The Adventures of the Knights of Spellforge Keep- UPDATED 6/6

[Dr Midnight]

Circles and rings, dragons and kings
Weaving a charm and a spell
Blessed by the night, holy and bright
Called by the toll of the bell
-NEON KNIGHTS, Black Sabbath

This is the eighthENboards Knights thread for this campaign tale, formerly known as the Knights of the Silver Quill.

To read the entire story (up until Session 47, at least) click here.

Volumes I-III on the old ENboards should be back sometime...?... with reader commentary.

Volume IV (on ENboards with reader commentary) can be read here.

Volume V (on ENboards with reader commentary) can be read here.

Volume VI (on ENboards with reader commentary) can be read here.

Volume VII (on ENboards with reader commentary) can be read here.

THE CHARACTERS (as of Session 50):

SIR VEK MORMONT
The descendant of a traitor to Wee Jas, Vek was raised to believe in the goddess of death and magic. He became the champion of Wee Jas, and executes Her will, smirking his quiet grin all the while. He's become a powerful lich and is one of the deadliest things in all of the world. His wry and dark sense of humor matched with his devastating spells and brilliant tactics make him invaluable to the group.

KIZZLORN SPELLFORGE
"Little Kizz," the daughter of two heroes of the Knights of the Silver Quill, has proven a born leader. She has an innate sense of what is right and wrong, and treats people fairly. With her pseudodragon (posing as a cat) Snooky, she leads the Knights into whatever troubles the world cares to throw at them.

GRUMBAR
The most emotional member of the Knights, Grumbar is a half-orc with a big greatsword. He likes pie. He eats pie. He's easily upset, and voraciously hungry when feeling sad. He swings his sword without care for strategy or care for plans. Grumbar knows that if you hit things enough they fall down, so that's what he cares about. That and pie.

JAMISON CROW
Jamison is the only remaining member of the original Knights of the Silver Quill group. Through a spot of bad luck, he’s also one of Greyhawk’s most feared mass murderers… but he’s okay now. He’s a happy-go-lucky wizard with little care for consequences. He’ll run right up to a lever in a dungeon room and pull it. His familiar, Scratch the weasel, squeaks in terror every time he does something stupid… which is just about every day. It’s a miracle he’s survived this long. Through it all, though, Jamison has proven he’s got a big heart, and though he’s not the smartest man, he’s a true and loyal friend.

OAKEN
A very recent addition, little is known about this elf. His chalk-white skin and hair coupled with his white pupils make him a striking, if unattractive, person to look upon. He’s a druid in search of an artifact called the Key of Thuriaq- which, as it turns out, is being sought to free a colossal demon upon the world.

EDGE
This reserved halfling monk came to the group with his own motivations, and seems to keep them to himself. He doesn’t care much for friendship, and doesn’t mind stealing from anyone he meets, as long as he doesn’t believe they’re a threat. He clings to the shadows and seems to be hiding something about his inordinately long incisors…

SPELLFORGE KEEP
Kizzlorn’s father, Rafflorn Spellforge, won this grand castle pulling from a Deck of Many Things twenty years ago. It sits at the borders of the ruined city of Verbobonc. A graveyard lies out back, beneath a huge willow tree. In the front, the skeleton of a defeated white dragon serves as a playplace for local children. Inside, various artifacts and treasures beyond count line the walls. Each tells a story the Knights have lived through. Horacio the chef will be happy to make you a meal in the dining hall, and you can relax in one of the many guest suites. Just don’t go downstairs… Vek’s deadly dungeon serves as his private quarters, and is a well-defended haven for his phylactery.

RECENTLY:
The Knights journeyed north for the final battle with Acessiwal, the ancient white dragon that has been plaguing them for years. After a tremendously successful adventure, the Knights returned to Spellforge Keep, riding their enemy’s animated corpse. Things seem right with the world, but there are still whispers of Jamison’s old confidant wandering the world, attempting to free primeval monsters, or “titans”, from their subterranean prisons. Something is happening, and it looks like the entire world will soon be in danger… again.

Read on…

 

[SpaceBaby Industries]

Parents and child

quote:
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Although it would be easy to rez Raff and Kat, I think we're going to lay them to rest, and keep our current characters. They have been dead for about 15 years or so, and somehow, I feel it wouldn't be right to bring them back now.
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Had you considered raising them and letting them function as NPCs? I would have thought someone like Kiz, who lost her parents when she was a small child, would very much want them back. She's still young enough chronologically (i.e., not 35 and with a family of her own) for that to still matter, isn't she?

I can't see either parent turning down the chance to return either. They missed enough of their daughter's life as it is. That would be a regret I think would follow you even into the bright afterlife wherever Pelor calls home.

Maybe all of this is more details and complexity than you need for the campaign, and I hope I'm not giving the impression I'm critical of the role playing skills of those involved or the campaign quality - both are clearly excellent. It simply struck me as dissonant for the reasons I mention above.

