Adventuring Parties Shadow Over Ovenica (Beacons of Sunlight) Horror Under Mosshall Miscellaneous 841AGW 4/6 841AGW 7/6 After coming together through mutual interest in the recent rumors of undead in the area, a small adventuring party enters the town of Mosshall    to investigate some suspicious activity. Darren Brawnbeard the Dwarf, Twilla Evengate the Aasimar, Rodrick Algard the Half Elf, and Ariaseis (AKA: Ari) the Tiefling, meet on the road to Mosshall . After some small talk they discover they are all looking into the recent rumors that undead beings are being sighted around Prathia hold. After speaking with Father Luin, one of the town's priests, they learned that in recent weeks bodies had been disappearing from their crypt. The town's senior priest, Father Adam, stayed the night in the crypt a few days before their arrival but Father Luin found him the next morning pale and babbling and unable to speak of what he saw. The group decided to investigate the crypt immediately. Inside they discover that the crypt is actually a small portion of an ancient dwarven ruin that the town is using to house their dead. The corpses of dwarves that were originally housed there had been removed at some point long ago. Sure enough, upon investigation, the group found evidence of a lot of activity in the crypt. Delving deeper down they discovered a recently dug series of tunnels along with a group of skeletons and a ghoul that were bundling up corpses and carrying them out of the crypt. Luckily the group was able to stop the removal of any more bodies by destroying the undead beings in a hard fought skirmish; during which Twilla and Darren were slain. Rodrick and Ari hastily rushed the bodies of their slain comrades back to Father Adam who was able to revive them in time. Rodrick had recovered a small slip of paper from the ghoul with a letter on one side and a crude map on the other. With an ever growing mystery on their hands and a new lead, the group set off right away to make up some time, following the map as best they could. Troubles on the Road Miscellaneous 841AGW 7/6 841AGW 8/6 Though they have a map pointing the way, the journey north towards their goal is anything but simple. The group crosses paths with a Giant, discovers a terrible corruption, and makes a new ally at the site of a grisly massacre. The first night after leaving town Rodrick notices a strange sight during the midnight watch. A large boulder lay on the opposite side of the road where previously there was nothing. Quickly and quietly alerting the team they approach the boulder only to discover it is one of the Lesser Giants, and they've just woken it up. Angry at having its rest disturbed the giant goes on the attack. Initially ready to face this challenge, the group quickly discovers that their weapons do nothing against the giant. In a last ditch effort to save themselves, Rodrick offers the giant information. He tells him where Mosshall is and that he's sure the town would be happy to feed the giant. Curiosity piqued, the giant takes one of the groups oxen, as well as the groups guide, and heads off towards the town. Shaken, but otherwise alright the group beds down again for the night. The next day the group comes across a grisly sight. The aftermath of a hanging, with the hanged corpse disemboweled and hoisted just above the path. After cutting the body loose and pulling a sword from another corpse that had been impaled to the tree, the group discovered a path of footprints and a trail of blood leading into some long grass. Following the trail they discovered that the long grass was filling a strange crevasse, and the deeper they went into the the taller the grass was until it was nearly the height of trees. During the walk they were attacked by animated vine but were able to defeat them without much trouble. At the bottom of the crevasse the group found the source of the problem: a large, aberrant creature was festering at the bottom of a mudhole. The monster spoke no words but managed to drag two of the group into the pit before it was destroyed. From the middle of the beast the group pulled its heart, but so far it seems to not have very much special about it. The end of the day brought them to a horrific scene. A large group of people had been gathered up and killed, their bodies placed on pikes in neat rows at the side of the road. Here they discovered a half-elf named Jurita, Priest of the Angels of Iron and a devotee of The Pilgrim. She explained that she was on her pilgrimage but stopped to give these poor souls a proper funeral. The group decided to help her and together they built pyres for the bodies. They spent the night camped across the road (and Rodrick spent the night with Jurita in her tent). The following day they asked Jurita to join them in their travels. She obliged when they mentioned they were hunting undead. Into the Woods Miscellaneous 841AGW 9/6 841AGW 11/6 With Jurita in tow, the group decides to leave the path and head off road in order to better follow the map they have. The group continues on their journey, taking their new companion with them. Eventually they realize that if they are to keep following the map exactly they will need to leave the road and head towards an abandoned church Darren knows of. After some deliberation they decide to leave their cart on the side of the road but take the remaining Ox with them through the woods towards the abandoned church. The woods prove to be smaller than they imagined and soon they find themselves on an open grassland with a few copses of trees scattering the landscape. As the sun begins to set they notice what appears to be a large bird off in the distance. The following day they spot the creature again and, that night, decide it's better to be safe than sorry, and make camp in one of the copses to stay hidden. During the night they are attacked by a pair of Griffons looking for an easy meal. The battle is short and one of the Griffons is slain while the other flies away with severe wounds. The group collect a few trophies from the fallen Griffon and return to their beds intent on making it to the abandoned church the following day. An Ancient Place Miscellaneous 841AGW 12/6 841AGW 14/6 The party comes across a new ally, and discovers a secret beneath a crumbling temple to The Mother. As the party awakens from their rest, they are greeted by a half elf wearing the robes of the Angels of Iron. She introduces herself as Sage, a holy champion devoted to The Scholar. She is scouring the land for important texts, historical or religious, and had also decided to investigate the rumors of undead which have been spreading over the land. The party agrees to her joining them and together they continue on their journey. As they travel they are accosted by some unseen beings who become a general nuisance for Darren, but otherwise do no harm. The temple of The Mother proves to be an interesting find. The twenty feet that remain of the tower is discovered to be hundreds of years old. It is unusual for such a temple to be built and dedicated directly to The Mother instead of to The Prophet or The Seraph. Atop the tower they discover the griffon which attacked them a few days ago but is currently sitting calmly, the presence of The Mother keeping it docile. The party's exploration uncovers a secret stairwell leading to a crypt below the tower. Within the crypt is contained the bodies of four ancient heroes, but also a sinister threat. Skull spiders and Ferine Vampires (as described in Vampires of the Material Plane) lie in wait for them. The battle is short however and the monsters are quickly dispatched. Twilla discovers the corpse of a woman clutching a cloth stitched with the insignia of House Daemon, an old noble house with only one surviving member. Additionally the party discovers many magical items which have been laid to rest with the ancient heroes. As per tradition, the items are considered available to heroes of the faith who need them. Darren and Sage explain that it is not considered grave robbing and the party takes what they can. They settle in for the night, going over the discoveries of the day, and looking forward to what the next few days will bring. A Grave Concern Arises Miscellaneous 841AGW 15/6 841AGW 20/6 After traveling north to the marked location on their small map, the group discovers a horrifying infestation in ancient dwarven ruins. The journey north proves relatively simple, the groups largest problem being the river between them and their goal. A day of work and a night of rest by the riverside gives them enough time to build a small raft to carry them across. During the night however they fish a severed head out of the river, and discover it has a hole in the back of its neck similar to the corpses speared on pikes where they met Jurita. Deciding to interrogate it they discover the existence of a man in a pale green cloak who is doing this. The next morning they find that the head has reanimated and, suspicions confirmed, they destroy it. Traveling across the river proves simple enough and at midday they arrive at their destination. An old dwarven mausoleum, within which Darren Brawnbeard discovers the ashes of one of his ancestors. Unfortunately the area had previously been desecrated but Darren quickly remedies this by performing a small ceremony to clean it of evil energy. Once consecrated the group descends through a dirt tunnel which leads them to a series of dug tunnels beneath the crypt. They discover undead of all sorts, and destroy them, as well as a few Ferine Vampires along the way. They learn of the Canticle of the Profane and of the man in green robes who seems to be organizing the events they have experienced so far. At the end of the tunnels they discover the man in green robes: Radulos Deathbloom, a druid who has long since abandoned his order. Twilla recognizes him as one of her own order. They engage in battle with him and some Ferine Vampires guarding him, and ultimately come out on top and destroy them. While gaining some interesting magical items, the most interesting they discover is a piece of the Canticle being used by Radulos to aid him in his necromancy. The Grasp of Death is taken by Rodrick and the group leaves