Tellerian Hawke
Defender of Oerth
Greyhawk: The Post-War Era.
Newer Entries (i.e., Yuri's Campaign):
The Grey Cloak Council: Osprey, Robhuud, Del Tan, Trang, Jonwaine, Mavet, and Teedi.
Newer Entries (i.e., Yuri's Campaign):
The Grey Cloak Council: Osprey, Robhuud, Del Tan, Trang, Jonwaine, Mavet, and Teedi.
What Year Is It? CY 963, 50 years later (after last recorded Fearless Five adventure, which took place on Coldeven 11, CY 913.)
What Has Happened? Between CY 913 and CY 921, The Fearless Five wage war all over The Flanaess. Although their armies win every engagement, there are simply too many enemies on too many fronts to allow them to turn the tides of war completely. However, their participation allows the occupied nations to repel their occupiers, and allows the disorganized nations to re-group; by the end of CY 922, after nearly 20 years of conflict, the humanoid / outsider armies are driven back to where they were when the war began. The various opportunistic factions who tried to take advantage of the chaos are forced to give up their conquered territories and sign a non-aggression treaty. The end result is that the balance of power is restored to pre-war status. (The lone exception being, of course, the Lands of The Five.) However, one of the lingering consequences of the war (now known as "The Great War of The Flanaess,") is that half-outsider / half-humanoid "children of war" have begun to appear. DM NOTE: This is basically a campaign reset, with the new half-races being new character options. The Great War, and its heroes, are 41 years in the past. Now begins the campaign known as Greyhawk: The Post-War Era.
Where Is Everyone? Hawke's Castle still exists below Bright Sentry Keep. The Grey Cloak Council lives there, in secret. Tellerian Hawke now lives in a simple cottage on the Happy Hunting Grounds. Nimbar now lives in Ellis Kvar's extra-dimensional stronghold in the Vesve Forest. Delbin Arcanus is still the head of the Greyhawk Wizard's Guild. The Fearless Five have a stronghold in Sigil, while Maure Castle (The Hold of The Five) is in the charge of their cohorts. Luis Galvanor is now the Sensei of Shokindo's monastery. Current ages of various NPCs: Hawke is 312 years old, Nimbar is 305 years old, and Osthelerin is 262 years old. (Osthelerin has had Nimbar's Youthful Transfiguration cast upon him, back in CY 914. He will not suffer the effects of Old Age until he is 346 years old. He will not suffer the effects of Venerable age until he is 433 years old.) Del Tan Rah, who was born in CY 870, is now 93 years old. As a Half-Celestial, he is still considered a young adult. He will not suffer the effects of Middle Age until he is 350 years old.
How Did Venger Get Here? On his home world, a well-meaning arch mage named Valtruin The Wise banished Venger, intending to send him into the void. The wording used in his curse was, "...to a place where your powers will be muted, and your ambitions checked, never to escape." Upon his arrival on Oerth, Venger recruits more Lizard Men to serve him, and kidnaps a local druid, whom he believes will be able to tell him all he needs to know about this new world. He also plans to steal his identity, so as to be able to gather his resources undisturbed.
Reaping 6, CY 963
Jonwaine's village destroyed by Venger, Selgar vanishes after being struck by Venger's spell. Jonwaine is subdued by Lizard Men, but rescued by Nimbar. Jonwaine spends 3 days recuperating in the Gnarley Forest. Nimbar gives Jon some gold, and tells him to find a place to live in the township of Willip.
Reaping 16, CY 963
Jonwaine is welcomed by the Willip Militia as he arrives at the gates with 2 captured Kobold bandits. Jon gets a 200 gp. reward, and a free week's lodging at the Running River Inn.
Reaping 18, CY 963
The city guard asks Jonwaine if he would like to help them find the Kobold lair. The three guardsmen are named William Finewell, Marcus Volinger, and Sergei Leonov. (William and Marcus are guardsmen, Sergei is their Sargent.) Jon agrees to help.
Reaping 20, CY 963
10 Kobolds, led by a Kobold wizard, ambush the party. The wizard summons a dinosaur (Deinonychus) but the party still prevails. Several Kobolds are taken prisoner. The party decides to return to Willip with their captives.
Reaping 22, CY 963
The party and their 6 captives return to Willip. The party plans to re-supply and return north, still determined to find the main Kobold lair.
Reaping 23, CY 963
The party sets out once more in search of the Kobold lair.
Reaping 27, CY 963
The party finds and enters the Kobold lair! The party quickly gets into trouble, as the Kobolds attack them en masse. Rob and Jon are almost killed, but manage to survive through pure luck. The party manages to kill 23 kobolds, and capture two. The party recovers 300 gold pieces from the lair, as well as 60 gp. worth of weapon and armor scraps (leather pieces and spear heads.)
Goodmonth 5, CY 963
The party rests for 6 days, holed up in the Kobold lair, no encounters; the party decides to return to town, Kobold prisoners in tow. The journey will take 2 days.
Goodmonth 9, CY 963
The party encounters a heavy mounted patrol on the morning of their last day of travel. In order to increase their travel speed, they turn over their Kobold prisoners to the patrol, who reward them with a 100 gp. bounty. At the end of the day, the party makes it back to Willip, and Sergei takes his leave; now that the Kobold lair has been cleared, his job as a city watchman will require him to remain in town. Rob and Jon bid Sergei farewell.
Goodmonth 10, CY 963
Jon decides to journey to Graysmere, the Dwarven stronghold, so that he can have better armor made. It will take 16 days to travel by horseback. Jon & Rob buy horses and supplies in Willip, and set out on their journey. During their first day's march, they meet Osthelerin and Del Tan, two members of the legendary adventuring group known as The Grey Cloak Council. Jon tells them of the wizard who destroyed his village, and of how Nimbar helped him. When the Grey Cloaks hear this startling news, they agree to accompany Jon & Rob on their journey. Osthelerin tells Jon & Rob that they should not talk openly about seeing Nimbar, since most people believe that he is long dead. He also tells Jon that Selgar was a friend of The Grey Cloaks, and that they are interested in finding him. Lastly, Osthelerin tells the party that based on their description of the wizard, he is a Cambion Demon, and should be approached with caution. The Grey Cloaks tell the party that the City of Greyhawk is on the way to Graysmere, and that they can stop there to find out more about how to deal with a Cambion.
