Malavon

Glasya

2012-01-29T20:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a new one over at Neothera.

Glasya - Princess of Hell

Hit the nail on the head

2012-01-20T19:08:00.000-08:00

I couldn't agree more with this post on Sword and Board.
rant-on-grognard-gamers-and-1e-reprint

The Dungeon Bastards take on the Edition Wars

2012-01-20T18:48:00.000-08:00

Really insightful actually.

Pigs are flying

2012-01-20T04:01:00.000-08:00

WOTC is pushing all the right nostalgia buttons.
Premium Reprints of the Original AD&D Rulebooks

Guy smuggles the 5th Edition from WOTC!

2012-01-18T16:47:00.000-08:00

I guess the cat is already out of the bag. This version sounds like its going to be phenomenal!

More stuff about 5th edition D&D

2012-01-12T17:32:00.000-08:00

Reading some of the quotes from the designers makes things look a little more promising. Check out this link to EN World for more info.
D&D Fifth Edition at EN World

What I would like to see.

2012-01-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

So WOTC is asking for player input for the 5th edition of D&D.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/10/arts/video-games/dungeons-dragons-remake-uses-players-input.html?_r=1

I know that whatever they come up with will probably be loaded with unnecessary rules that will make combat even more tactical and less abstract and thus more complicated. There will still be way too much focus on character development to the point where it detracts from the playability of the game.

What I would like to see (although it would never happen) is to see them dip back into the past of D&D and design their own "retro" version if you will. I know that there are a lot of retro options out there already, but I would just like to see what they would do with it.

A man and his cat.

2011-12-30T18:20:00.000-08:00

I found this endearing picture of Lovecraft while doing research for a painting involving ghouls and I thought you would all enjoy it.

Although the cat probably had a horribly racist name.

The return of Neothera!

2011-12-29T19:33:00.000-08:00

I was finally able to update my art site with some new work after all the turmoil of the last five months.

The Eye Tyrant

The Wizard's Chamber

Let's just say I'd like to take 2011 out in the yard and shoot it in the head!

I'm planning on getting D&D/Malavon up and running. Keep your eyes peeled for a synopsis of our last adventure from months back.

Israel Military Hates Dungeons & Dragons

2011-09-23T03:35:00.000-07:00

Just a strange bit of news that I found...
Israel Military and D&D

Return to Malavon

2011-09-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

Sharpen Your Swords!
Prepare Your Spells!
Pray To Your Gods!

Get ready (finally!) for another round of D&D

Tomorrow Noon
at
Svarnos & Gjord's House

I would suggest reading the last two synopses so you know what the hell is going on.

The Story so Far ...

2011-06-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

The heroes awoke early and groggily the next morning and with a farewell to the elf Tharivol and the innkeeper Garam they mounted their horses and took off out the southern gate of Wychton. They hoped that they would reach Miragar before sunset as they feared another attack by the minions of the Shadow Dragon.

The land south of Wychton was less wild and forbidding than the terrain north of the town. It consisted of rolling green hills dotted with copses of trees and the fall air of the month of Redleaf was crisp and clean. Although, to the east the party could still see the line of the imposing Ironstorm Mountains with its ever-present thundering storm clouds looming above them. As they travelled south the party began to see farmsteads and rows of ripe crops soon ready to be harvested. The hard packed gravel road to Miragar was also well maintained so travel was easy. As they got nearer to Miragar the wind shifted and began to blow from the south bringing with it the salty tang of sea air.

Miragar could be seen far in the distance as the adventurers topped another low hill and fields of wheat flanked the road. The sun was now low in the west, sunset was not far off, and it seemed that the party would make it to Miragar without incident.

This was not to be so. Ahead the adventurers could see that the wheat on the right hand side of the road was moving and swaying as if something, or somethings, were making its way through it towards the road ahead of them. From out of the wheat came a pack of what seemed to be large black dogs that ran snarling right towards the party. As they got closer it could be seen that these were no natural creatures. These creatures had smooth black coats and they stood more than two feet high at the shoulder with diabolical almost humanoid faces and maws full of sharp teeth.

Most of the party dismounted and made a line to receive the attack but Lono, Norgrim, and Martijn did not dismount. Martijn the knight set his lance and charged knowing full well his prowess in mounted combat. He plowed into the creatures with great effect. Svarnos took one of the creatures down with sleep spell. As the battle commenced the party learned that the baying and barking of the evil beasts had an unnerving magical effect causing some of the party and their horses to panic. Things seemed dire as most of the party was affected and could barely defend themselves against the beasts for the first couple rounds of combat. Eventually, much to every ones relief, the panic wore off and they were able to take the attack to the enemy. Eventually the battle was won mostly through the might of the party's warriors with even Lono pulling a sneak attack on one of the monsters and cutting the throat of the sleeping one.