One last thought: it certainly would be interesting if Kyla got ressurected. I can see her definitely coming back to do more work for her Patron in order to make Oerth a better place, and imagine the interesting ramifications vis a vis Vek! What can the Blazing Sun still do, particularily against undead?

Would Kyla know about what's happened to her earthly remains?

It would take a True Resurrection probably due to the lack of (available) body, but I recall that Elmo gave the Knights a scroll of that very spell back in the post Temple party. Whatever happened to that anyways?

 

[Ziona]

I had actually mentioned bringing back Raff & Kat, thinking that they could live in the castle and run the magic shop as Kat's parents had, but after some discussion, we agreed that laying them to rest was the proper thing to do.

Although Kizz would have loved to have her parents in her life, I think it would not have been the right thing. She may often wonder what life would have been like for her if her parents had never gone, but bringing them back suddenly after all she had been though would have been awkward, to say the least. She grew up a certain way because she was raised by someone other than her parents, and having them back would not change that now.

Kizz was kind of forced to grow up fast; her parents died when she was a baby, her brother's left when she was a child, and at 16, she has become a woman and an adventurer, seeing more danger than most see in their entire life. I just felt that laying them to rest was more fitting. To me, it marks her journey from adolescence to adulthood...she set out to find her parents and she accomplished that goal. She is now able to move on to other aspects of her life.

Thinking about Kat's outlook and attitude when I played her, I think she would have been content to be laid to rest with her husband. She accepted the dangers of adventuring, and although she & Raff missed out on watching their children grow up, they have been dead for 15 years and, in my mind, that's an awful long time to spend in Pelor's Shining Light to be pulled back to Oerth. (Almost thinking of it in Buffy terms...)

At any rate, I think Kat & Raff are proud that Kizz accomplished all that she has so far, and would be content to finally rest together, which allows Kizz to grow up and move on to other things in her life.

There...I'm done being all thoughtful and mushy...
/puts hands in pockets and shuffles feet around
/clears throat

My orc name is Shagbag the Crazy! Raaarh! Muuusaarrrghhh!!

 

[Dursk Starkfire]

I agree with ya Kizz, 15 years in Pelors' court would help you forget your troubles on Oerth. I imagine they'll be waiting for Kizz in the next life (and probably visited her while she was dead, but she probably has no memories of these things

BTW: Did Kizz get Kyla's Sun medallion?

 

[Richards]

Okay, we've heard from many of the Knights' players about how they felt the final battle with Acessiwal went. In the interests of hearing both sides of the story, here's what I imagine Acessiwal would have to say about the whole thing. The following parody song, "You Got Lucky," is sung to the tune of the same name by Tom Petty.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

YOU GOT LUCKY

I scried and watched what you did
I flew and killed off your castle staff
Vek's gem sure was well hid
But I found it and had a good laugh
Then...we fought...
But remember
Good foes are hard to find
Good foes are hard to find
You got lucky, Knights
You got lucky, Knights
When you killed me

You dispelled all of my buffs
And then Crow cast that dancing spell
Dragon waltzes are tough
I tap-danced my way straight into Hell
So now...I'm dead...
But remember
Good foes are hard to find
Good foes are hard to find
You got lucky, Knights
You got lucky, Knights
When you killed me

And though...I'm dead...
I remember
I survived countless spars
Now I'm just monkeybars
You're damn lucky, Knights
You're damn lucky, Knights
I can't kill you

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Johnathan
Self-Appointed, Unofficial Bard to the Knights of Spellforge Keep Campaign

 

[Lela]

Re: Parents and child

It would take a True Resurrection probably due to the lack of (available) body, but I recall that Elmo gave the Knights a scroll of that very spell back in the post Temple party. Whatever happened to that anyways?

They used it to raise the woman Gryph killed when he threw a barell of that tainted mead. Turns out she was a snake creature--though they never explored it.

 

[Dr Midnight]

SESSION 50
20th of Ready’reat
ONE WISH

“Horacio.”

The chef froze, cringing, and turned around. “…Yes?” He tried to hide the desperate seething frustration he was feeling from his tone.

“Know what I could go for?”

“I don’t know, Meestair Grumbar. What.”

“Guess!” Grumbar’s face scrunched up in a happy, holding-back-the-giggles expression that just looked ridiculous on a half-orc.

Horacio sighed. “Dragon meat. How would you like eet?” He had just gotten done scrubbing the pans clean after the last four course meal Grumbar had eaten, roughly an hour and a half ago.

“Dragon ribs! You know, the big barbecued kind that make your fingers all sloppy and you gotta lick ‘em.”

Patiently, Horacio tried to get out of it. “Meestair Grumbar, the meat is here, but the dragon’s ribs are outside being used as monkey bars for leetel cheeldren. Besides, the dragon’s ribs are each about a foot in diametair.”