Goodmonth 13, CY 963
In the early morning hours, the party is attacked by a large group of Bandits. The fight almost goes against the party, but Del Tan's healing magic pulls the party's fat out of the fire. Loot from the bandits (their camp is discovered a few hundred yards away
15,000 sp., 30 gems (value to be determined in Dyvers,) 15 suits of studded leather, 1 chain shirt, 16 longswords, 16 short bows, 400 gp., and 1 spell scroll (Unseen Servant.) The bandit camp also contains 5 large tents, 2 medium tents, and 1 medium, high-quality tent, a horse-drawn wagon, 3 light horses, 1 mule, rations for the bandits for 2 weeks (16 x 2 = 32 weeks of rations!) and feed for the animals (enough for all 4 animals for 2 weeks.)Goodmonth 20, CY 963
As the party is making camp for the night, less than a day's journey from Greyhawk, two Chimeras glide in and ambush the party. A fierce battle ensues, in which Osprey, Jonwaine, and Robhuud are all badly injured. After the battle, the party guts and skins the Chimeras, thinking to sell the hides; in the stomach of the largest Chimera, they find a disembodied hand wearing a jeweled gauntlet! The party grows excited, because the gauntlet bears the crest of Furyondy; it is well known that three months prior, the prince of Furyondy had gone missing, and that there was a reward out for information as to his whereabouts. Del Tan tells the group that not only is this a good indication that the Chimera killed the prince, but his partially digested hand (still in the gauntlet) could be used by a High Priest to return the prince to the land of the living! Del Tan uses his wand to completely heal the party's injuries, and after a good night's sleep, the party heads toward Greyhawk.
Goodmonth 21, CY 963
The party arrives at the gates of Greyhawk around 2 o'clock in the afternoon. After a conversation with the guards, the party is taken to the office of Sir John Steelchest, Captain Emeritus of the City Guard of Greyhawk, and personal assistant to Lord Mayor Brendan Kellinday. They present him with the gauntleted hand, and he gives the party a 3,000 gp. reward, as well as giving each member of the party (Osprey, Del Tan, Jonwaine, and Robhuud) a silver cloak clasp which bears the Greyhawk Coat of Arms. Anyone wearing one of these clasps may enter and leave the city at will, without paying the normal gate fee, nor having to check weapons at the gate. Shopkeepers always give the bearer of the clasp a 10% discount on all merchandise, and the bearer is not required to pay taxes on any purchase. Abroad, people tend to treat clasp bearers rather well (if they are sympathetic with Greyhawk) or rather badly (if they are enemies or rivals.) DM NOTE: The Mayor sends word (via a Sending spell) to the Court Counsel of King Waylon (a wizard known as Gerruff Danverdall) that the prince's remains have been found. Meanwhile, the party leaves the mayor's office, to pay a visit to the Tanner, and then to the Greyhawk Mage Guild. At the tanner's, they give him the Chimera hides, and pay him to make workable leather from them. At the Mage Guild, they make use of Delbin's mirror (aMirror of Mental Prowess) to travel to Hawke's Castle. The party stores their excess gear, gets another good night of sleep, followed by a veritable FEAST of a breakfast.
Goodmonth 22, CY 963
After breakfast, the party uses the Mirror of Mental Prowess in Hawke's Castle to travel to the entrance of Graysmere. The party trades the majority of their newly found wealth for two nice sets of Mithral armor, one for Jonwaine, and the other for Robhuud. Afterwards, they set off, this time on foot---the mirror trip is one way, if your destination lacks a similar device---back to Greyhawk.
Goodmonth 24, CY 963
Prince Derrith of Furyondy is resurrected from the dead by Gorland Vorbreen, High Cleric of Cuthbert for the Temple of Cuthbert in Greyhawk. Inquiries are made as to the party's whereabouts.
Goodmonth 27, CY 963
Around 3 in the afternoon, the party returns to the City of Greyhawk. They are stopped by the gate guards, and summoned to the Mayor's office. [This was the stopping point of the last session.]
The party goes to the Mayor's office, and is met by not only the Mayor, but also by Waylon The Just, Prince Derrith, Gorland Vorbreen, and Gerruff Danverdall, who have all just teleported to Greyhawk, in order to thank the party in person. The Prince awards Osprey, Del Tan, Jonwaine, and Robhuud honorary courtly entitlements. The Prince bestows signet rings and longswords upon each party member, which bear the mark of the Kingdom Crest of Furyondy. The signet rings are Rings of Protection +2, and the longswords are Longswords +2. In the court of Furyondy, and in any lands or territories which swear allegiance to King Waylon, the party members are known as "Sir," and are considered petty nobility. Lastly, the Prince asks the party if he might join them sometime, because his father, who does not disapprove of his adventuring, has forbidden him from adventuring alone in the future; therefore, he would be prudent to join such a well-known company as this, where his safety would be vastly improved. He says that he has matters to attend to in Furyondy, and that he will join the party as soon as those matters are attended to, probably in a matter of weeks.
While pickup up their leather order at the tannery, the party recruits two new members: Mavet Makkarov, a swordsman from the Sultanate of Ket, and Trang Windborne, a monk, and student of Master Choh, of The Monastery of The Four Winds. With two new members in tow, the party proceeds to deposit the leather (via Mirror transport) at Hawke's Castle; afterwards, Osprey and Mavet decide to journey to Chendl in order to be there when the Prince is ready. The party buys a few various supplies, and hits the road immediately, anxious to get started on what promises to be a month-long journey. After 4 hours on the road, the party makes camp for the night.
Goodmonth 28, CY 963
The early morning hours bring unwanted company; a lone Ettin thinks that the "unattended" wagon and horses at the bottom of the hill must be a birthday present, until the party, who is camped at the top of the hill, inform him otherwise. After an intense battle, the Ettin is defeated, and the party is 200 gp. richer for the experience.
Harvester 1, CY 963
The party meets several plains tribesmen, and pauses briefly to do a bit of trading; when the tribesmen see that the party is living on trail rations, they take pity on them and give them 5 trout, which are cured in salt and lard for short-term preservation. When no one is looking, Mavet plays a practical joke on Jonwaine; he removes the lard from his own fish, and switches it with Jonwaine's, leaving Jonwaine with a fish that, without its protective lard covering, will soon begin to stink.