Bloodied but not broken the weary party travelled the last couple miles into Miragar.

The party passed through Miragar when they first set foot in Malavon many months ago. It is a city of gray stone and cobblestone streets. Homes, establishments, and stores rise above the street and are stacked on top of each other with arched stone walkways, bridges, and stairs connecting the differing levels. The men-at-arms of the city wear liveries with a simplified version of the heraldic symbol of the Knights of the Sword (a simple green surcoat with a gold chevron upon it). The city is ruled by the Lord Farethlon a knight of some renown. He has a moated keep at the center of the city.

Note: Miragar can be seen in the background of my painting Charge of the White Leopards.

On their way through the city the party noticed an odd structure. It was a stone tower shaped like an obelisk. A sign next the entrance read The Red Moon - Purveyors of the Arcane - open noon to midnight - closed on weekends - hours subject to change without notice. It was obviously a magic shop and the group decided to investigate but they were quickly discouraged by the prices as they had already blown all their gold on the bag of holding. Lono considered doing a little thievery but he was quickly dissuaded by the party.

A man-at-arms directed the weary adventurers to an inn near the docks where they could rest and possibly hire a ship as their plan was to travel to the Wizard's Isle. The inn was called the Barmy Kraken. It was a stout timbered three-story high building with a decidedly nautical decor. Old ships anchors are bolted on the walls, ship wheels serve as hanging chandeliers for old lanterns, and painted wood mermaid statues look as if they were pried from the prows of galleons. There was also a beautiful model of a ship in a bottle behind the bar. The sign creaking in the sea wind outside the entrance depicts a kraken holding a foaming beer mug in each tentacle.

The party spoke with the proprietor Vorgen Larmaster — an old gray haired sea dog with enormous Picadilly Weepers (sideburns that connect to a mustache) that always seemed to be smoking a large clay pipe shaped like a mermaid. Vorgen set them up with rooms for the night and the party settled down to some food and drink. They looked around the room to find someone they could possibly hire to take them to Vegraine. There were quite a few sea-faring types in the inn and after a couple of tries they found an owner of a cog ship named Captain Malrick — a young man with sun-bleached hair and mustache armed with a longsword and girt in studded leather armor. He would take them for a fee to the Wizard's Isle even though there was a rumor that the wizards were turning away visitors. The party agreed to this and they were set to embark the following morning.

Note: I know that I'm missing some stuff here. If anyone can fill in the blanks feel free to do so in the comments.

The cog that was known as The Triton had a crew of fifteen men and the weather was clear as they set sail. As soon as they were a good distance from the coast the Stormwind Sea grew choppy as it always seems to. The sky began to cloud over and grow dark and it looked as if a storm was brewing. By midday in the distance the party on the ship could see a land ahead — it was the Wizard's Isle. There seemed to be a tiny red light winking at them from the land mass. Suddenly, they could see in the distance a wave forming and rising out of the water. It rose to thirty feet high and began to rush at the ship! The crew and Captian Malrick sprung into action trying to evade the wave but it kept changing course right for the prow of the ship. As it approached the onlookers could see that the wave seemed to have vague semblance of a face upon it with shining sea green orbs for eyes. Those on the cog braced for impact as the wave approached but miraculously it stopped right before hitting the ship and instead it just sprayed the deck with foam.

A voice emanated from the wave that stood before the ship and it said that the wizards of Vegraine wished to have no visitors at this time. It also threatened to sink the ship if they continued on their present course. Svarnos called out that they were invited by the sorceress Aness. After a moment the voice told them to drop anchor and wait. The wave waited patiently.

Captain Malrick was angry. He felt the danger wasn't worth the price the party had paid him and he was ready to turn the ship around. They party convinced him to stay.

Note: Did you guys give him more money?

After about two hours of waiting and listening to a grumbling captain the voice returned and told them to pull up their anchor. When they did so the wave sunk into the water and then rose up behind the ship. It then proceeded to gently but firmly push the ship in a direct line towards the blinking beacon in the distance.

The wave sunk away as they approached the shore and the crew steered The Triton to a single long dock jutting out into the water. An armed contingent of grim faced gnomish warriors awaited them on the dock. Beyond the dock the Tower of Four Moons with its illusory moon (now red as the Blood Moon approached) above it could be seen —formed by sorcery of the strange red-hued rock found only upon this island. The adventurers had made it to the Wizard's Isle.

The Prince of Demons

2011-06-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

New painting over at Neothera.

Bow down to Demogorgon the Prince of Demons!

The Throne of Demogorgon

Ultimate D&D game room

2011-06-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

Found this a while back. It's inspired me to fix up our downstairs gaming area a little. Very little when you compare it to this guys game room.

