skies, and he informed the PCs that with the help of his constructs he would locate Flagg’s lair. He asked that they return the next morning, promising to offer the location of Flagg’s lair and to help ready them for their confrontation with the man.

After their visit with Starke, the heroes paid a visit to the library at Skaldsholme. There they found a interesting scroll that detailed how the skulls were created and a prophecy that was associated with them. From their research they were able to deduce that the skulls were created by the Cult of Elemental Eye and that victims of the murders committed by the possessed all served to help give a being known as the Slumberer the strength to fully awaken and enter into the world. The scrolls suggested that even the gods fear this entity, and that it may have the power to obliterate he world and the gods themselves. Clearly preventing this from happening was a task of monumental importance.

That night they slept in Androsax manor and guarded the family from the threat of the possessed. Bella was the exception. She returned to her workshop in Starke’s compound, and realized just how much she had missed it. Luckily for heroes, the night passed uneventfully. Unfortunately for the people of Grimsburg, the possessed haunted Grimsburg’s street and slaughtered close to 200 hundred civilians.

The next morning the heroes returned to Starke’s compound. As promised, Starke’s clockwork birds had managed to locate Flagg’s lair. Furthermore, he escorted them to one of his workshops, and there he showed them one of his private projects. He had forged several suites of clockwork plate armor, and he was willing to allow them to use the technology as a weapon to aid them in their final confrontation with this most deadly foe. The armor had proved highly effective during testing, but this would be the first time it would be used in the field, and it would be their duty to report how effective it proved to be…

 

[PHDungeon]

A letter from Darren Androsax regarding game session #7

Dear Corvin,

Flagg is dead. It was a brutal fight at the edge of the Styes, deep within a Church of Rao – but after nearly escaping us, I found his his body atop the stairs. His throat was slashed by a dagger, the wound covered with a sprig of mistletoe and his mouth bore a coin of Loki. I searched for his killer, but in vain – whatever it was could disappear from the sight of a dozen guards.

While it is a victory, and while Surtur Sturgleson himself thanked us with a banquet (at last!), there are so many unanswered questions. His daughter Brianna wishes to send an expedition into the Vale to investigate the Temple of the Elemental Eye further. She so enlightens my spirit, I believe Bella has become jealous. She even called Brianna a tart and tried to impress me with a belt of potions. It is beautifully crafted, I’ll admit – and I would die fighting alongside the Lady Nightshade – but seriously, she needs a man.

Only I think the man she loves is no longer a man. He is more a heart of gears and mind-forged manacles. When I dared suggest that his inventions were witchcraft, his flesh stripped away to reveal his true body – a hideous construct of arcane cogs and eldritch cranks. She almost admits that Starke is evil, and that his eyes are everywhere – but can he read this? I think not! Thanks for teaching me the trick of sending messages in secret, brother. So between us, as we have long planned, I will continue to act the fool and work for the man. The time will come when the Androsaxes will be powerful enough again to claim what is ours. I will not lick his boots – others seem all too willing to lap the grime of evil.

And the Church of Rao continues to draw me into their embrace. I can feel it, though am unwilling to part with the gods of the North – they too have a place under the sun. Have you found out anything about the Malletus Infernum yet?

That leaves me to another brief farewell. Our next adventure takes us to an auction in Alastar. Sounds easy enough. But then again ... wish us luck.

Your brother,

Derren