the crypt ready to head on to Duskview. An Unexpected Guest Miscellaneous 841AGW 21/6 841AGW 25/6 While traveling to Duskview trying to decide what to do with the Grasp of Death, the party is viseted by the last person they expected to see. A few days after the party killed Radulos Deathbloom and took The Grasp of Death they awoke to find their campsite had a visitor. Dressed in simple, but well made clothes, and carrying no weapons was Lord Idris Daemon. He spoke with them, told them who he was and said he was looking for a friend. After some discussion the party realized that Lord Daemon was the "good friend" Radulos had spoken of. Unsure of what to do they let Lord Daemon walk away, but before he could leave completely Darren Brawnbeard called him back and kicked off a fight. At first, Lord Daemon proved untroubled by the party, resisting blows that would have brought lesser men low. More quickly than he expected, however, the party began to gain the upper hand. He realized this and tried to change tactics, revealing himself to be a vampire, but it was too late. Darren landed the final hit and defeated him. His formed turned to mist and vanished across the mountains towards his castle. The party celebrated a hard fought victory and continued on their journey, looking forward to a bed and a good night's rest in the town of Duskview. An Ill Fitting Grave Life, Death 841AGW 25/6 841AGW 26/6 After saving the people of Duskview from an undead attack, the party delves into a nearby ruin, making a tenuous alliance before it collapsed suddenly resulting in the death of three members of the party. When the party arrives in Duskview they have little time to rest as the tavern is almost immediately assaulted by a large group of undead. Though the threat is quelled quite easily, the party is hired to deal with the threat at it's source. They rest for the night. In the morning they gather a few supplies and head out to the ruin. As they look around the entrance of the ruin Rodrick used his arcane eye to look for invisible things and discovered the party was being watched by an invisible creature. He called it out and the creature became visible. After a tense confrontation the party decided to delve into the ruin with the creature. A few rooms into the ruin, the party decided they've had enough and turned on the creature. It proved more powerful than anticipated however and, after a brief fight, was forced to transform into its true form: a Dracolich. The fight was hard and eventually the Dracolich was defeated, but not without casualty. When the dust settled Rodrick, Twilla and Darren lay still and dead on the cold stone floor. Ari and Sage grabbed the bodies of their friends and quickly left the ruin to decide what to do next. Quest Fulfilled and a New Goal Sighted Miscellaneous 841AGW 27/6 841AGW 5/7 The party buries their dead, and meets three new people who join them. Upon leaving the tomb, Ari and Sage take a moment to catch their breath. While they pause, the body of Darren begins to glow and is lifted into the air. Descending from above is an angelic being dressed in runic armor with two large white wings. She introduces herself as Azarelle, and says she has been tasked by The Champion to guard the party from harm until Darren is fit to return, or decides not to. The three make their way back to town and rest for the night. In the morning, Sage goes to Theodemon to ask him to prepare a burial ceremony for Twilla and Rodrick. While she is doing that, Ari and Azarelle meet two travelers in the tavern: Kaedwyn, a Red Dragonborn who introduces himself as a Jager working for The League of the Eye, and Marcelline, a Firbolg druid, in town to look for her sister Twilla. The party breaks the news of Twilla's death to Marcelline and together they attend the burial ceremony. After some brief deliberation, the new and old party members decide to band together and wipe out the threat in the ruin once and for all. They descend the stairs once more, defeating an Ootyugh, more skeletons, and finally the rest of the Cultists, along with the undead Giant they had recently created. They learn that the Changeling Kaedwyn has been following recently left this place and headed over the mountains through The Giant's Pass. The threat eliminated, the town of Duskview thanks them profusely. The party rests a few days, gathering supplies then heads out making their way to the base of The Restless Hills, intent on braving The Giant's Pass. Bounty Found Miscellaneous 841AGW 6/7 841AGW 20/8 The party travels across The Restless Hills locating Roc and fulfilling Kaedwyn's bounty. As the party begins their journey through the mountain pass Marcelline's emotions get the better of her. She feels she has undertaken a task greater than she expected and departs to bring Twilla back to her family for a burial at home. The party continues on down the path for some time. Along the way they meet Cyrus, a half elf who says they're traveling to Daemon Keep to deliver a package. After a brief discussion they decide to join up with the party for the sake of safety in numbers. After over a month of travel through the mountains, braving sheer cliffs and hunting for their food, the party finally discover the trail of Roc, and it seems that he has a Giant with him. Together, they track the Changeling to a hidden crevasse within the mountain where he's been camping. They find him speaking with an illusion of Lord Idris Daemon before jumping the Changeling. After a brief fight with both Roc, and the Young Lesser Giant who was with him, the two are defeated. Roc is interrogated for information, and the party learns that Lord Daemon is planning to bring together the three pieces of The Canticle of the Profane, though he doesn't know why. He tells them of Daemon's three generals, The Dragon, The Necromancer, and The Unholy Warrior. He also disclosed that Daemon already has The Bleeding heart. When he gave up all the information he had, Kaedwyn ended his life, removing his head as proof of bounty. An Unpleasant Host Miscellaneous 841AGW 31/8 841AGW 1/9 After arriving in Daemon Keep, the party makes an unsettling discovery and blows their cover. The party arrives in Daemon Keep and finds the place entirely unsettling. Non of the buildings have doors, there are no children playing in the streets (or seen anywhere), all the dogs in town appear to be wolves. When Azarelle stepped into the herbalist shop to look for supplies she found all the herbs in the store were of most use doping or killing. As they headed towards the keep itself Sage called on The Scholar and extended her senses. He showed her that every person she passed in that town was an undead being, and the party realized they might have gotten in over their head. The Keep itself they found surrounded in a thick, soupy fog. Though they gained entry without issue and Cryus was able to make their delivery. As they were deciding what to do Lord Daemon appeared, seemingly surprised to see new people in his home he invited them to stay for the night. The party agreed and were given rooms to sleep and get dressed for dinner. After brief discussion of what to do the party decides to use one room for sleeping. They get ready and go downstairs for dinner. Nervous that the food has been poisoned, Azarelle subtly analyzes it and discovers that it is poisoned. Quickly making an excuse regarding allergies she convinces Lord Daemon and has him remove the food, going to the kitchen to supervise the creation of more. Upon her return the party chats with Lord Daemon and he ends up Charming Azarelle with his Vampiric ability. While the party is having dinner a man breaks into their room discovering Ari. It turns out the two have some history and the man, a tiefling named Skaemon, says he's now working for Daemon. He's smuggling something to Ossetia in the morning. Ari eventually gets him to leave and Skaemon disappears into the night. After the rest of the group retires he holds Azarelle back and discovers from her that they were the ones who killed Roc, and cleared out the necromancer ruin in Duskview. Azarelle eventually heads to bed as well. Once she is sleeping, the rest of the party begin an investigation of the Keep. They discover a few things. They find Radulos Deathbloom in the library, somehow alive again. While Cyrus keeps Radulos busy Sage and Kaedwyn break into Lord Daemon's private study and, after some searching, discover a hidden door leading to a set of stairs that go down into a previously unknown basement. They also discover the dragon statue at the front of the Keep is a phylactery of some kind. Unfortunately, the arcane eye Kaedwyn was using to spy on Lord Daemon finished its duration and shortly after, Lord Daemon made his way into the Library. The two of them, Sage and Kaedwyn almost made it out quietly but Sage stumbled on her way out the window. Lord Daemon discovered the break in and set off after them, with Radulos close behind. Alerted to the happenings Azarelle and Ari joined in, Azarelle chasing after the "intruders" while Ari moved around to the statue and destroyed it with a fireball. As Lord Daemon turned his attention to her she cast a spell, commanding him to let her and her friends go. The spell seemingly worked and a very angry Lord Daemon stood by and did nothing while the party ran from his hold. (It was noted later that due to the spell cast, Lord Daemon was forced to stand in his doorway for eight hours straight before going after the Beacons of Sunlight). They ran all night, pausing only as the first few rays of sunlight began to filter through the trees, and they realized they had become lost in the woods. The Daughter of Daemon Miscellaneous 841AGW 1/9 841AGW 1/9 The party is attacked when they attempt to rest. Discovering that they had become completely lost, Azarelle took to the air to look around. Soon she was able to, not only discover the direction they needed to go, but also a hilltop nearby with a set of standing stones. After a quick discussion the party decided they needed to rest, and would do so on the hill. They discover the stones there to be magical, with an aura of abjuration. Azarelle uses a few spells to make some defences and the party goes to sleep with