Check it out

D&D Room

Yes, it's a cake...

2011-06-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

New paintings

2011-05-30T06:47:00.000-07:00

Here are two new ones over at Neothera.

Charge of the White Leopards

Last of the Dragon Lords

D&D Tomorrow

2011-05-21T15:39:00.000-07:00

See you all at high noon.

The Story So Far...

2011-05-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

Note: The first part of this post is a short recap of our session before last. The second part is a more detailed recap of our last foray in Malavon that was graciously written up for us by Dan (AKA Svarnos, Gjord). Thanks Dan this really helps a lot.

Part 1

With the manticore trapped in the High Tower of castle Riveon the party fought their way out of the citadel. Hacking their way through troops of orcs and wargs the party made it to the Arcas River and stole some orcish boats which they used to make a quick getaway. The Arcas flows swiftly and they were quickly drawn away from any pursuing orcs. Even though they were fatigued they continued traveling through the night and the next day they arrived at small dock near the city of Arrain they abandoned the orc boats and went to the city.

Arrain is a large stone walled city with a deep moat surrounding it. The land around it is swampy with twisted copses of trees dotting the landscape. Most of the stone structures within are covered with green moss due to the humidity that builds up in the area during the summer.

The adventurers immediately found a place to recuperate and rest at a fine inn called the Silver Tankard. Here they rested and after throwing copious amounts of some of their hard earned gold at the owner and staff of the inn they enjoyed a fine celebratory meal. Here they learned that the ranger Eldan would be leaving the party to join up with his fellow rangers of the Broken Lands. Now that the main power of Riveon was overthrown the rangers would see if they could find a way to drive the remaining orcs out of the citadel forever. The next day with many thanks and good wishes Eldan left the party.

The party made its way to Grisoan then to Berengel to retrieve their horses that were being kept in a horse traders paddock that they had paid for before leaving on their adventure to Riveon. The horses were well kept and the adventurers would need them for they wished to travel as swiftly as they could to Miragar. In Miragar they hoped they could hire a ship that would take them to the Wizard's Isle where they knew the sorceress Aness awaited them. They also knew that she would be pleased with their success in retrieving the Shadow Cylinder that was hidden away in Riveon all these years.

On their way to Wychton however terror and tragedy struck. In the night as they prepared for sleep they were assaulted by shades and shadows — minions of the Shadow Dragon! The creatures first tried to persuade the party to give them the Cylinder for these beings claimed that they could feel its presence on them.

The parley was short lived and battle soon commenced. The shades used darkness and magic to their advantage and the shadows drained the strength of those the touched. The fight was harrowing but the party managed to be victorious although one of the shades escaped into the dark of night. Also, they found to their horror that their loyal companion Tursan lay dead — drained by the cold touch of a shadow!

Note: The shades appear as men except with all color drained from them. Their skin and hair is gray and even their eyes are a milky gray making them appear blind. They were once men that in their greed for power gave their allegiance to the Shadow Dragon. In exchange the Dragon gave them access to the mysterious forces of the demi-plane of Shadow but he also drained all their humanity from them and made them his slaves forever.

The shadows appear as vaguely man shaped clouds of swirling darkness and it is said they were once living beings. They have no solidity but they can still attack for their icy touch drains the strength of their victims.

Part 2

Our adventurers had just finished up with a gruesome battle against the shades. They were able to despatch all but one of their attackers. "There always seems to be one that escapes" said Gjord, speaking thoughts that as of late, have consistently crossed the others' minds. Unfortunately, at this time, their thoughts were with Martijn's apprentice, Tursan; he was slain by one of the shades just moments ago.

The rest of the party decided to bury Tursan in a cairn. They took his gold but left him with his armor and weapons: 'He would need those in the green, battle-torn fields of a warrior's afterlife,' thought Galifynakus. As they were going to and fro, collecting various rocks and stones from the broken lands, something unnerving happened. Tursan's body had disappeared and his chain shirt had fallen to the ground. The party was quite stunned and confused about what had just occurred. Svarnos stated that maybe the diety he worshipped not only took his soul, but his body as well. That thought brought back awful memories to Fionula's mind. "When someone gets killed by a shade," she explained, "they take the body for their own, only to make another one of those shadowy creatures." The party's hearts grew heavier with this information and they knew that when they told Tursan's family of his death, they would have to leave out that part. They would be greiving enought without that horrible news.

The party was now trying to figure out their next move. There was some talk of using Rope Trick to hide for a few hours and possibly blank the magic cylinder from the shades' senses. Svarnos said they could strategically place the rope right at the edge of the cliff, so when it was time to escape, they could scale down the cliff wall to the river below, changing their direction towards Sulthe. After some discussion, they agreed that their best plan of action would be to pack up their camp, and ride straight through the night. They would make it to Wychton in about 4 hours, and they would be extremely tired, but it was worth the risk.