Harvester 2, CY 963
The party meets Famous Shoes, a well-known "local" Ranger, who is often found between Greyhawk and Dyvers, and sometimes in the lower regions of Furyondy (between Littleberg and Willip.) Famous Shoes tells the party that the spirit of his father has become stuck in a canyon, and he's not sure if he will ever get out. He says that he has been following the spirit of his grandfather for several weeks, and that he thinks that his grandfather's spirit might be headed back to the Kron Hills, where his grandfather killed his first Troll. He also says that where the river road enters the Gnarley Forest, there are two Ogres who have been raiding travelers who pass through the area. He says that he was able to sneak past them, but that a party as large as Osprey's would not escape detection. Mavet gives him 2 gold for this information, and Famous Shoes is thankful. When Mavet inquires about his change, Famous Shoes simply tells him, "Change is the only constant in this world. Even the spirits cannot escape it," and leaves without saying another word.
Harvester 3, CY 963
The party reaches Dyvers. The party makes camp just outside the city, near the ferry, where merchants often camp while organizing their caravans for the ferry ride into the city. Del Tan enters the city alone, in order to visit the Temple of Pelor, where he plans to recharge his wand of Cure Moderate Wounds. It takes almost a whole day for this to happen, and Del Tan is required to make a donation of 2,970 gp. for this service, and also to lay hands upon the wand during the process, thereby donating 88 experience points to the process as well. (Cost for re-charging the wand, for members of the Pelor Clergy, is 135 gp. and 4 experience points per charge; thus, Del Tan basically gets "wholesale" pricing.) While Del Tan is in the city, Jonwaine discovers the stinky fish; and to Mavet's chagrin, it doesn't even seem to bother him. Jonwaine eats the fish, as-is, for a late-afternoon snack.
Harvester 9, CY 963
After 5 uneventful days of travel, the party meets up with more tribesmen, who move on quickly after seeing that they have nothing for trade.
Harvester 10, CY 963
The party comes across a Furyondy rural patrol (20 men + 1 captain) and warns them about the Ogres. The captain says that they have heard the news as well, and are currently looking for them. The party offers to help, and they spend the next day and a half helping them explore the forest. They find nothing.
Harvester 12, CY 963
The patrol and the party part ways in the morning, and the party travels all night along the forest road. They make camp for the night, and are awakened shortly past midnight, when the Ogres they had been searching for come calling. The party is engaged in a fierce battle, in which Jonwaine and Mavet are both seriously injured; Mavet is knocked unconscious by a vicious blow, and Jonwaine suffers a cracked skull and broken shoulder, somehow managing to remain standing during the ordeal. In fact, after the biggest Ogre is severely wounded by Osprey, it is Jonwaine who finishes the Ogre off, by landing a well-timed blow with his pick, and ripping the Ogre's guts out. After using 10 charges of Del Tan's newly-recharged wand, the party's wounds are completely healed, and they are able to sleep for the rest of the night undisturbed.
Harvester 13, CY 963
After "sleeping in" an extra hour, the party resumes course, exiting the forest around mid-day, estimating that it will take them another 7 days' travel to reach their next stop (the city of Littleberg; estimated arrival date: Harvester 20th.) [This is where the session ended.]
Harvester 17, CY 963
The party is ambushed during the early evening hours by a band of 15 Gnolls. After an intense battle, the Gnolls are defeated.
Harvester 20, CY 963
That morning, the party encounters a lone black bear; Mavet decides to tease the bear, and it attacks him. Osprey and Mavet fight the bear, and kill it. Osprey is annoyed by Mavet's carelessness. Later in the afternoon, the party reaches Littleberg. They decide to stay the night.
Harvester 21, CY 963
In the morning, Osprey wanders off on errands. When he returns around lunch time, he is wearing a suit of leather armor, obviously having traded his platemail for it. Thus begins Osprey's career as a wizard. Later in the afternoon, as the sun was beginning its descent, Littleberg was attacked by a young red dragon! The dragon lays waste to several neighborhoods, destroying 4 buildings, damaging 7 others, killing 18 commoners and 11 guardsmen! Also among the casualties are 3 horses and a dog. The party assists the town guard during the battle, and the tide turns when Osprey taunts the dragon into landing in the middle of the street, to face him one on one; Osprey deals two serious blows to the young wyrm with his two-handed sword, and then, in a stunning, surprise move, Trang Windborne leaps from the burning roof of the tavern, landing on the dragon's back, and skewering the dragon in the eye with his longsword! Truly, a Halfling monk slam dunk!!
Halfling monk slam dunk!
Harvester 22, CY 963:
The day after the dragon's attack is a day of rebuilding; the town guard spends the day collecting the dead, and digging their graves. The carpenters' and stonemasons' guilds spend the day cleaning up debris in the streets. The six town butchers, having expertly skinned, butchered, cured, and hanged the meat on the previous day, spend today cleaning up the guts, and scraping the bones. The town armorer (Sebastian Kale) spends today selecting and cutting the best parts of the dragonhide, in preparation for making a suit of hide armor, a task that will require the next four days to complete. The local temple of St. Cuthbert offers to recharge Del Tan's healing wand for free, as a token of their gratitude. The town Laird (Fergus McAllister) proclaims that once the armor is completed, the town will cover Kale's fee for crafting it, and present it to the party at a special ceremony that will kick off a three day feast in the party's honor.
The party spends the first part of the early morning (5-7 am) at the temple of Cuthbert, while Del Tan's wand is recharged. They spend the rest of the day scouting the woods and hills around the town, looking for the dragon's lair. After 12 hours of riding in a sectored search pattern, the party comes across a large, hastily dug hole in the side of a hill, about 9 miles south of town, just as the sun is beginning to set.
The lair is small, as dragon lairs go, having only a single, curved entry tunnel, leading to a single, large, central chamber. But it's large enough for the hill giant and his gang of 13 orcs, who discovered it earlier in the day, and decided to move in!
In a pitched battle, the party engages the interlopers in mortal combat! Jonwaine's arrows decimate the orc ranks, while Mavet, Trang, and Osprey take on the hill giant, backed up by Del Tan and his newly recharged wand. In the end, with his gang of orcs wiped out, the hill giant surrenders, and allows himself to be tied up, rather than face certain death.
Upon exploring the cave, the party finds the young dragon's stash (it's not large enough to be considered a hoard) as well as a special surprise:
In the back of the cave, hanging from an anchor embedded in a stalactite, is a huge, golden (polished brass) birdcage. Inside the cage, still dressed in her armor and holding her trident (as if she had entered the cage willingly, perhaps through some sort of coercion / extortion) is a tall, muscular woman with flowing red hair. She stands 7'5" high, and looks to weigh in the neighborhood of 18 stone. She is thankful for her freedom, and anxious for a bath, perhaps even a bit over-anxious; her name, you discover, is Teedi, and the elven-made chainmail she wears is emblazoned with a strange heraldic device that no one in the party is familiar with.