Cyrus' Familiar and Azarelle's homunculus keeping watch. They are awoken only a few hours later to discover a woman, carrying a large greatsword, standing outside the circle. She begins talking to them and they discover that she cannot enter the circle thanks to some kind of aura. She introduces herself as a Daughter of Daemon and draws her sword, its blood red blade gleaming in the sunlight. As she talks, and the party tries to figure out what to do, she begins attacking the pillars. Seeing no other option they party falls on her. A brief fight ensues and she realizes she's out of her weight class. She attempts to flee but just as she disappears into the woods magic from Cyrus and Azarelle shoot after her and bring her down. Azarelle chases her into the woods and finds her body. She grabs the sword and feels power flow through her. The party arrives moments later to find Azarelle standing above the fallen Daughter, holding the sword aloft and staring at it intensely. A Betrayal Revealed Miscellaneous 841AGW 2/9 841AGW 15/10 Arriving back in Duskview, the party finds a friendly face and a mystery to solve. The journey through the giant's pass is simple now that the party knows the way, though it still takes considerable effort. The party arrives back in Duskview on the fourteenth day of the tenth month. There they meet back up with Jurita and her companion Tauroth. The two have been in town waiting for the party as per Sage's request. After some catching up the party returns to town only to discover that in the past month several fishermen have gone missing. After some investigation of their own they initially suspect a pair of traders, Salizar and Grung, who sell exotic animals and animal parts. Deciding to put off more investigation until they can catch their breath the party settles for a rest in an abandoned watch tower that Jurita has been using. In the early hours of the morning, Jurita quietly wakes up Sage Brightwood to let her know that the Redfeathers had given her a mission, and she would need to leave immediately. Jurita went back into her tent as the rest of the party began to wake up. They noticed that the Grasp of Death that they had been carrying in armour imbued to hold items, was missing. Confused that someone would have been able to take it so easily while they slept Sage used a Locate spell in order to try and find it. The spell pointed directly at Jurita as she stepped out of her tent. In disbelief the party questioned her. Realizing she had been caught, Jurita pulled out the greatsword she had been carrying since they met her and upon seeing the blood red blade the party knew they had been betrayed. Jurita attacked with Consumption. During the fight, the corruption of Drain (held by Azarelle) finally took hold. Azarelle lost all sense of control and was driven to a frenzy. In a preemptive strike, Sage tried to bring her down but it only made her turn on the party. Just as the party thought they might lose a bolt of lightning struck the ground. When the smoke cleared there stood Darren Brawnbeard back from the dead! He cursed Azarelle and returned her to The Champion with a booming crack of thunder. As the tide turned, Jurita realized her time was up. She fought to the last breath, but was finally struck down by Sage and her flaming sword. As the rain poured down around them the party took a collective breath and welcomed Darren back into the fold. The Ziggurat Miscellaneous 841AGW 15/10 841AGW 26/10 Still reeling from Jurita's betrayal the party moves on in an attempt to locate The Library of Serenity and a way to destroy the Canticle of the Profane. After the sudden Betrayal of Jurita the party takes a couple days to collect themselves. During this time they prepare for the journey out to The Library of Serenity. They hire a half orc sailor named Orbul Darkhorn to assist in their trip. The journey to the island takes several days. Crossing Titan's Rest is no simple feat, but with the help of Orbul and some magic the party lands on the shores of an island east of Duskview. To their surprise, instead of the temperate climate they expected, the island is warm, tropical even. Though weird, the party decides to move forward, leaving Orbul to guard the boats. The trek through the jungle is mostly uneventful, though they do discover a statue carved to depict two twisting serpents. Finally, they arrive at their destination, a Ziggurat, guarded by a high wall. After some deliberation the party tackles the wall in separate ways ultimately alerting the enemies inside. The party engages in a fight with several snake/human hybrid creatures that they've never heard of before. Once dealt with, the party makes their way up the Ziggurat and climbs inside. Within they discover a short gauntlet of traps and puzzles that lead them to treasure and another fight. A group of the hybrid creatures guard a woman who looks nearly human, barring green scales around her eyes. After some discussion the group discovers that these snake creatures are called Yuan-ti, and they are the great enemy that nearly wiped out the Dwarves some thousand years ago. However, the woman seems to have her history mixed up as she is under the impression that the Yuan-ti were the winners and had stormed Kurleigh Castle those years ago. After some deliberation the party comes to the conclusion that when the enemy vanished, they were not destroyed but shunted into a separate dimension where they won, this Ziggurat seemingly a joining point between the two world. After a brief fight with a large Naga the party discovers a hidden room with treasure and a trident displayed decoratively on a coffin. Kedwyn attempts to take the trident and vanishes into thin air. The rest of the party gird themselves and follow after. The Library of Serenity Miscellaneous 841AGW 26/10 842AGW 9/4 The party arrives in The Library of Serenity and discovers an interesting creature. The trident transports the party to a cold cliffs edge. The cliff goes in both directions and connects on the other side. It drops down, the bottom nowhere in sight, as well as rising up disappearing into clouds. The party crosses a crumbling stone bridge as snow and cold wind whip all around them and approach a low castle like structure. Inside, the sound of the wind and snow cannot be heard. The party stands in a library, surrounded by shelves stuffed with books. Books are scattered all over the floor and on tables. After some investigation they discover The Librarian. A strange creature, unknown to them. It speaks with them, curious as to their intentions. It tells them that The Library of Serenity is filled with books that tell all of Ovenica's past. Thousands upon thousands of books detailing minute details of nearly every event in Ovenica, at least as far as the party can confirm. They tell The Librarian what they're looking for and it helps them find the right book. Though they don't learn much, they do learn that bringing the three Canticles together would give a brief moment where they could all be destroyed, though they are not excited about the prospect of doing that. When they got what they came for and begin looking for a way out The Librarian stops them, requesting that they stay forever. The party refuses and The Librarian becomes enraged, attacking them with so much positive energy that their bodies begin to tear under the strain. Minor mutations are left over in each party member granting them a unique ability, and finally they manage to destroy The Librarian... Collecting themselves, they learn that The Librarian was created by Bem and he left a kill switch for the Library in case it was ever needed. The party collects several books and flips the switch. They are shunted out of the demi-plane and back into Ovenica near Sage's hometown of Ossetia. And they see that it is burning. Osettia and Mosshall Saved Miscellaneous 842AGW 9/4 842AGW 29/5 The party takes some much needed rest before assaulting Sage Brightwood's hometown to clear it of undead. Exhausted from their battle with The Librarian, the party decides it would be foolhardy to charge into Ossetia. Instead they rest in a small hollow for a couple days to regain their bearings. When they are fully rested, the party charges into town. The village is overrun with undead, along with several bandits. After a brief skirmish they party discovers that the undead are being lead by an old friend of Ari's, a tiefling named Skaemon. He was hired by Lord Daemon to mobilize forces and take over the town, but after a discussion with the party, he agrees to leave. He tells them that Radulos is intending to attack Mosshall as well. The party mops up what's left of the undead, and make contact with Darren's cousin Adgard, before heading deep into the Black Fog Timberland in search of the town's residents. They find the townsfolk safe and sound but Sage learns that her parents had been taken captive by Lord Daemon's forces. Satisfied that the town will be able to rebuild, the party helps clean up a bit before heading off to Mosshall. The journey to the town where this adventure started is short, and on the way there the party decides on a group name "The Beacons of Sunlight". Mosshall is quiet when they arrive, but after a brief investigation, they discover the Mayor is in cahoots with Radulos. Though it's not obvious what the intention was, the Mayor skips town with poisoned bread Kedwyn had given him, as he thought the mayor seemed suspicious and cowardly. With an imminent threat on the horizon, the party begins preparing the townsfolk for an attack, and a week later, Radulos attacks. It is a vicious fight. Many townsfolk are killed but ultimately, and with the help of the giant Crolor the party had sent back to Mosshall many months ago, they are able to repel the attack and kill Radulos for the third time. The Beacons of Sunlight are showered with praise and gifts from the townsfolk, but the party has little time to waste. They learn Lord Daemon will be in Harwood Citadel for a religious festival, and they doubt his intentions are good. Saying their farewells, the party departs for Harwood Citadel. New Allies and Old Enemies Political event 842AGW 29/5 842AGW 3/7 While in Harwood Citadel to spy on Lord Daemon and what he's