They arrived in Wychton a few hours before dawn. Both the guards at the bridge and the tower, recognized the party as the ones who rescued the Mayor's daughter, Monnene, from the dreaded Wyvern. Due to guards' memory, they didn't have to pay the bridge tax, and they were spared the questioning a typical rag-tag bunch would receive at this hour. They headed straight to the Wyvern's Watch. Upon entering, they encountered a younger man at the bar, and not the owner, Garam, whom they knew well. They all felt a bit better seeing that second Wyvern's head hanging on the wall. It brought back memories of that very successful adventure. The younger man didn't recognize them, but the party really didn't care; they just wanted their much needed sleep.

The next morning, as the entered the common area, they saw Garam working behind the bar. He greeted them happily and treated them to a fine breakfast. When they had finished, they began asking him if anyone had been looking for them or even asking about them. They didn't want to fully reveal that the shades were following them, but they wanted to find out anything they could. Garam didn't have much to offer, but he did inform them that Tharivol, the elf who had given them the Fey wine, was coming in that night to visit. He and Garam were going to have a few drinks and talk about the one party member they lost when they fought the original Wyvern, whose head was the first one to hang in the Wyvern's Watch. Garam asked the party to join them for dinner that night and they agreed.

Before continuing with the rest of their day, the party convened to one of the two rooms that they had gotten. Due to Svarnos' paranoia that they were being scried or perhaps had some sort of listening spell cast on one of their objects, they placed all of their belongings (besides their clothes that they wore) into the other room. Jarvis sat in the hall, keeping his eye open for any undesirables. The party talked about the options they had, and finally decided to leave early the next morning and make a quick break for Miragar. As they ended their conversation, Jarvis let Svarnos know that someone was coming. As Svarnos opened they door, he saw Moneen, trying to pet Jarvis; but the cat wanted nothing to do with it. Svarnos stepped out of character and greeted Monnene with a big smile and a hug. "Monnene, it's so great to see you." She returned the hug but was definitely more interested in seeing Martijn; the one, in her eyes, who saved her from the Wyvern. The entire party said hello, and Moneen invited them to the manor house for dinner. They politely declined and told her that Garam had already invited them to dinner. Monnene, extended the invitation to Garam as well, in hopes to sway the party to dine with her and her father. When they asked him, Garam accepted, but very reluctantly. "I would have rather had a nice dinner under the natural sky than in a stuffy manor house," he quipped, "but it is not a good choice to turn down an invitation from the mayor."

Magic items were the next topic of discussion, so the party headed out to visit Gilac. He greeted them in his usual aloof manner, but he did invite them in to peruse his current inventory. There were potions and scrolls, and even a few wands, but two certain items were worthy of the adventurers' gold: a Bag of Holding, and a scroll of Teleport Without Error. The latter, they felt, was the safest and quickest way to Vegrain. Their optimism was quickly shattered when they realized the level of experience needed to cast such a powerful spell. They all remembered the debacle with the last Teleport scroll that they tried using while in Ilnath's Tower in the Ruins of Riveon. They then focused their eyes on the Bag of Holding; not only as a means to travel unencumbered with a great deal of items, but also as a possible hiding place for the cylinder. During their last battle, the main shade had revealed to them that the shades could sense the cylinder. Was this true or was it just a ruse? Either way, the party felt that this bag could help them on multiple levels. They told Gilac that they would be back late this night and would be purchasing either the scroll, if they could find an experienced wizard to cast it, or the bag. Due to all of the window-shoppers that Gilac dealt with on a day to day basis, he didn't put much stock in their words.

The party returned to the Wyvern's Watch and arrived about the same time Tharivol did. They were all happy to see each other again, and as usual, they started the questioning. Tharivol told them of Orcs coming down from Goruthim and traversing into the lands just outside of Malavon. When Svarnos brought up the grey-skinned creatures that they had seen, a very concerned look fell onto the elf's brow. He attempted to find out why the party was seeing these shades, but they skirted around the fact that they battled together. Instead, they just told Tharivol that they had seen them several times from a distance and felt it was a bit strange. Tharivol had corroborated Anes' stories about the shades.

As they spoke, two carriages, provided by the mayor, pulled up to the Wyyvern's Watch. All of the guests were then brought over to the manor house. The dinner was regal, as was to be expected, and the party delighted mayor Evaloix Arandire and his daughter, with their tales of adventure. Even Garam and Tharivol took interest in some of the more intriguing stories. It was short lived for Garam due to his quickened pace with the strong drink that was readily available.