Mavet is knocked prone!
Orcs choke the entryway!
The party discovers the main chamber!
Hi, my name is Teedi!
Treasure / Reward Notes: Giant (who turns out to be a well-known bandit chief by the name of Tuunbar The Terrible) agrees to serve 20 years of hard labor in Littleberg, in return for a stay of execution. The bounty that the party earns for bringing him in alive is 5,000 gp.! The return of the equipment nets the party an extra 1,000 gp. reward. (The equipment from the wiped out City Guard patrol was of fine quality, and would have been difficult to replace.)
Harvester 23, CY 963:
The party, after having spent the night in the lair, returns to Littleberg today, around 10:00 am. The City Guard is amazed to see Tuunbar in custody!
Harvester 26, CY 963:
The suit of Dragonhide armor is finally ready.
Harvester 27, CY 963:
3-Day "Feast of the Dragon" begins. To kick things off, the Laird, Fergus McAllister, awards the armor to Mavet, in a special ceremony, in which he also honors the party for their great deeds. The reputation of The Greycloak Council has grown considerably this day.
Harvester 28, CY 963:
Second day of feasting.
Brewfest 1, CY 963:
Third day of feasting. On this day, Laird McAllister announces that the feast will be an annual event, and the party is invited to return, if they happen to be "in this neck of the woods." Brewfest is already a feast week on the standard calendar, but from now on, in Littleberg, the feasting will begin 2 days early!
Brewfest 2, CY 963:
The party sets out once more for Chendl; eleven days remain in their expected journey.
Brewfest 4, CY 963:
TRAGEDY STRIKES! The party is ambushed by a Gnoll raiding band! 22 Gnolls engage the party, and although the party is victorious, the victory comes at a terrible price; during the battle, Del Tan is surrounded, and one of the flanking Gnolls gets in a lucky strike (DM NOTE:critical hit w/ battle axe) cutting off Del Tan's head at the neck! Osprey is both devastated and enraged at the death of his friend. He swears that this is not over. He knows that the high priest in Chendl has the power to resurrect the fallen, he only hopes that the party can scrape together the king's ransom that he knows it will cost them. (DM NOTE: The party's combined, liquid assets come to about 17,000 gp. if they sell EVERYTHING.)
A comrade has fallen!
Brewfest 6, CY 963:
The party is almost ambushed by two Lamias while on the road. Thanks to careful observation by Mavet, their illusion of "two travelers in need of assistance" is revealed to be a façade before the party can become truly vulnerable; a fight ensues when their deception is revealed, and Osprey takes out his frustrations on the first Lamia, while Jonwaine and Mavet run the second one down; Jonwaine gets a lucky shot, and puts an arrow through the Lamia's throat, very nearly killing him. The Lamia flees for its life, only to be run down by Mavet on horseback, who scores a critical hit on a charge, brutally skewering him with his Khopesh. With both Lamias dead, the journey towards Chendl resumes.
Brewfest 7, CY 963:
The party comes across a raiding party of 9 Hobgoblins, who have just finished ambushing a merchant wagon, killing the occupants, and burning it. This time, it is Teedi who takes out her anger on her opponents. In the opening moments of the fight, Teedi charges the nearest Hobgoblin, skewering him with her trident; she hits him so hard, she is able to lift him up above her head, and dump his corpse behind her, a cruel, reverse "pole vault" maneuver, which serves to TERRIFY the rest of the Hobgoblins! Needless to say, the battle is over quickly, and the foul Hobgoblins pay dearly for their murderous ways. It should be noted that of the 9 Hobgoblins, two are killed by Teedi, and three by Osprey, leaving Jonwaine, Trang, and Mavet only four "to play with." It is in this fight that the other party members first witnessed Osprey's brutal temper, while discovering that Teedi is also of a similar temperament; Osprey is grieved by the loss of his friend, while Teedi's anger seems more along the lines of the righteous variety, the product of witnessing a great injustice (i.e., she became enraged when she saw that innocent people had been slaughtered by the Hobgoblins.) All of the Hobgoblins killed by Osprey and Teedi suffered horrible, agonizing deaths, caused by brutal wounds from their 2-handed weapons. Osprey in particular was especially devoid of mercy in this fight. But not to be outdone, when the last Hobgoblin surrenders, and is pinned down by Jonwaine, Mavet steps up and gouges out the Hobgoblin's eye with his Khopesh, killing him. In Mavet's words, "taking him to the gallows in Chendl would be too dignified a death for a murderous coward such as this."
Patchwall 5, CY 963:
The party finally reaches Chendl, about 9:30 in the morning. Their signet rings and emblazoned nobility swords allow them to enter through the noble gate, avoiding the long line of commoners waiting to get in through the main gate. The party is granted an audience with the high priest of Cuthbert, Vanrick Vorbreen, who is the son of the cleric in Greyhawk (Gorland) who brought Prince Derrith back to life. Vanrick says that the party is about 8,000 gp. short of the normal fee for bringing someone as "special" as Del Tan back to the land of the living. (DM NOTE: Del Tan is an Outsider.) However, he says that in recognition of what the party has done for the Kingdom of Furyondy, the church of Cuthbert will loan the party the remaining cost of the rare components required for the spell. But in return, the party must promise to do something for him as well; he tells them that there have been strange goings-on recently, in the village of Hommlet, a small village to the Southeast of the town of Verbobonc. He fears that Tharizdunian cultists are once again trying to re-establish their old temple there, which has been destroyed twice during its twisted history, the last time being 15 years ago. He also tells the party that a known Tharizdunian cultist, a woman by the name of Susain Carun, has stolen a precious artifact from the Temple of Cuthbert in Verbobonc, a book known as The Sacred History, which is a list of the church's accomplishments, including the defeat of various evil forces, and the location of various evil artifacts that were recovered. He fears that Susain will use the book to find and recapture these artifacts, which will prove extremely detrimental to the Church of Cuthbert's interests. He charges the party to investigate the temple, find Susain, and recover the book; if possible, they are to also deal with any cultists that they find. The party agrees, and Vanrick looks pleased. He tells them that he will begin the resurrection ritual in the morning.