doing, the party nearly becomes embroiled in an assassination attempt on the life of Manoa Douglas and her wife. A meeting of religious leaders in the castle has turned into a full blown religious festival outside it. The normally quaint settlement has become a bustling hub of bodies. In an attempt to lie low, Cyrus locates room and board for the party with one of their smuggling contacts. While walking around the town, Cyrus also discovers their brother Anton has made the journey across the Allanora sea to be here. He invites the party to a dinner in the castle. During the dinner the party, disguised, eat across from Lord Daemon as well as Darren's hated Great Uncle Gulrig Brawnbeard. Darren manages to keep his cool the entire time. After the dinner, while people are dancing, Joi Douglas begins choking, shortly after Lord Daemon had left the room. She had been poisoned! With some clever tricks the party manages to slip out after Lord Daemon and track him down to the library where they fight and defeat him for the second time. Before the guards arrive and discover them in the burning Library, an elf woman named Valvaris arrives and leads them through a back door and into her private greenhouse; a pocket dimension attached to the castle. The Beacons of Sunlight rest here, and they learn that Lord Daemon was after a book: Vampires of the Material Plane. Seemingly he had hoped to destroy it but Valvaris had thought something was amiss and had hidden it away. The party graciously thanks her for the help. In a discussion with Darren, before the party leaves, Valvaris all but confirms a shocking piece of information: she is the being known only as The Lover. Once lifted to godhood to be with The Mother, now stripped of her powers which she used to fix the Cataclysm. The Beacons of Sunlight, backed by Valvaris, bring all the information they have to Manoa Douglas. She is shocked to learn of what's been happening in her lands under her watch and promises to send out soldiers to reinforce the larger settlements while searching through her ranks for any signs of treachery. With all their cards on the table, the party departs for Beachguard and takes a ship to land on the coast near Daemon Keep. The journey into the forest is short, and before long they find themselves standing on the borders of the village. The End of a Long Road Miscellaneous 842AGW 3/7 842AGW 4/7 The Beacons of Sunlight break into Daemon Keep to save Sage's parents and put Lord Daemon down once and for all. The Beacons of Sunlight meet up with three of Kedwyn's Jager friends who cause a distraction while the party moves up to the castle. Smashing through the doors they engage the vampire spawn within, saving Sage's parents and descending into the labyrinth below. Using The Librarian's gift, Darren smashes his way through the labyrinths walls and the party enters a chamber to find Radulos on the other side of a magically imbued glass wall. The necrobotanist has taken the steps to become a lich and gain true immortality. He steps through a portal and leaves the party to break down the glass. As the party goes through the portal after him they find themselves in a graveyard. Lord Daemon has magically altered The Bleeding Heart and used it to become an Exalted Vampire, a terrifying and monstrous form. The ensuing fight is difficult. A horde of undead descend on the party as Radulos blasts them with magic and Exalted Lord Daemon cuts through them like butter. In the end, the party pulls through. They destroy Radulos and, using the sword Consumption for the final blow, obliterate Lord Daemon completely. The party, exhausted but overjoyed at their success, make their way back to Daemon Keep and find the three Jagers bloodied but alive atop a pile of dead vampire spawn. Together they retrieve Sage's parents and a significant amount of loot from Lord Daemon's treasury. Ultimately believing that it would be too dangerous to attempt to destroy the Canticle of the Profane, The Beacons of Sunlight decide to sequester the pieces away from each other. Keeping secret their location and even their true number, in the hopes that no one will be able to try and bring the three together again. Sleeping Giants (The Shield of Basin) A Strange Beginning Miscellaneous 841AGW 4/6 841AGW 4/6 A mysterious mishap sends the group over the edge of a cliff and right into a heap of trouble. Kithu the Goliath, Orpheus the Half-Elf, and Ravos the Human had hired a covered wagon to take them down to Stonehill Keep when their driver was snatched from his seat by an unseen creature. With horse and cart careening through the swamp the team tried to take back control of the cart but were not able to do so in time enough to save the cart from falling into a deep ravine. After nursing some wounds the group began to take a look around. They discovered a pool at their end of the ravine with three unkempt men pacing back and forth mindlessly in front of it. From within the pool a creature spoke to them. It declared that they were trespassing in its sanctuary and wanted to know why the were there. After they explained it was a simple accident, the creature gave them information on how to escape the ravine. As they made their way away from the pool the caught glimpse of the creature and Kithu and Ravos knew it to be an Aboleth. The ravine was treacherous but the team battled frogs (big ones) and twig blights before finally coming to a small abandoned hut at the end. Inside they found the remains of a Hag as well as some magic items which they distributed. Emerging from the ravine they found themselves in the middle of the swamp with no idea on how to get out. As luck would have it they came across an old friend of theirs, Wilphose the Kenku, who was using the tall trees and soft ground of the swamp in his attempts to fly. Kithu had knowledge of a nearby village and together they traveled towards it. The group arrived in Basin just as darkness was settling around them. They were approached by the village elder, Emir, who offered them the barn to stay in for the night as well as hot food for a bit of coin. Without anywhere else to stay the group agrees. Emir's daughter Maria brings them food and drink and tells them that about a month ago the water they used for drinking turned sour and they've been having to collect rainwater to survive. She also informs them of three missing people; two hunters, and a woman named Mayda. After some deliberation the group decides to investigate the issue plaguing the town while also keeping an eye out for the missing people. Maria points them in the direction of a cave upriver of the pool they used to drink from and they decided to head out in the morning.   A Quiet Threat Miscellaneous 841AGW 5/6 841AGW 6/6 The group journey to the cave upriver in search of a solution to the sour water problem. Feeling refreshed the group heads out in search of the cave Maria spoke to them about. A couple hours walk upriver brings them to the cave mouth. Caution getting the better of them the group moves quietly into the cave and discovers it is the den of an owlbear. Since the cave goes deeper they decide it is better to kill the beast than risk having it creep up behind them. The fight is short and the owlbear is dispatched. They butcher it and discover it had killed and eaten something humanoid recently as it still has a hand in its stomach as well as a ruby ring. Deeper in the cave the group finds a deep pool with a rocky island at its center. On the island is a clean skull with a pearl attached to its forehead. Despite their best efforts to pick up the skull or remove the pearl they both remain in place until Kithu breaks the floor beneath it so that a piece of rock comes up still attached to the skull. Additionally the group discovers that Mayda has been stuck in this cave for nearly a week. She had a run in with the Aboleth which turned her skin transparent and made it so that she could not leave the water without being gravely injured. With some difficulty the group managed to get her home safely and deposit her in the pool by the town. Overjoyed to have her friend back Maria and Mayda talk while the group discusses the problem with Emir. They were unable to discover an actual reason for the souring of the water but believe they may be able to speak with the Aboleth again to see if it knows how the issue might be resolved. Unnerved at the mention of an Aboleth so close to his village Emir is nonetheless resolute on solving the problem. He agrees that talking to the Aboleth is the best course of action and he sends a courier pigeon to Stonehill Keep to ask for aid in fixing Mayda's condition. The group retires for the night and discusses their plans for the next day. The trip to the Aboleth's pool in the ravine is fairly short now that the group knows the way. They are undisturbed by the denizens of the ravine as they make their way towards the Aboleth's pool. With his silver tongue, Orpheus is able to convince the Aboleth to come speak with them. It discloses that the sour water is its doing, though not on purpose. It's mere presence alters the land around it and it is currently stuck in the swamp. It offers to leave if they would be willing to help it escape by making the river deeper. After a short discussion the group agrees and bids the Aboleth farewell.   