There was a small hedge-maze in the courtyard, and Monnene invited Martijn to view it with her. Martijn, not wanting to split up the party at this time, politely and galantly declined. Seeing the rejection in Monnene's face, and knowing damn well how to take advantage of a stituation, Svarnos quickly interjected. "I would love to see the hedge maze with you." Monnene's spite got the best of her, and with a quick look towards Martijn, she accepted Svarnos' offer. Svarnos glanced back, smiling at Martijn, only to see the knight throw up his hands and mouth "what the fuck?" During their short walk, Svarnos was able to hold Monnene's hand, but was unable to go any further. It wasn't for lack of trying. "Maybe next time," he thought to himself.

As the night wore on, Garam's intoxicated voice rose over the conversations. His words stumbled out, but everyone could decipher that he was making a toast to that female party member they lost while fighting that Wyvern. By his tone and words, they could tell that there was a stronger feeling that must have been present between Garam and this female, but the party would not find out that night, for the alcohol had finally taken Garam's consciousness. At this point, Galifynakus, also heavily clouded by beer, began asking; almost demanding, for someone to tend to his feet. The level of awkwardness grew quickly and the rest of the party knew it was their time to leave.

Note: The woman Garam was going on about was named Melil. She was an elven cleric that Garam used to adventure with and that he obviously had romantic feelings for. Unfortunately, she was paralyzed in the battle with the wyvern of The Wyvern's Watch fame and was trampled to death by the monster before the eyes of Garam.

I don't know why, but that description just made me laugh.

After they dropped off Garam and Tharivol at the Wyvern's watch, they party quickly made their way back to Gilac's. As he invited them in, they heard an older women's drunken cackle resonating from the main room. They saw a women with grey hair, holding a mug of some potent drink, enjoying herself throuroghly. Gilac introduced her as Marna, his mentor. Svarnos questioned her to see if she would be able to cast Teleport from the scroll they were eyeing earlier. With a great laugh she had revealed that it was too powerful for her to cast without great risk of failing. With that information, they opted for the Bag of Holding.

They decided to pool all of their platinum and gold in order to attain the 5000 gold-piece price tag. Unfortunately, they did not have enough, but they delved into the party treasure to get some gems for the balance. Luckily, Svarnos convinced Gilac to sell them the bag for a total of 4600 in platinum, gold, and gems. He graciously took the offer and let them know that this was a more powerful bag than a typical one. It could hold up to 500lbs and 70 cubic feet. After this purchase, Gilac realized that the party actually followed through on their word, and he thanked them for their business.

The party quickly returned to the Wyvern's Watch and began to bed down. The knew tomorrow was going to be an early and long day.

Unearthed Arcana for AD&D3

2011-05-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

Even though its still a work in progress this book is shaping up to be pretty epic. I love the magic item creation rules.

Unearthed Arcana

Updated Rules

2011-04-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

Don't get scared but we will be delving into the updated rules for our next session. There are some very minor changes that make this "primeless" version even easier to play.

The new character sheet can be found under Useful Files & PDFS in the sidebar (over there ---->) so if you want to print it out and get a head start on it you can. I'm talkin' to you Dan. Norb, your characters are here so I'll probably copy them to the new sheets myself just to save time (your character sheets right now look like someone let their retarded cousin play). Lisha will copy hers tonight.

The full rules can be downloaded at Chris Perkins AD&D3 site. This is the revised primeless version making the game a little less like Castles & Crusades. He has done some amazing work putting this together.

Stealing Blog Posts

2011-04-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

Check out this video at Lair of the Evil DM.

For better or worse The Hobbit has started production.

D&D, On the Morrow

2011-04-16T15:40:00.000-07:00

The evil illusionist Illnath has been slain and his treasure has been plundered! The Shadow Cylinder has been found! The adventurers have escaped Castle Riveon and Margor the manticore is trapped in the observatory of the High Tower! Chaos reigns in the citadel as news of the death of Illnath spreads among his orcish minions!

Things seem to be going well for our intrepid party but they still have to escape the city!

See you all at 12:30

Count Floyd

2011-01-08T13:42:00.000-08:00

Lisher (I'm not sure about Dan) doesn't know who Count Floyd is. So here you go and now you know!

I think the Count trying to be all "scary" is similar to me trying to describe a scene when I'm DMing.

The Story So Far...

2011-01-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

Goldengrass the 26^th to Redleaf the 4^th

Note: I’m a little pressed for time so I’m just going to give a condensed overview of our last two sessions.