“Don’t care. Okay, how ‘bout a big batch of dragonburgers? Fat and juicy and you gotta hold it with both hands. Three of ‘em, I think.”

“Eef that ees your wish.”

“It ees.” Grumbar giggled.

“I weel make your food, meestair Grumbar,” Horacio said as he took down the enormous cast-iron skillet from the dishrack, where it was drying. “Please do not make fun of my accent.”

A deep gong noise rang through the atrium- someone was at the door. “Dooor!” Grumbar yelled, causing Horacio to wince again and drop his skillet.

“OUT! OUT OF MY KITCHEN!!”

Oaken walked through the dining hall of Spellforge Keep to the main gate. The drawbridge was down, and the portcullis was in place, allowing the warm fall air to push through the castle. Standing there were two men. One was tall and handsome, with armor and a sword strapped to his back. One wore a cloak and cowl. They bore striking similarities, though. They both had red hair and freckled cheeks, and the same strong jawline.

Oak asked “May I help you?” in an icy tone that said that he did not enjoy being roused from his books in the library. He’d been engrossed in a particularly gripping account of one druid’s grove, and how he saved it from marauding orcs.

“Um… This is Spellforge Keep, am I correct?”

“Yes.”

“Is Kizzlorn Spellforge around?”

“Yes. What is this about?”

The two men exchanged glances. “Can we speak to Kizzlorn, please?”

“Why?”

Kizzlorn’s voice behind him cut off the answer. “Oh, Oak, simmer down and stop snapping at people. Who is it?”

The tall man grinned. “KIZZ!”

Kizzlorn shrieked. “RAELIN! KYLER!” She flung up the catch for the portcullis, and it raised. She ran and hugged her laughing brothers. “Oh, I can’t believe it! Let me look at you!” She pulled back and smiled. “You look great! All dressed up in armor… and you, Kyle. You look like a thief!”

“We prefer to be called rogues, now,” he joked.

Raelin said “You look terrific, Kizzie! All grown up. How long has it been?”

“Three years. Three long years since you guys LEFT me ALONE in that horrible place…”

“You were too young to come with us, you know that. We had a path to follow.”

“Well, we can fight over it later. Come in, come in!”

Kyler looked about as they walked into the dining hall, past Imix’s fiery sword hanging on the north wall. “So this is Spellforge Keep. Dad won THIS with a draw from a deck of cards?? Nice…”

“Oh, yeah, this place is terrific. I’ll give you the grand tour.”

Oaken spoke up. “Barring, of course, the dungeon.”

“Of course. Raelin, Kyler, may I present a recent addition to the Knights of Spellforge Keep: Oaken Stormfire.”

The druid glared at them coldly. “A pleasure. What, may I ask, brings you to my home?”

“YOUR home?” Raelin laughed. “What’s the name on the deed? What’s the name of the Keep?”

“Spellforge,” Kizz smiled. “But don’t go getting any ideas. I put a lot of work into this place, and I’m not letting you two take over without a fight.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. It’s just so good to see you again, Kizz.”

She hugged them again. “I know. It’s been so long. How long are you in town for? Oh, you have to stay, we’ll have to have dinner. We have several tons of white dragonmeat, and I promise you, you’ve never tasted any steak so succulent.”

Kyler said “I can’t wait. We heard about that… you killing Acessiwal. That’s one of the reasons we came.”

“One of?”

“Well… you know. Congratulate you, catch up with our baby sister, visit Spellforge Keep for the first time.”

Raelin said “Pay our respects to Mom and Dad.”

Kizzlorn nodded. “Yes. They’re out back, under the large willow tree. I picked a beautiful spot. I’ll take you out there in just a moment.” She turned her head to the kitchen and called out loudly. “Horacio?”

“Yes?”

“We will take dinner in the hall tonight. Could you please begin preparing some dragon steaks, cooked low over a fire? We will have two guests tonight, so set extra places.”

“Yes, my lady! Of course. Right away.”

As Kizzlorn led her brothers outside to visit her parents’ graves, she could have sworn she heard the sound of several pots and pans clashing together furiously, along with shouted curse words in an unfamiliar language.

MORE TO COME…

 

[Horacio]

Hey, my role ees getteeng beegger and beeger!

 

[Celtavian]

Re

Doc will probably kill off Kizz's brothers to provide more drama for his story. Poor Kizzlorn will be an emotional wreck after her whole family is killed off.

 

[wolff96]

Re: Re

Doc will probably kill off Kizz's brothers to provide more drama for his story. Poor Kizzlorn will be an emotional wreck after her whole family is killed off.

I actually figured they were already dead.

They left her behind -- I was thinking they went off to do the same thing Kizz eventually did. And that big A got them.

But apparently I was wrong.

...Probably.