Flirting with a Hag Miscellaneous 841AGW 6/6 841AGW 11/6 After some deliberation the group manages to assist Divis the Aboleth in escaping the swamp to deeper waters. Shortly after they find new patronage in the hands of of another sinister creature. There is some discussion on the precise nature of how they will assist Divis in leaving the swamp. Talk of flooding the river shifts to using manual labor to dig it out so that Divis can use it to swim away. A short scouting trip the next day, with the aid of some local crows, shows that flooding the river will prove impossible with the current tools at their disposal. Eventually they land on using the magical skull they discovered. They shrink Divis to a more manageable size and have him swim down river for an hour to a location they have prepped to be large enough to hold him at full size. Divis rewards them with a small hoard of coins and potions, as well as some special magic scrolls. Most specially he gifts them a bag of human fingerbones carved with runes that will allow them to speak with him on occasion. The following morning they cast the shrinking spell a second time and bid farewell to the Aboleth. Emir thanks them for helping rid the town of the Aboleth's curse, though the town still needs to wait some time for the water to clear. He has, however, received unfortunate news: there is no help coming from Stonehill Keep. The Order of the Silver Mind said they did not have anyone available at the moment to send help but would be able to send someone in a couple months. Not willing to let Mayda stay in her state for that long Emir has called upon the help of Ancient Annie, a mage he knows who lives in the swamp. While he seemed reluctant to call on her, he has no other option. The party spends the next two days in town. Orpheus spent the time learning that the townsfolk know of Ancient Annie, and that they are afraid of her. She hasn't done anything to harm the town in any way, but they are all well away of her power and her chaotic tendencies. Athis spent the days carving a beautiful effigy of his deity into a tree, finishing off the piece with two rubies for her eyes. He spoke a little with Emir about the faith and Emir seemed interested to learn more. Wilphose spent the time learning about local poisons. Specifically he learned about one which is used to hunt animals without spoiling the meat or making it unfit to eat. Made from mushrooms and lichen that grow in the swamp, a proper dose is lethal to beasts but has no effects on humans (and some other humanoids). On the third day Emir tells them Ancient Annie is coming at noon. When she arrives the party finds that she is a beautiful human woman, but Athis discovers her true origins are fiendish in nature. Taking the colour of Maria's hair as payment, Ancient Annie cures Mayda of her affliction then invites the party back to her house with a job proposition. They go, and she makes them tea. Before they discuss the job Athis requests that she show them her true form. Ancient Annie complies and shifts into the form of a Night Hag. They discuss the job, retrieving a mortar and pestle from the monks of the Order of the Silver Mind who are keeping it locked up in Stonehill Keep. They agree to the job for payment in coin and gem.   Unforeseen Tragedy Miscellaneous 841AGW 12/6 841AGW 12/6 With their preparations complete the party sets out from Basin for Stonehill Keep. After Wilphose was shown a well traveled path through the swamp by Emir the party headed out. Their journey was mostly unremarkable until they were a few days out from Stonehill Keep. As they were walking along the road they spotted a woman trapped beneath a tree she had apparently been cutting down. Athis and Kithu rushed to her aid and, with a little help from Wilphose, managed to get the tree off of her. She thanked them profusely and accepted their offer to walk with her to Stonehill Keep. That night however, Athis became suspicious of her story and actions. Using his ability to sense divine and foul creatures he discovered that the woman was a Succubus in disguise! Using the powers bestowed upon him by his god he shattered the devil's appearance forcing her to show her true form. Unfortunately she had already charmed both Kithu and Orpheus and (while running to escape Athis' grasp) ordered them to protect her. Kithu and Athis began to wrestle while Orpheus stood by. The succubus, using this to her advantage, laid hands on both Kithu and Orpheus, draining them of their life force. Though Orpheus survived, Kithu was damaged beyond immediate repair and was killed. Moments later the succubus was slain. Distraught at the loss of their friend, the rest of the party hurried to Stonehill Keep, using a bribe with the guards so they could be let in after dark. They rushed to the house of a Priest of the Angels of Iron named Mani who they had been told could help them. With a plea for help, the payment of one hundred gold pieces, and the promise of more, Mani was able to bring Kithu back from the grave. The party retired to a modest inn for the evening to rest and learn some information of the city. That evening, and the following day, they discovered the turmoil currently covering Stonehill Keep and the power struggle that appeared to be happening within the Order of the Silver Mind. Hoping to use this to their advantage the party continued to dig into the information and plan for their heist.   A Stolen History   841AGW 13/6 841AGW 15/6 While attempting to steal an item for Ancient Annie, Wilphose ends up with something even more valuable: one of the five Accords of Manoa. With a plan in place, the party approaches the dome of The Order of the Silver Mind. A quick distraction by Giant Sized Athis, who summons a swarm of crows to attack the door guard, and the rest of the party slips into the dome disguised as Goliaths. Quickly they discover their plan has a kink; the dome is actually a pocket dimension that's larger on the inside than it is on the outside. Determined they push forward, discovering that they can think of their destination to arrive at it. They find a large castle of oriental design. It appeared to be unguarded, for the monks believed they were safe within their dome, and so the group sneaked in. Athis, still enlarged, immediately engaged with two monks taking a stroll along the perimeter before climbing to the very top of the castle and punching a hole through the roof, landing on a monk within, injuring him greatly. With the distraction working flawlessly the other three made their way through the castle eventually discovering an underground location, in which was a hidden door leading to the treasure vault. The group is successful in collecting the Hag's item as well as some others. Wilphose discovers one of the five copies of The Accords of Manoa. Realizing what he has in hand he quickly pockets it before heading off. Above ground, Athis has challenged Malok Calder in an effort to maintain the distraction and not have to fight fifteen monks at once. The challenge is successful but Athis is nearly beaten before Malok fails to guard against Athis' spell that sends him running from the fight as fast as he can. Defeated in the eyes of his colleagues Malok returns to the fight but stays true to his word and hands over an item long ago stolen from Athis' village. Items in hand and Malok pissed off the party quickly escapes town. Though Malok had them followed upon realizing the disappearance of the copy of The Accords of Manoa the party was able to shake their tail before escaping, leaving Athis a wanted man. Just before they left, Wilphose, with the help of a fence, put out a call: he was to hold an auction. The Accords of Manoa, on sale to the highest bidder.   The God, and The Baby Miscellaneous 841AGW 16/6 841AGW 3/7 The party returns to Basin with their ill gotten gains, receives their rewards from the hag, and commit heresy. Free and clear of Stonehill Keep, the party returns to basin. Their first stop is the Hag Ancient Annie, who gives them each a reward for their retrieval of the Mortar and Pestle. To Kithu she promises an item to communicate with a god. To Wilphose she divulges the location of the Opal to set in his sword Thorn. To Orpheus she gives the promise of a ritual for permanently destroying the succubus that killed Kithu. And to Athis she gives gold, as asked. The party heads back to Basin with their rewards, planning to rest for some time after their recent adventure. Kithu spends his time researching, learning everything he can about the gods and their mysteries. Wilphose also does research, and learns about Thorn, the blade he carries. Orpheus, intrigued by the seeming friendliness of the Hag, Annie, spends some time with her. He learns her name is Agdroroth, meaning One Who Corrupts. They engage in some...extracurricular activities while learning about each other. Athis, with the permission of Emir, builds a small building around his shrine, creating a temple and then gives a speech to the interested townsfolk about his faith. His speech is passionate and he sways many to his side, to the point that an apparition shows itself to those in attendance to confirm the deity's presence in the village. Maria expresses interest in becoming a committed follower, and Athis promises to teach her what he can. At the end of the week the party throws a feast for the town. It is quite the event, even some of the Firbolg population is in attendance. Agdroroth shows up and takes Orpheus quietly aside to tell him that she is pregnant with his child. They discuss more the following day that he wants to be involved in raising the child as best he can. Wilphose, looking for knowledge on where to go next, drops one of the fingerbones into a cup of water and speaks with Divis. He learns that the fastest way north to Kurleigh Castle, though dangerous, is through the mountains. Luckily for him as well, Divis knows of the location of the rest of the blade of Thorn. He tells Wilphose it is in a temple, lost in the mountains. The following day the party sets off towards the shrine, and then further on to Kurleigh Castle.   