That evening, the party is visited by Prince Derrith, who tells them that he was deeply saddened to hear about Del Tan, and equally happy to hear that Vanrick will be able to help him. He tells the party that he will accompany them to Hommlet, not only because the trip is of import to his church (Derrith is a member of the Cuthbert Order of Knighthood, a Paladin order) but also because he is indebted to the party, and feels that he will never be able to repay his debt to them. Therefore, he shall join them, and aid them in all their endeavors, lending his blade and healing powers whenever they shall have need of them. (DM NOTE: Welcome Prince Derrith, the newest member of The Greycloak Council!)
Patchwall 6, CY 963:
Del Tan is resurrected. The party begins making plans for the journey south. After about four hours of organizing and re-supplying, Derrith arranges for a court wizard to teleport the party to the outskirts of Verbobonc, appearing on a deserted stretch of riverbank, about 3 miles outside of town. The party makes their way to the city, and enters by way of the noble gate, and finds an inn to settle into for the night.
Patchwall 7, CY 963:
First thing in the morning, the party talks to the High Priest of Cuthbert's Verbobonc temple, and he tells them what he knows about the village of Hommlet. The priest re-stocks the party's dried ration supply, and re-charges Del Tan's wand for him. The party sets out for Hommlet, sparing no time for dalliances. The day's travel is uneventful.
Patchwall 8, CY 963:
The party arrives in Hommlet around 9:00 am; they immediately procure 4 suites at the local inn, which adjoin one another. At noon, the party sets out for the moat house, and arrives there just before sundown, after about 6 hours of travel.
Immediately upon their arrival, even before they can cross the rickety drawbridge into the moat house courtyard, a giant frog hops up out of nowhere, and attempts to ambush the party. However, before it can carry out its plan, Del Tan smashes it in the face with his heavy mace, and Teedi skewers it with her trident, bringing the creature to the brink of death with a single blow; rather than the ambush, the frog chooses retreat, preferring to dive back into the pool from whence it came, and dive deep, lest the next blow send it screaming into the next world. The frog was looking for an easy meal, and it found the party to be anything but.
The young Blue Dragon.
The party explores further into the ruins, and is confronted by a young, blue dragon! However, without the aid of flight, this dragon puts up far less of a fight than the young red did; the sheer attrition from the party's relentless onslaught takes it toll, and in the final moments of the fight, Teedi severely injures it with her trident, after which Osprey lands two deadly blows with his greatsword, savagely ripping the dragon's entrails out, and spewing his lifeblood onto the floor of the great hall. Thanks to Prince Derrith's portable hole, the party is able to take the dragon corpse with them, in hopes that someone in Hommlet is as skilled with armor crafting as Sebastian Kale.
The party pushes on, killing four gnolls, and a female cleric, and also destroying a ghast and three ghouls. The party even manages to rescue the town potion brewer, a wizard known as Spugnoir. In the interests of not over-extending their stay, the party decides to escort Spug back to Hommlet, in order to re-group and rest. Spugnoir is grateful, and tells the party that from now on, he will offer potions at a 30% discount off his normal rate, and will identify items of interest at component cost. The party hastily makes their exit from the moat house, knowing full well that there will be an ambush awaiting their return. However, everyone agrees that it's worth the risk, rather than pressing on too deeply and getting cornered in the dark recesses of the dungeon.
Patchwall 9, CY 963:
The party gets back to Hommlet around four o'clock in the morning, well before sunrise. The first stop is Spug's house, where he identifies the items that they retrieved from the body of the female cleric. Spug also tells the party what he discovered while poking around the dungeon. He says that the elemental cultists have discovered a hidden chamber beneath the dungeon, and whatever they're up to down there, it cannot be good.
Noting that both Osprey and Mavet are carrying small, apprentice-style spell books, Spug offers to mentor the two novice spellcasters, whenever they have any downtime. Both Mavet and Osprey agree, gladly. He also tells them that he is of the opinion that if the cultists are in the moat house, then they probably have spies in town. He tells the party not to trust anyone, without at least letting Derrith have a "look" at their aura. (Spug's aura turns out to be Neutral Good, which means he will become a fast ally of the group.)
Later that morning, around 8:30 am, the party returns to the inn, to find the innkeeper anxiously awaiting their return. "A strange man in a fencing mask, wearing black robes, left this message for you, brother Trang." He quickly hands a scroll tube to the Halfling. Trang is smiling, because only one person he knows of fits that description: Master Choh. [...] but what would Master Choh be doing this far from his monastery? And how did he get here? And where was he now?
The note reads:
Return to the monastery when you feel you have mastered the art of Wu Dang.
Return again when you have learned to think as the dragon thinks.
Return again when you have learned the name of the North Wind, and of his brother, the West Wind.
Return again when you have learned the name of the South Wind, and of her sister, the East Wind.
Only then will you have the wisdom to welcome the seasons of change, and learn the mystery of the Five Flowers, whose petals are drifting eternally upon the winds of time.
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The innkeeper also says that he found this bundle by the front door earlier this morning. He produces a blanket-wrapped bundle, which contains a large, Darkwood composite longbow, and an empty arrow quiver. "There was a note with the bundle, and I took the liberty of reading it, so that I could identify its intended recipient. Please forgive me." The innkeeper hands the note and the bundle to Jonwaine.
Jonwaine's Note Reads:
Hello again, my friend. My eyes have never left you, though you have travelled far. I see that you've fallen into company with my adopted grandson, Osprey. This is a good thing; he is brash, but he is also intuitive and brave. He will not lead you astray. He is a valuable ally for you to have.
I am sending you two things to help you on your quest. I know of the dangers that you are preparing to face, so I thought you should be better equipped than you currently are; this Darkwood bow was the first thing that I ever enchanted. It will always exceed your expectations.
The quiver, despite appearances, is not empty. It is magical. If you put it on, and reach for an arrow, you will find one. It holds 60 arrows within its confines. After that, you'll need to refill it. Ask your new friend, the potion brewer, to help you. He can tell you how to do it.
As for me, I have not forgotten you, nor have I forgotten your mentor, Selgar. Your mentor still lives, but he is in grave danger. I am close to discovering his whereabouts. I will contact you again when I know more. In the meantime, do your best, stick close to your friends, and hone your skills, because there is a battle coming, young Jonwaine, and you must be prepared for it.