The party had fled Riveon. They fought and outwitted the goblins and worgs that pursued them through the Broken Lands. They made straight for the tower of the sorceress Aness seeking aid as they planned to return to the citadel.
They found Aness greatly weakened due to her possession of two of the Shadow Cylinders. She could hardly walk and was unable to retain any spells as she was experiencing terrible nightmares that did not allow her to get any real rest. Aness still was able to assist the party by giving them a powerful teleport scroll. The scroll would be able to teleport the whole party almost wherever they wished (some locations with considerable risk). Many plans were discussed and many arguments ensued on what to do.
Aness and her apprentice Vanen (along with the guardian stone golem) then left the tower for the safety of the Wizard’s Isle. They hoped that Aness could find a way to shield herself from the dark influence of the Shadow Cylinders. They also knew that the minions of Zorvoath were still watching the tower. Aness loaded all her valuables into a Leomund’s secret chest and they vanished away. Before leaving the sorceress gave the adventurers the key to the tower so they could use it as a safe house once they returned from their quest.
The heroes restocked their supplies in Berengel and checked on their horses before setting out for Riveon again. They saw a rider upon the road to Berengel but they were unsure if it was an enemy.
They traveled back through the Broken Lands guided by the ranger Eldan. Riveon was reached mid-day on Redleaf the 4^th. Their travels were interrupted briefly by a sojourn into a troglodyte cave that they saw before when fleeing Riveon. The party battled the disgusting creatures but it turned out to be a fruitless venture.
The party waited until the darkness of night to reenter the citadel. Jarvis the cat familiar was used as a scout and it was discovered that the rents in the northern wall were too well guarded by contingents of orcs and ogres. Lono suggested that they scale the wall in a less guarded area using his grappling hook. This was done with the help of Svarnos’ levitation wand. Two patrolling orcs had to be dispatched as they discovered the infiltrating adventurers. The orcish bodies were flung outside the wall. Scaling the wall proved to not be difficult but descending caused some falls and rough landings.
The adventurers were in luck. Once inside the citadel they could see a large coliseum type structure that was full of firelight and activity. It seemed that Illnath and his evil minions were enjoying another night of arena battles. The eyes of the orcs in a nearby guard tower were pulled towards the action within the arena thus allowing the adventures to steal away into the citadel.
The party reached the cemetery and the Curthor crypt. They descended into it but discovered to their dismay that Illnath had discovered how they entered the castle before. There was a group of orcs guarding the entrance to the secret tunnel into the castle. The party wasted no time in kicking down the door and slaughtering the surprised orcs. Their bodies were hidden in an adjacent tomb full of sarcophagi and rotting dead zombies (really dead!).
The adventurers carefully reentered the castle and after some scouting by Lono bee lined straight for the mysterious High Tower of Cyndara via the throne room. The castle seemed almost deserted as it seemed Illnath and many of the orcs were still at the arena.
The first obstacle the party encountered was the great iron bound wood doors of the tower itself. They were carved with strange mystical symbols and as they were approached the doors cast a confusion spell upon the party. This resulted in many of the party members temporarily loosing their minds (screaming, running, attacking friends, babbling, and doing nothing). Eventually, Gjord was left in the door hallway alone to try to batter it down despite the insidious spell. After a couple tries (and getting magically confused in the process) the stout dwarf was successful.
The walls within the tower were covered with phantasmal sigils and runes with walls made of solid granite blocks. A dim light emanated from the ceiling but no light source could be seen to cause it.
The second obstacle was a sleeping red dragon! It scales glistened, heat could be felt emanating from its body, the smell of smoke was in the air, and the sound of its breath rumbled through the room. However, it turned out to be a stunningly real illusion but the party was ready to bravely do battle with the creature even though they thought it was really a dragon. Svarnos did have his suspicions from the beginning though.
The heroes made for the top of the tower immediately so they ascended the enclosed spiral staircase bypassing all the other levels of the tower. They reached the top level and entered by an iron bound door. They were in a great overgrown green house with a domed green-glass roof reinforced by an ornate copper latticework. The dome was half open to the cloudy night sky as the sectioned dome could be closed and opened by a lever connected to a gearbox upon one side of the room. The room was filled with stunted dead trees, moss, and weeds. Here the party also found a great trove of treasure! There was a large chest covered with moss on the opposite side of the room. Lono easily picked the lock and within the party found a hoard of gold and platinum and what were obviously items of a magical nature. Two swords (one thin dull gray shortsword, and one golden handled longsword with a hilt that looked like entwined flames), a large steel shield with the heraldic crossed lances of Riveon embossed upon the front, a suit of mithral elven chainmail (sized for a human or half-elf), a warhammer with a metal haft and a head that shimmered slightly, a gold ring set with a ruby (Svarnos donned this and discovered it was a ring of spell storing with a fireball spell within), a purple colored potion, and a black hooded cloak with a silver web-like pattern stitched into it (Lono donned the robe and found that he was able to scale the walls and the dome as if under the influence of a spider climb spell). The party quickly took all the items and pocketed some coins as well. The heroes knew that the adventure was far from over for they had found no Shadow Cylinder and the evil illusionist Illnath still lived!