Curiosity Killed the Kenku Miscellaneous 841AGW 4/7 841AGW 1/8 The group travels to a temple created by ancient humans. Inside they find treasure, danger, and death. The trip from Basin to the temple was mostly uneventful. A brief encounter with a group of Harpies left the group, or at least Athis, with an exotic snack for the road. When they did finally arrive in the mountains, Kithu was able to make nice with a Giant who pointed them in the right direction. They found the temple buried beneath the mountain, in a crevasse only just big enough to squeeze them and their mounts into. The entrance, long covered in rubble, was forgone for a more simple way into the temple: a large hole in the ground. Once the descent had been made they found themselves in the bowels of the old shrine, breathing in strange orange gas which had no immediate effect on them but over time they discovered it was actually fairly poisonous. After some exploration, they learned that the temple likely stretched deep under the mountain, and might require them to return at a later date. The entrance had sealed behind them when they entered and so they sought to look for a separate exit. Instead they found a hidden and sealed crypt. When they unlocked the door a second gas was released which knocked out both Athis and Orpheus. Unable to wake their comrades, Kithu and Wilphose decided it would be best to simple smash their way out of the temple. While Kithu got to work on their egress, Wilphose decided to poke around the room that had released the gas. He discovered an axe imbedded in the wall, which refused to be removed. After some attempts at taking it, Wilphose turned his attention to the coffin in the center of the room. With a little help from Kithu (who went right back to smashing their way out in the corridor) Wilphose was able to get the lid off of the sarcophagus. Inside, an ancient skeleton was laid to rest, adorned with all manner of jewels and other expensive items. Wilphose began to take the items but when the mask and pendant were removed, the corpse leapt to its feet, growing muscles and skin in seconds. Wilphose fought for his life as the creature attempted to hold him in place to drink his blood. Just as Kithu heard the fighting and came running to his aid Wilphose collapsed to the ground, succumbing to his wounds. Kithu defeated the creature, and removed Wilphose's lifeless body from the chamber. He finished breaking his way out and dragged his fallen companions to the surface, waiting for the arrival of Agdroroth, who had earlier been called to help them. When she did arrive, three days later, she was able to rouse Athis and Orpheus from their magical slumber. She determined it was a poison and managed to remove it from their system, though she was unable to help Wilphose. The party decided to head back to Stonehill Keep and pay their priest friend there to raise Wilphose from the dead. Much to their surprise however, Wilphose returned from death a few days into their trip. Or at least, so it seemed. Their friend restored, the group continues on to Stonehill Keep.   A Ghost, a Fence, and an Auction Miscellaneous 841AGW 2/8 841AGW 5/8 The party takes some well needed rest. Orpheus and Wilphose dispose of a Ghost, and Wilphose strikes up a deal with the Order of the Silver Mind. The party carefully makes their way back to Stonehill Keep. After facing a bit of recent failure they need a break. In Stonehill they take the time to relax. They visit the Fence with which Wilphose has a decent relationship with. There they sell some of the treasure they found, as well as purchasing some items of interest. The Fence tells Wilphose that the auction he desired is going forward as planned. On the 21st day of the 10th month, the auction will be held in Kurleigh Castle. The Fence is leaving immediately so as to make it on time and safely, and she suggests Wilphose does the same. With that business out of the way the party takes a break. Not ones for sitting around, Wilphose and Orpheus find their way to the home of Pedro, an aging, wheelchair bound Monster Hunter. He shows them a few bounties for creatures that need dealing with in the area and the two decide to go after a ghost. They follow the bounty's directions to an old house outside the city. Within they quickly discover the ghost and, after a brief fight, destroy it. On their return to the town, Wilphose manages to get an audience with Kanamahl Calder, and discusses a possible working relationship. He describes the tomb they intend to revisit and Kanamahl agrees he and the party would work well together. They draw up a contract for treasure seeking and Wilphose leaves on amiable terms. Meanwhile, while resting in his room at the tavern, Kithu is visited by The Seraph and The Prophet. They ask him if he feels he would be up to the task of reaching the Tome of the Gods. It would be a gruelling task to attain the power necessary to face the challenge on The Silver Islands, and even then there was no guarantee of success. Thinking it over, Kithu agreed. The gods then blessed him with celestial power, and vanished, leaving Kithu with his thoughts. Eventually, when they had rested, the party headed out again back towards Basin, The tomb, and finally, Kurleigh Castle.   Beasts of the Past and a New Ally Geological / environmental event 841AGW 19/8 841AGW 19/8 On their way to the tomb, the party discovers an ancient shrine, and a new druid companion. While the path to the tomb is known to them, along the way Wilphose notices a red gleam he hadn't seen before. Upon investigation he discovered a ruby the size of a small chest sitting on a pedestal in the middle of an ancient and crumbling shrine. Nearby, a Druid by the name of Lydia is watching disguised as a fox. She approaches Athis and Wilphose, soon revealing herself and telling them of the magic she's noticed around the old shrine. Wilphose and Prakash (the Rakshasa trapped within Thorn) together confirm the ruby is magical, having an aura of transmutation. Wilophose makes up his mind, and snatches the ruby from the pedestal. As soon as the ruby is removed the sky goes black. Kithu and Orpheus begin running towards their friends but not before is begins to rain heavily and the ruby is struck by lightning, shattering it to pieces and throwing Wilphose to the ground. The storm spreads far and wide and lightning strikes at the ground. Everywhere it strikes the ground shifts. Skeletons pull their way out, but not humanoid skeletons. These are birdlike, standing on two legs, with mouths full of sharp teeth. As the skeletons rip their way free of the earth they begin to grow muscles, organs, and skin. Soon the party is surrounded by a pack of Velociraptors. Just as they are about to attack a larger portion of ground erupts and a Quetzalcoatlus rips its way free, lunging towards the party. A fight ensues. The Raptors are dealt with quickly but the Quetzalcoatlus manages to consume Wilphose and try to escape. Before it can do so, the party manages to ground it, chopping off its head and pulling the unconscious Wilphose out of its gullet. As quickly as it appeared the storm vanished. The party picked themselves up and, with their new companion Lydia in tow, continued on to the tomb.   The Tomb, The Bounty, and The Giant Miscellaneous 841AGW 27/8 841AGW 25/9 The party arrives at the tomb and dives in once again. The party delves into the tomb once more, this time their efforts are more fruitful. While they meet with many monsters within, an Oni from whom Kithu takes a massive Glaive, a Werejaguar who manages to bite Orpheus, and a sentient being that looks like a tree from whom Wilphose finds the first piece of his rapier, and do have to take one evening to rest before continuing, they ultimately manage to exit the tomb with their pockets much heavier than when they entered. They rest for the night after, happy to be out from the buried tomb and under the stars. In the morning, as they begin to pack up to leave, a figure greets them. He calls himself Aldren Covenlash and says hes come for Athis in order to turn him in for the sizable bounty. The party defends Athis, refusing to give him up and Aldren commends them for their loyalty before dropping the hammer. Aldren's allies, a large group of bandits, some well placed archers and three powerful Ogres, jump into action and attack the party. A nearly deadly fight ensues. Things start to look bad for the party when the Giant Kithu had met on their first trip to the tomb wandered over to see what was happening. Kithu implored him to aid them and after some surveying of the battlefield, the Giant, who later introduced himself as Relom, agreed. The morale of Alren's men dropped quickly once Relom joined the fray. Even with precise shots, the archers were not able to pierce his hide. Aldren, cutting his losses, fled the battlefield and flew away on a giant eagle. The rest of the bandits were quickly put to the sword while Relom dealt with the Archers who could not run away fast enough. Lydia was running about the battlefield keeping her allies alive with healing spells while her summoned crocodiles made short work of the bandits. In the end, Athis spared one of the bandits, a young man named Devin. They questioned him and learned that Aldren was a member of a prominent house in Kurleigh Castle who made their money chasing large bounties such as his. Athis, not one to be remembered as soft, burned Devin's face with his acid breath and then sent him of to Basin, making him promise to live out the rest of his life peacefully there. After Relom had collected his fair share of the spoils (mostly just the bodies) and shared with Orpheus the head of one of the bandits as a show of goodwill, he lead the party out of the mountains and to the plateau, warning them of the Hobgoblin Wyvern riders. They bid their new friend goodbye and continued on to Kurleigh Castle. Along the way they spent a night holding Orpheus down as his body succumbed to the lycanthropy but they managed to keep him together until morning. Exhausted, and looking forward to some nights of sleep on actual beds, the party finally arrives at Kurleigh Castle.   