Yours in service,
Uncle Nelson
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Patchwall 9, CY 963, Continued:
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DM NOTE: Several things happened on Patchwall 8 that affect today: 1) Chatrilon Unosh was not at the Inn when the party arrived; he was busy carrying out Dunrat's orders to assassinate Karlun (the miller) and his wife. After sinking the bodies into the river, he laid low for the rest of the night, and was therefore unable to return to the Inn until this morning. 2) After a brief argument with Vesta, around 12:30 in the afternoon, Maridosen gets fired from her employment at the Inn. Maridosen warns Master Dunrat that the party has gone to the moathouse. However, since Chatrilon was nowhere to be found, she was unable to inform him of this. 3) After being warned by Maridosen, Master Dunrat sends Chenasi out to the moathouse to investigate. Chenasi arrives at the moathouse just in time to see the party deal with the blue dragon. Chenasi hides in the upper ruins, waiting for the party to come back out. When the party leaves, she enters the dungeon, to see if any cultists remain; she warns Geynor about the party's strength, and Geynor in turn uses a Sending scroll to warn Dunrat. Afterwards, Geynor and Chenasi begin making preparations to defend the moathouse when the party returns.
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Shortly after receiving the bundle and the note from Ostler (the innkeeper,) the party notices Chatrilon, as he walks into the Inn, grumbling to his friend Grune about how quiet it is in this town, and about how all of the talk about trouble at the moathouse is a bunch of hogwash... (Chatrilon and Grune were both at the Miller's, and haven't been warned. They are playing their part as "disgruntled adventurers," trying to discourage others from going out there.) As the two walk into the room, Derrith notices their evil auras (Detect Evil); the Paladin stares at them intently for about 24 seconds, attempting to read the details of their auras. DM NOTE: (Sense Motive Check to read aura details, DC 25: Roll = 19, Plus 6 = 25, Success.) The lingering taint of murder hangs heavily upon both of them, like a foul, dark cloak.
Derrith whispers to Mavet, "Those two have the blood of innocents on their hands. They reek of murder most foul."
Mavet approaches Grune, who is standing next to Chatrilon, and asks, point blank, wearing a wide, mischievous grin: "So, who did you guys just finish murdering?" This statement is the catalyst for the start of a very bloody fight. Mid-way through the fight, Maridosen, Nierethi, and Vacra arrive, having intended to warn Chatrilon. They join the battle against the party, making the situation even more volatile. In the end, the party prevails. Chatrilon is saved from death's door by Prince Derrith, who wants to ensure that he stands trial and hangs for his misdeeds. Grune, Maridosen, and Nierethi are killed, and Vacra is rendered unconscious by Osprey, who later takes her to Burne for questioning. Reluctantly, Vacra reveals that the cultists remaining in town have already been warned of the party's activities, and are holed up in the Grove of Hommlet, and will be well-prepared for a confrontation. She also says that the remaining cultists in the moathouse will be ready for them as well, confirming what the party had already surmised earlier. Burne places magical manacles upon Vacra that prevent her from casting spells, and locks her in the keep's jail, along with Chatrilon, who is in the adjacent cell. Both are likely to hang.
Wasting no time, the party rushes to the Grove, where Vacra's words prove true; the three remaining cultists lie in wait for them. They are: Jaroo The Doppelganger, Master Dunrat, and Toridan The Cruel. The ensuing battle is intense, bloody, and quick. When the smoke clears, several of the party are wounded, but the cultists lie dead, having run out of luck and friends. After the battle, the party discovers the corpse of the young druid, Yundi, behind the grove altar. Yundi had apparently discovered their deception, and was silenced for it.
Battle in the grove!
Both of these battles occurred in the late morning hours of Patchwall 9; the battle with Chatrilon occurred around 9:00 am, and the interrogation of Vacra took a little more than an hour; the battle with Jaroo and his cronies occurred around 10:15 am. The party decides to rest and regroup for the remaining time left to them on this day; in the morning, at sunrise, they will set out for the moathouse, where they expect a terrible battle, one whose victory could cost them dearly if they are not careful.
Patchwall 10, CY 963:
Burne stops the party as they are about to depart this morning; as a reward for rooting out the cultists in his town, Burne shares a secret with the party; Burne, a powerful wizard in his own right, is the apprentice of a powerful Arch Mage by the name of Bardulok The Faithful, who lives nearby in the city of Verbobonc. Bardulok has created 4 permanent Teleportation Circles for Burne, in a special chamber inside Burne's fortress; one of which goes to the common room of the Greyhawk Mage Guild, another which goes to the common room of the Verbobonc Mage Guild, and the last two of which go to places that Burne felt he might need to return to one day: The Great Hall of the Moathouse, and the northern stretch of road that leads to the hamlet of Nulb (about 300 yards north-northwest of the main bridge.)
Burne says that the party can make use of the Moathouse and Nulb circles for free, virtually anytime they wish, because their actions serve the good of the town. He says that the other two circles may be used at a cost of 100 gp. per person, per trip. [Total for whole party: 700 gp. per trip.] All trips through the circles are one-way, i.e., there are no circles at the destination areas that permit a return trip. All of the circles are keyed to the voices of either Bardulok or Burne, so one of the wizards must be present for the circles to be used. Unlike the standard Teleportation Circle spell, simply standing on one of the circles is not enough to activate it; a command word must be spoken by a keyed voice (either Bardulok or Burne.)
The party takes Burne up on his offer; they use the Moathouse circle to instantly teleport to the Great Hall, where a grand surprise awaits them: they appear in the MIDST of ambush preparations by the Moathouse Cultists! The head priest (Festrath) and his remaining two acolytes (Chenasi, and Geynor) are in the midst of directing the placement of traps, and the preparation of troops. The combined force at the command of the three clerics includes: Garrik (Gnoll Ranger), Ysslansh (Troglodyte Cleric), 6 Gnoll warriors, 1 large skeleton, and 6 medium skeletons. As the party appears, Festrath is saying to the Gnolls, "Remember, each of you only has 1 poison crossbow bolt, so make it count! We'll use the skeletons as a distraction, while all of you make use of the invisibility potions that Chenasi gave--What th--? THEY'RE HERE!!"
The fight that ensues is terrible and bloody, but thanks to the cultists having no warning of their approach, the party begins the battle with the advantage of surprise. The fight lasts for almost 3 full minutes (28 rounds!) during which time, multiple spells are exchanged, arrows and crossbow bolts fly prolifically, and the power of the sun (via Del Tan) turns 7 skeletons to dust! There is even an aerial engagement, when Festrath attempts to gain the upper hand through the use of a Potion of Flying; he is surprised to find that Del Tan is more than he appears! Del Tan lets the illusion from the Hat of Disguise fade, as he spreads his angelic wings, and takes flight, bringing the wrath of Rah down upon Festrath in the form of his enchanted Heavy Mace! In the end, the party prevails, some of them the worse for wear, but none of them sustaining anything akin to a serious injury. All of the enemies are killed, save one: Chenasi is felled by an arrow from Jonwaine, who then rushes to her side, removing the arrow, and packing the wound with herbs, stabilizing her, so that she doesn't die. The party now has another prisoner to interrogate, once they get back to town.