Let me know in the comments if I left anything out!

D&D Tomorrow 1/8/11

2011-01-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

I might be a little insane when we play tomorrow as I know I'm going to have a really rough day. Who knows, maybe a little insanity will be good for my Dungeon Mastering.

Since everyone is putting up pictures of their characters here's how I picture myself as your DM.

This session is going to be really scary! For real this time, forget about what happened last time! AWOOOOOOO!

The Story so Far

2010-11-24T15:36:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time coming. Please let me know if you remember anything I left out.

The Story So Far…

Goldengrass the 25^th, 1845

Flight from Riveon

The party was trying to devise a plan. They considered using the slave girl Shianna as bait to catch Illnath off guard. Svarnos considered his spells and thought that if they used rope trick the majority of the party would be able to hide in the bedroom itself (albeit in a dimensional pocket). Two could conceal themselves under the bed and the illusionist and his guards could be ambushed. Immediately, the group began to see holes in this plan. First, Shianna was bound to Illnath by a charm person spell and thus was still loyal to him. Second, nervous as she was, it did not seem she was up to the task of pretending that there wasn’t a throng of adventurers hiding in the room with her.

It was now that Svarnos remembered something that shattered the plan completely. When looking through the eyes of his familiar he had seen Illnath and recalled how the illusionist’s eyes had glowed with faint blue light. Svarnos, having learned the magical arts on the Wizard’s Isle, remembered how some of the more powerful mages would permanently affix a spell called arcane sight to their vision causing their eyes to shimmer with a bluish glow. The spell would allow them to see the radiating aura that magic spells gave off. If Illnath had this spell upon him would he be able to see the aura of the rope trick spell? The party thought it was likely and did not want to risk finding out the hard way.

As the party was trying to come up with another plan they heard some one calling out and opening doors in the hallway outside the bedroom. The door to bedroom was opened but the heroes were ready and they tackled the man that entered. It was a young pale skinned man with long black hair and red-brown robes. Shianna cried out for them not to hurt him, as he was Illnath’s apprentice Ovgen (and she had seen what had happened to the goblin servant earlier). The grim bunch of soot-covered adventurers terrified the apprentice. He nervously explained how Illnath brought him to Riveon so that he could have an assistant and someone to pass his knowledge on to. He did not realize how evil Illnath was and saw it as a great opportunity to learn more phantasmal magic. When he was brought to the citadel however he found it over run with orcs and other foul creatures all under the influence of Illnath. Ovgen became more of slave and prisoner than an apprentice although the illusionist did instruct him in some magic.

From Ovgen, the party learned that the flying beast called “Margor” that was housed in the top dome of the High Tower was in fact a terrifying manticore. This creature was Illnath’s pet and the illusionist used him to strike terror into the hearts of the orcs and keep them under control. Many orcs had been fed to the beast over the years. The beast was also used in the Arena that was located on the east side of the city. Illnath entertained himself by watching captured prisoners futilely fight for their lives against the powerful manticore and his elite half-orc guards in the Arena.

Ovgen was only in the High Tower once before and he said that it housed strange protective magic. The apprentice said he would be willing to help the party if they promised to take him with them when they left as he felt it was the only way he would ever escape the citadel.

The party decided to trust the apprentice and try to use him as bait to ambush the illusionist. Ovgen told them that he was soon to be meeting Illnath in the library and that they could launch their ambush there. Ovgen would safely lead them to the library past the guards of the castle. So they set off after telling after hiding the body of the goblin under the bed and telling Shianna that she was to stay in the room where they could return for her.

They approached the door to the guardhouse and Ovgen told them to wait while he distracted the guards so that the party could pass unseen. The apprentice entered the room and began to speak to the guards in orcish. It was then that the party was betrayed. Eldan the ranger, who understands orcish, drew his sword and told the others that Ovgen was telling the guards to attack the intruders out in the hallway.

The orcs rushed out and fell upon the heroes. The party returned the offensive and was able to kill the orcs quickly. Svarnos ran past the fray to try to get to Ovgen. He saw the apprentice escaping down a stairwell and tried to cast a sleep spell upon him but it was resisted. Ovgen escaped screaming for Illnath and making for the throne room.

The adventurers knew they were in dire straits and decided to flee back to the ruined chapel and down the long tunnel to the Curthor Crypt. Before the doors to the chapel Eldan laid down some pepper to disrupt their scent trail if the orcs tried to track them down with wargs. As they closed the trap door leading to the tunnel a great inhuman bellow could be heard echoing throughout the castle.