In Which the Party Gets Pissed Off Gathering / Conference 841AGW 26/9 841AGW 21/10 The party takes their time to explore Kurleigh Castle, having arrived a month ahead of schedule. During which they go to a birthday party for Aldren, Athis does some charity work, and Wilphose connects with the criminal underground of the city. At the end of the month, they prepare for the auction, and the selling of the Manoa Accords. Upon arriving at Kurleigh Castle the party discovers that rooms have already been purchased for them in a very nice hotel. The decided to spend some time in the city roaming around and seeing what there is to do. Wilphose, ever on the hunt for the pieces of his sword, contacts the criminal underground in Kurleigh whose leader is known as The Tunnel King, and pays a good sum of money to have them hunt down the location of the missing gems. While looking to have the blade reforged he learns that the sword will not function properly without all of the gems in their proper places. Athis takes to the streets, in the poorer sections of town, and begins handing out food. His charity work garners the attention of one Arazana Yarel, an elf woman heading a small charity organization within the city. The two sit down to talk, Arazana expressing her gratitude for Athis' work. Athis, hiding as the Orc Rakar, reveals his true self to Arazana who sends him off promising not to turn him in. Kithu enjoys the downtime exploring the city. He finds a family of dwarves who go by the name Coalgrog and, after some bargaining, has them create for him an elegant suite of black metal armour custom tailored for his wings. Lydia also takes advantage of the downtime to explore the city. She ends up finding herself at an aquarium and meets Rolmir Palesteel there. The two of them chat about the aquarium's recent acquiring of a Plesiosaur, an animal assumed to have been dead for millennia. The two of them hit it off and begin spending more time together on the days off. Orpheus spends his time playing music at various venues. At one such party he is approached by Ulric Covenlash and hired to play at Ulric's son's birthday party. Orpheus accepts. The birthday party is a fabulous affair, though when they arrive the party discovers that the party is for Aldren, the man who hunted them down outside the Shrine about a month ago. Walking on eggshells most of the party the tension comes to a climax when Aldren appears to recognize the group and challenges Kithu to a friendly duel. It is very close, but Aldren managed to come out on top. He makes it clear to the group that he has no intention of following up with his attack and most of the tension is broken. The day of the auction arrives. It is a mostly quiet event, though there was a brief interception of a mindflayer who was disguising his aura as a fiend, the party dealt with it and returned to the auction just in time to watch the final bids. After it had finished, the Fence pulled Wilphose aside for a final conversation. She told him where to meet her after she had handed off the Accords and received the money. Wilphose handed her the Accords and they parted ways. Upon arrival at the location they learned the terrible truth of what had happened. They had been betrayed. Aldren was waiting for them, tipped off by the Fence, with a large party of archers and two of his fathers bodyguards. A fight broke out in the street. Swords clashed, a wall of fire was summoned, Octopuses were conjured to tangle up the archers. During the fight a Briarborn by the name of Bramblegrowl approached the group and offered aid. The fight turned in the party's favour when Aldren was struck unconscious and his men were forced to surrender. The party made their quick escape in to the bowls of the city with Aldren in tow. Complacent and dejected Aldren was open with them, explaining that he had little choice but to follow up on this lead when it was handed to him. He had wanted to drop the job altogether but it seems that family has a stronger grasp that he imagined. Aldren offered to help them find the Fence in exchange for his life. After brief discussion, a tentative alliance was made. Aldren brought the party to his family home. Wilphose sneaked into Aldren's room to get the key for his Giant Eagles while Aldren and Orpheus went to speak with Ulrich under the pretense of Orpheus going turncoat. During the discussion Ulrich offered Orpheus a good deal. If he would go back to the party and convince them to steal back the Manoa accords to be returned to their rightful owners, Ulrich would see to it that Athis' charges were cleared. With lots to think about Aldren and Orpheus return to the party. Together they go and meet Aldren's eagles and take to the skies above the city looking for the Fence. It takes them nearly four hours to do so but, thanks to their jumping into action immediately, they manage to intercept her before she was able to leave the city. A few threats and a small maiming later and the party has collected the gold though it seems, not all of it. The fence (after more threats) reveals that the gold was taken by one of the Dragons from the North, who learned of the auction and (rightly) assumed there would be an incredibly large payout. Faced with yet another frustrating turn of events the party retires to their beds to get some rest and figure things out when they wake up.   Lies and Deceptions Miscellaneous 841AGW 22/10 841AGW 26/10 The party discovers the Fence has lied to them, chases down the purchaser of the Accords, and makes a deal with a devil. Upon deep interrogation they discover that the Fence lied. She was simply hiding the gold herself to come back to later. Upon retrieving it the party chased after Rolmir Palesteel, the tiefling who purchased the Accords at the auction. They track Rolmir back to his family's home, Palesteel Castle, and meet his father and mother, the Lord and Lady Palesteel. They discover that Rolmir's mother, Zariel the Archduke of Avernus and General of the Blood War, wanted the Accords because she thought it would be an interesting token to obtain. However after some discussion, the party is able to bargain, handing over an ancient magical mirror they discovered in the Shrine in exchange for the accords. Accords in hand, the party travels back to Kurleigh, intending to deliver them to Ulrich in exchange for Athis' cleared name. When they arrive however, they are ambushed by Tunnel Kings. Bramblegrowl reveals he was working with the Fence, destroys the accords, and vanishes. Yet another roadblock sees the party return to Ulrich without the Accords, but he tells them not to worry, as he has a new job for them. Ulrich clears Athis' name and gets Wilphose the opal he needs from Kanamahl Calder. He then presents them a job: make their way to The Silver Islands, reach the Tome of the Gods, and return it to him. In exchange, he will make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. The party agrees.   Some Well Deserved Rest Miscellaneous 841AGW 27/10 842AGW 18/7 The party takes some time to rest, and build a home for themselves. In the nine months before Orpheus' wedding to Ancient Annie (Aurora), the following occurs: Fort Basin of Mirefield is built, without the approval of the Order of the Silver Mind. Within it a temple to the gods is erected, and the Order does nothing to stop it, causing a small stir for the few who noticed. Orpheus and Aurora have a daughter who they name Thalia. Thalia has Inferna Sanguinem and is considered a tiefling. Lydia and Rolmir Palesteel begin a romantic relationship. The two abscond across Ovenica for a while chasing down motes of magic, trying to figure out what happened to Lydia's home. Kithu uses some of his money from the Auction to invest in the odd trinkets shop in Stonehill, while Wilphose uses some of his to purchase a tea shop in Kurleigh. The group hires a new member, a minotaur named Alistair, to act as steward for their new keep. In addition, Maria Dengra is brought on board to be in charge of magics and information, Aldren is brought in to function as Captain of the Guard, and Mayda is put in charge of the actual construction and architectural design of Fort Basin of Mirefield. After the settlement is complete, Orpheus proposes to Aurora and the two plan their wedding. Aurora invites several of her hag sisters and Alistair creates a wonderful itinerary for the day.   The Wedding and the Demon Military action 842AGW 19/7 842AGW 25/7 A demonic incursion interrupts Orpheus' wedding and a potential political disaster is balanced on a knife edge. Orpheus and Aurora have a wonderful ceremony. There is music and flowers; everyone has a good time. Just after the two are pronounced husband and wife, however, the alarm bells in the village start to ring. Refugees pour into the town square. They say their village has been razed to the ground but there are still survivors. The party quickly rallies and rushes to their aid. They arrive at the village to find it on fire and filled with all manner of fiendish forces. The party carves their way through and into a crypt which appears to be the source of the incursion. There they meet with the pit fiend Dugin the General of Fear. Dugin quickly pushes the party back and while most of them escape with their lives, Lydia is struck down (though the group is able to revive her once they escape). Shocked at this sudden assault the party returns to Fort Basin of Mirefield to regroup. They determine that it is likely Dugin is raising an army. The party splits up to do some research and instructs Alistair to round them up some military forces. Alistair does so, going to meet with the Bonehawk Mercenaries and procuring their entire military force (nearly five thousand bodies) as well as absconding with a potential new recruit named Jirimi. Now with the largest standing army on the continent, the party is starting to understand the weight of their current political powers.   The Face of the Enemy is Death Miscellaneous 842AGW 29/7 842AGW 12/8 The party discovers the true mind behind the incursion, and Orpheus dies (if only briefly) while the party acquires a powerful magic tome. A Firbolg Creche is attacked by the devils. The party runs to its aid, bringing a thousand of their newly hired soldiers. Everything seems to be going well, the party defeats several devils and a hydra, until Aurora notices something on the roof of one of the buildings. She throws a bolt of lightning at the invisible creature and reveals a giant skeleton watching the fight take place. The skeleton attacks, intent on destroying the party but Kithu uses his chit with The Seraph to have her teleport the party back to the castle. Without their protection at the Creche, the thousand soldiers are slaughtered, leaving one only to return home with the news. Shaken by their loss, the party begins to take the incursion more seriously. They spread their forces out, sending a thousand men to Palesteel Castle , Kurleigh Castle, and Stonehill Keep; they keep a thousand for their own protection at Fort Basin of Mirefield. While this is happening Maria Dengra discovers the location of a powerful item known as a codex. Wilphose, excited at this prospective new power, insists the party goes as it may help them with Dugin and this fiendish invasion. The party agrees. They travel south, out of Gravewood and into the wilderness to a stretch of mountains. There they delve into an old dwarven settlement, fighting monsters and eventually retrieving the codex, though Orpheus and Jirimi are killed in the process. The Party returns home, reviving their two fallen comrades, and planning their next steps.   