A search of the upper floor of the ruins turns up a wagon, with 4 draft horses hitched to it, filled with foodstuffs, clothing, and blankets. It appears that the cultists intended to abandon the Moathouse, once their ambush had been laid. The party decides to make use of the wagon, by removing the clothes and blankets, and filling the wagon with the confiscated equipment from the Gnolls and Cultists. Among the items taken as spoils is a collection of parchments which appears to be a make-shift journal of one of the clerics. [DM NOTE: Gave players the Geynor Ton handout.]
After spending an hour or two tidying up the site, the party sets out on the wagon, headed for Hommlet. There are no encounters on the road, and the party reaches the safety of Hommlet's borders at about 4 pm, about two and a half hours before sunset.
Moathouse ambush!
After returning to Hommlet, the party rests for the remainder of the day.
Patchwall 11, CY 963:
In the early morning (around 9 am) Mavet walks over to the shop, and buys 70 gp. worth of components from Spugnoir (100 gp. worth, but with a 30% discount) and begins the ritual to summon his familiar, a Great Horned Owl. He sits quietly in the rear courtyard of Burne's fortress, near the flower garden. He has plenty of rations and waterskins handy, knowing that he will be sitting in the same spot for quite some time.
The rest of the party spends the day bathing, memorizing spells, washing clothes, cleaning and polishing armor, and last but not least, sharpening and oiling weapons.
Patchwall 12, CY 963:
At the 24-hour mark (around 9:30 am) Mavet's owl comes to him, looking somewhat flustered to be having to putter around during daylight hours. However, the familiar forms an instant bond with its new master, and Mavet spends an hour or so talking to and getting to know his new companion.
At around 11 am, a Human Monk arrives in Hommlet, looking for the party. He introduces himself as Brother Tai, and asks the party to join him in a special ceremony. The party agrees; Brother Tai and the other party members hold hands in a circle, as Brother Tai activates a magical ring, which teleports him and the entire party over 1,000 miles away, to the hilltop where The Monastery of the Four Winds stands. This is the monastery that Trang Windborne studied at, and Master Choh, his old Sensei, is there to greet him.
Master Choh says that he has been watching Trang though the eyes of the Hawk and of the Eagle, and talking to the Four Winds, who told him all of the things that they had heard Trang say. Master Choh says that Trang has done well, and has mastered the basics of Wu Dang; during a special ceremony that takes about 30 minutes to complete, Master Choh awards Trang the Blackbelt of Five Flowers (Belt, Monk's, 3.5 DMG pp. 248.) After the ceremony, the party attends a banquet in Trang's honor which lasts about an hour. After saying their goodbyes, Master Choh allows them to step through his Mirror of Mental Prowess, back into the rear courtyard of Burne's fortress. At about 12:30 pm, the party arrives back in Hommlet, with the better part of the day still in front of them.
Mavet and Osprey discuss what is to be done next, and both of them agree that the dungeon beneath the Moathouse should be fully explored before they leave it behind. The rest of the party is also in agreement with this conclusion. Therefore, the party uses the teleport pad in Burne's fortress to teleport back to the Moathouse. By the time they have gathered their equipment, informed Burne of where they are going, and teleport to the Moathouse, it is around 1:00 pm in the afternoon.
The party explores the dungeon for almost an hour, going slowly, and searching every nook and cranny for secret doors, before getting to the point where they had previously been forced to leave; they explore beyond that point, carefully proceeding down a long corridor, when they are suddenly ambushed by a lone straggler; a Ghast who had been ordered by Geynor Ton to guard that particular corridor at all costs. The Ghast gets the jump on almost everyone, except the sharp-eyed Del Tan, who lays him low with the power of the sun, turning him to dust with a single word before he can attack even once.
A ghastly surprise!
After the encounter, the party discovers the abandoned barracks where the clerics were sleeping, and finds a forgotten chest. Mavet attempts to smash the chest open, an unwise move which triggers a Glyph of Warding (Acid Splash) which not only burns himself and Osprey, but also ends up destroying 3 of the 5 potions inside the chest! After a spot of minor healing, Mavet and Osprey are none the worse for wear, and the party prepares to move onward...
Patchwall 12, CY 963:
After the Ghoul is dealt with, the party decides to explore the West passage. Mavet sends his owl down the corridor as an advance scout; the owl fails to notice another lurking Ghoul, and falls prey to an ambush. Mavet grabs his chest, gasping as he feels the intense pain that had rendered his familiar unconscious. "My owl!" he exclaims. No sooner than the words have left his lips, Teedi charges down the passageway, determined to rescue Mavet's familiar!
Luckily, the owl, though unconscious and in critical condition, is still alive, and Teedi is quickly on the scene, ready to defend the helpless creature against the evil beast.
Teedi makes quick work of the first Ghoul, as four more emerge from the darkness that fills this enormous room. The rest of the party rushes to assist Teedi, arriving in time to see Teedi dispatch the Ghoul that had ambushed Mavet's owl.
The party engages the remaining Ghouls; Jonwaine lays one Ghoul low with two, well-placed arrows. The remaining Ghouls are turned to dust, as Del Tan invokes the power of Rah.
Del Tan lays hands upon the owl, and restores it to full health with the power of Rah. The party discovers that this large room is actually a crypt, which is connected to a series of roughly dug tunnels, where many more Ghouls likely lie in wait.
Rather than fighting possibly dozens more Ghouls, the party decides to return to the corner intersection, and explore the stairway to the south. At the bottom of the stairs and around the right-side corner, the party discovers a medium sized room, with a 20-foot diameter pit in its center. Hanging over the pit is a 10-foot diameter wooden platform, suspended from the ceiling by four ropes, and a pulley system. Somewhere below, in the pit, the sound of rushing water can be heard.
A large pit fills the room.
After some unwise experimentation by Jonwaine, the party discovers that without proper planks to place over the gap, jumping to the platform is risky, since it is not very stable, despite the ropes from which it is suspended. Luckily, Jonwaine manages to keep his balance, and does not fall into the pit.
In an effort to examine the pit, Mavet jumps onto the platform, and casts a Light spell on the bottom of the platform, creating a huge spotlight that beams light down into the large crevasse below.
The spotlight reveals much to the party; the waterfall can be seen, falling down onto a HUGE, spike-shaped obelisk, the top of which is about 40 feet below the edge of the pit.
To the side of the obelisk, another pulley platform can be seen. The party decides that four people (all that will fit comfortably on the platform) will lower themselves down onto the top of the obelisk, and examine the second pulley platform, with the intention of seeing how far down the second platform goes.
As the party members are jumping across to the platform, a mishap occurs; Teedi misses her jump check! Thankfully, a successful Reflex save allows her to grab the platform at the last minute, and pull herself up to safety... minus her magical Trident, which plummets into the cavern below!
Undaunted, Teedi says she will continue as planned, although she doesn't plan to leave until her trident is retrieved.
The four party members lower themselves downward, toward the top edge of the massive obelisk. The lower the platform gets, the colder the ambient temperature; Prince Derrith can feel a sense of foreboding, like an icy claw enveloping his heart. He decides to Detect Evil, hoping to be alerted as to the presence of enemies; what he gets is an overwhelming presence of evil, emanating from the obelisk. The evil presence overwhelms Derrith's senses, rendering him unconscious.
As the party nears the top of the obelisk, a Grell quietly descends upon them from an unseen location near the roof of the cavern. catching nearly all of the party members on the platform by surprise! Only Teedi is fast enough to react, although she can do almost nothing until the fiend draws closer; therefore, Teedi reaches down and draws Derrith's sword from its scabbard, determined to defend the unconscious knight, intending to strike when the Grell's main body comes within range. The Grell's long, spindly tentacles lash out, but fortunately, with the exception of Mavet, who gets stung twice, the Grell's tentacles prove largely ineffective, unable to penetrate Teedi's armor, nor catch the elusive Trang, who dodges the tentacles with practised efficiency.
Luckily, Mavet's wounds are not serious, and the Grell's neurotoxins fail to take hold on him.
At precisely the same moment, Jonwaine, still in the room above, looks down to see the Grell gliding downwards toward the party. The Grell's bulbous backside is facing Jonwaine, providing him an excellent opportunity to fell the beast with two, well-placed arrows; and that is exactly what he does. The Grell shudders as the two arrows thud into its squishy body, and falls straight onto the unconscious Paladin, bruising him slightly from the impact of its mass.
Teedi stabs the unconscious fiend with the Paladin's sword, and flings it off of Derrith, past the edge of the platform, onto the black surface of the obelisk... the Grell, which still possessed a glimmer of life, even after being shot twice and stabbed, opens its eyes in pain, screaming horribly as the black surface drains away its remaining life force, leaving only a gray, shriveled husk. It is a most fortunate event, for it illustrates quite clearly to the party the dangers of stepping off of the platform.
After such a harrowing ordeal, the party decides to ascend once more to the safety of the room. On the way up, Derrith regains consciousness, and Mavet notices that the waterfall, which seems to flow from a small, circular hole in the cavern wall, starts out pure and clear, but becomes a murky, greenish-purple color as it splashes onto the Eastern edge of the obelisk, and falls into the cavern below.
Del Tan decides to fly down alone, and explore the bottom of the chasm. Del Tan returns after a few minutes, and tells the party that Teedi's trident is in a pool of the foul, tainted water, which is about two inches deep. Del Tan says that he suspects that even that small depth of the tainted water would prove deadly to anyone who put their hand in it.
He also says that the reason that the pool isn't any deeper, despite the constant flow from the waterfall above, is because of the presence of a myriad of deep cracks in the floor, into which the water drains. The flow from above is only slightly faster than the drainage rate, hence the shallow depth of the pool.
After considering many options, and attempting roughly half of them over the course of two days, the party manages to plug the hole, albeit in a crude fashion; the water still flows, but it has gone from a rush, to a trickle, and the water no longer strikes the obelisk.
Patchwall 14, CY 963:
Del Tan says that even though the water has drained, the trident still has the tainted water clinging to it. Del Tan says that with Derrith's help, he will try to cast Bless Water on the trident. But doing so will mean that Del Tan will have to touch the trident; Del Tan is not sure if the water will poison him before the spell neutralizes it. He tells Derrith to be ready to pull him to safety if something goes awry.
Del Tan carries Derrith down to the bottom of the chasm, and casts the spell. He touches the trident; at once, the spell purifies not only the water clinging to the trident, but all of the water immediately around the weapon in a one-foot radius.
However, Del Tan is correct about the effectiveness of the tainted water; as he touches the trident, he feels a searing pain shoot through his body. However, his supreme fortitude protects him from the ill effects, and he escapes serious harm. Del Tan picks up the trident with a smile, holding it up above his head triumphantly. The party is too far above him to be able to see his gesture of victory, but Derrith shoots a wry grin in Del Tan's direction, saying, "Well done, my friend."
Del Tan gives the trident to Derrith to hold, and flies him back to the safety of the upper room. The party leaves the dungeon, and heads back to Hommlet. It is approximately 11 o'clock in the morning on Patchwall 15, CY 963, when the party returns to the inn for a well-deserved rest.
Patchwall 16, CY 963:
At about 8 am, the party pays Burne his 700 gp. fee for a one-way trip to the Greyhawk Mage Guild, via his teleport circle.
Once in the guild, Osprey uses his spare key to gain access to Delbin's laboratory; inside the lab, Osprey locks the door once more, and lifts the velvet cover off of Delbin's Mirror of Mental Prowess. Osprey activates the mirror, and speaks a secret command word, which is keyed to Ellis Kvar's fortress. Once inside the fortress, the party has an audience with the Heirophant Druid, and tells him of the obelisk's existence, as well as describing its exact location. Osprey says that he doubts even Ellis himself could destroy the evil artifact, but he does believe it to be within Ellis' power to seal the cavern, to prevent its further use by cultists in the future.
Ellis says, "Young one, you are wise beyond your years; thank you for bringing this to my attention. It may take some time to devise a seal powerful enough to contain such an enormous battery of evil, but I am sure that it can be done. But despite my skill with magic, all my powers would have been for naught, if you and your brave fellows hadn't discovered the obelisk's location."
Ellis treats the party to a seven-course meal (Almuerzo, the big luncheon,) and then allows them the use of his mirror to return instantly to Hommlet. By the time all of this transpires, and the party is back at the inn, it is 11:30 in the morning.