In Which a Great Many Thing Happen Military action 842AGW 18/8 842AGW 29/10 The party prepares for war, Wilphose forges a blade, Dugin is defeated, armies clash and the party puts an end to Rysceg. While Maria works on a new spell to aid in the defence of Fort Basin of Mirefield, Orpheus travels to Stonehill Keep to deal with a potential problem with their aboleth friend. It only takes a little pressure to get the would be monster hunters to back off, but afterwards Orpheus discusses with the aboleth that he needs to take a different approach to nourishing himself. The aboleth agrees that instead of trying to siphon all the energy from one individual he will instead start siphoning only a little bit of energy from hundreds of people. Orpheus is satisfied with this and leaves him to it. In exchange for this assistance, the aboleth reveals the location of the Ruby for Wilphoses sword: hidden in a room they had not explored in the shrine they had visited so long ago. A trip to the shrine proves slightly difficult as Rysceg and Dugin have set up their forces here. After retrieving the ruby the party goes and speaks with Rysceg and Dugin in an attempt to create a parlay. Instead, Rysceg informs the party that he intends to go after The Tome of the Gods because he likes the power he's attained and wants more. The party walks out of the shrine without a fight, but knowing they will need to face Rysceg eventually. During the following month the party acquires more motes of magic for Lydia, as well as three new companions: Dendri, an Owlin holy warrior for the Seraph, Niko, an old pupil of Aurora's, and The General of Gold, a seemingly sentient skeleton of a warrior from long past. Wilphose finally manages to get his hands on all the gems for his sword. The party travels to Kurleigh and the gems are set in handle, and the blade is reforged. Prakash, the fiend who had been captured in the sword is freed and remains with Wilphose, the two having created a significant bond over the time they've spent together. The party is called back to the Fort in response to an army amassing at their gates. A fiendish person appears before them and says Dugin is waiting for them, if they want to avoid the horrible realities of a siege. Agreeing that this is the best option the party prepares and goes to meet with Dugin. The fight is difficult, the new fiendish person claims to be Dugin's nephew and by some miracle manages to be banished for most of the fight allowing the Party to destroy Dugin. Afterwards the nephew honours their word and pulls the army away from the gates. Tensions continue to rise. The party knows that a proper attack is imminent but have no idea when it'll happen. A month passes after Dugin's destruction and then they receive word from their scouts that Rysceg is on the move with his fiendish army. The party brings together their forces from the Bonehawk Mercenaries and goes to meet him. The battle is bloody. The party's army suffers heavy losses while the party deals with Rysceg himself, ultimately destroying him, and scattering the remaining devils to find their own way back to the hells.   A Hidden Ally Miscellaneous 842AGW 30/10 842AGW 31/10 The party speaks to an elf in Harwood Citadel who tells them a truth they were not expecting. Aurora and Maria Dengra discuss with the party that they have sensed a disruption in the flow of magic, like it's falling apart. Prakash confirms he feels it too. The party decides to investigate. Following threads of magic shown to her through the motes of magic, Lydia leads the party to Harwood Citadel and Gulrig Brawnbeard. They discover Gulrig has a red thread leading directly to him, one of the many millions Lydia can see through the ball. One of two white threads Lydia can see also leads to Harwood, but it leads into the library, directly to the librarian: an elf named Valvaris. After some prompting, Valvaris breaks down and tells them the story of how The Mother fell in love with an elf and used part of her power to make the elf a deity. She tells them how things were great until the gods war began and near the end when the mother was injured this new deity had to use the powers granted her to bind the Mother to Ovenica, using her body to fix the world. Valvaris reveals that she was that elf and she has been in hiding, hoping no one would discover her identity as the Lover. The party assures her that her secret is safe with them. Valvaris confirms with the party that she's sensed the magical disturbance as well. She says she believes that magic is tearing itself apart and if that happens, the world will undo itself and become something unrecognizable. Determined now to fix this the party sets off towards the other white thread, their destination: The Silver Islands. Intent on showing he wants to help, Gulrig sends an inquisitor along with them, an Afe named Pandoer.   The End Miscellaneous 842AGW 2/11 842AGW 3/11 The party enters the volcano in search of The Tome of the Gods and a way to keep the world from falling apart. Once the party reaches the island they attempt to travel to the volcano at its center but, frustratingly, find they continue to be shunted to the edge of the island no matter how direct their route. On a whim, they instead look for a celestial creature and discover an angel living alone in a cabin. After a brief discussion, where they find the angel is lying to them, trying to convince them nothing is wrong; the angel attacks, seemingly unwilling to let them leave the island alive. The fight is difficult but eventually they are able to defeat the angel, though Dendri perishes during the fight. This appears to anger something and they notice a bright ball of fire streaking down towards them. The party runs. They run from the thing that impacts the ground and chases them. Just in time they make it through an archway in the volcano as they discover The Prophet was the one chasing them. They talk to the god and find compassion instead of hate. The Prophet returns Dendri to life and does not try to stop them from entering the mountain. Within the archway the party finds a wall with names written on it. They realize these are the names of the gods and as they speak their own names, they are carved into the stone. Once everyone's name is spoken the wall opens and reveals a tunnel into the mountain. The party enters the tunnel and the wall closes behind them. They walk for some time before finding themselves in a vision of a burning city. A great dragon made of a collection of bones is burning the city to the ground. Before they are engulfed in flames the vision disappears and they find themselves standing in a small library without exits. In the centre of the library, a skeleton stands by a pedestal reading a blank book. The party talks with the skeleton while some of them try to read the book, finding it either blank or filled with words describing their worst fears of what might happen in the future. The skeleton tells them that he is The Betrayer, who's real name is Glo Terberis. He tells them a shocking story: that he was tricked by The Prophet (Lumir) and The Seraph (Gomir) to believe that the other gods were plotting against him. He did instigate the gods war, and he's regretted it ever since. Now he is bound in this place, guarding the way to the Tome of the Gods. He tells them that when Valvaris saved the world, she bound him and The Mother to their representations: Order and Law for him, Chaos and Magic for her. He politely answers their questions then regretfully informs them that he has to kill them, for this is the duty the Seraph bound him to. The party defends themselves against the Betrayer, who reveals his true form as the Bone Dragon, and they manage fight their way past him, breaking his binding to the doorway that leads to the Tome, and taking one of his teeth on their way. Finally inside the Tome's chamber they discover the truth: The Tome of the Gods is not a book or scroll, it is the Mother herself. The Seraph and the Prophet did not gain godhood from reading untold knowledge, they ripped pieces of the Mother off of her, leaving her a shell of herself. Now this decision has come back to bite them. As the Mother's power fades, unable to sustain itself, magic has begun to fall apart. Before they can approach and try to help, the Seraph appears in front of them. She looks to be in great discomfort to be in a place she created to dampen the powers of gods. She declares that she cannot let them get to the mother and she attacks. The fight looks doomed, with the party unable to damage her in any way, until Dendri takes up the tooth of the Betrayer and it forms itself into a whip. The godslaying weapon allows the party to get past the Seraph's defences and damage her until she falls unconscious. The party takes the spark of divinity that was ripped from the Seraph and returns it to the Mother. The Prophet appears and offers up his own spark if the party will let him take the Seraph far away. Instead the party convinces him to stay with them, reenter society as people instead of gods. The Prophet agrees and the returns his spark to the Mother. She appears before them, thanking them for what they have done and tells them that the world can finally begin to heal. The party returns home, overjoyed to be alive and succeed in their task.   Epilogue Miscellaneous 842AGW 3/12 The world has order once again. Magic has returned and there is peace, for now. A month after they succeeded in returning the sparks of divinity to the Mother the party is finally resting. The Prophet, now going only by Lumir, has excitedly thrown himself on the task of bettering the places around him and reentering society. The Serpah, now going by Gomir, is less excited and spends much of her time in her room, though she is occasionally seen wandering about the grounds. Fort Basin of Mirefield continues to grow and the party feels confident that they have enacted a lasting peace in the world.