It was a nightmare race to flee the citadel. In the graveyard outside the tomb Fionnula turned a bunch of ravening ghouls. Once out of the graveyard the city streets were no safer. Patrols of orcs, ogres, goblins, and wargs had to be avoided. Thrice the party had to battle a group of monsters as the horns and howling reverberated through the city. Reaching the rent in the north wall of the city flights of arrows clattered about them with some almost finding their mark.

The party fled westward between the rocks of the Broken Lands with the sounds of pursuit behind them. They ran until they were exhausted and night had fallen. They knew that it was unlikely that they had escaped pursuit but they had to rest. Svarnos used rope trick to hide whom he could but two would have to stay outside. Lono and Fionnula remained outside and hid atop a pillar of rock hopefully out of reach and sight of any creature that should wander by.

However, soon three-spear bearing goblin warg rider discovered them. A desperate battle ensued. Lono used his sling from atop the rock and some of the warriors tried to slide down the rope to engage the monsters. Gjord, Martijn, and Galifynakus all were injured because they hit the ground hard. Eventually the monsters were defeated but many in the party were wounded almost unto death. And the night was not yet over.

Next D&D session?

2010-10-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the blog posting attack this morning.

I'm looking for some dates to play D&D. I know weekends have been tough to organize recently but I'm also open to weeknights as well. Throw out some dates everybody.

Here is some stuff to keep you entertained in the meantime.

D&D World of Adventure

The Dungeons & Dragons Experience

Whisperer in Darkness - the new trailer.

2010-10-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

A link to Grognardia for the new trailer. I like James Maliszewski's comments on it so check it out there.

Grognardia

New look for Neothera

2010-10-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

I've made some changes to my Neothera online gallery. Stop by and let me know what you think.

http://www.neothera.com/

WTF D&D

2010-10-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

I know most of you have seen this article before but its worth revisiting. They also go over some old modules like "Expedition to the Barrier Peaks".

WTF D&D

The Story So Far... Inside Castle Riveon

2010-08-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

The Story So Far…
Goldengrass the 24th – 25th, 1845

Outside the tomb of Minress Curthor, Svarnos came up with an ingenious plan to deal with the shadowy undead rats within. He instructed the strong warriors of the group to move some of the marble sarcophagi from the walls of the chamber they were in to create a barrier to prevent the swarm from entering the room. The party could then fight the creatures from on high if they stood atop the sarcophagi. When the doors would be opened he would first blast the swarm with a burning hands spell. The plan worked brilliantly as the flames of the spell consumed the entire swarm and the rats were burned to a crisp.

Inside the now unguarded tomb the adventurers were able to search the carved sarcophagus holding the remains of Minress Curthor. The corpse was just dry bones wearing a rotted cloth-of-gold shroud with wispy strands of golden hair still attached to its grinning skull. Yet, on the skull was a great treasure, a delicate tiara of platinum set with black opals. The treasure was taken and the party decided it was time to head to the long corridor that they discovered. The corridor they believed was the secret passage that led into Castle Riveon.

The 12’ high arched corridor was stoutly constructed by dwarven stonemasons yet time had still taken its toll on it. Water dripped from the ceiling in places and roots had caused the stone blocks to crack and crumble which created minor cave-ins.

They walked the corridor for a long stretch of time when Galifynakus noticed a refection on the ceiling directly ahead of them in the light from their lantern. It turned out to be a patch of green slime growing on the ceiling. The dwarves Gjord and Norgrim both knew of the acidic fungus, as it was a bane to dwarven miners. They also remembered that fire was the best way to destroy it. Using a torch, oil, and Svarnos’ burning hands spell again (recalled by the magical pearl of power) the disgusting slime was eliminated. In the process some of the nasty stuff slopped onto Galifynakus’ boot, destroying it, and burning the barbarians foot underneath.

The party continued on and finally came to the end of the passage where there was a sturdy iron ladder leading up to a solid marble trap door above. The group decided to rest and replenish their spells before trying the trap door so they spent the rest of the day in the underground passage. The next day they carefully ascended the ladder into the remains of a ruined chapel dedicated to Varcan. The heroes were within Castle Riveon!

In a small adjacent room they found a prayer book and some useful clerical scrolls hidden behind a loose brick in the hearth. The old map of the castle that was acquired by Eldan was produced and the party could see exactly where they were inside the stronghold. The plan was (as usual) to use the ever-faithful familiar Jarvis as a scout with Svarnos reporting back what the cat was seeing. Lono picked the long disused lock on the doors that led out of the chapel and the cat slunk through the doors to scout around.

Immediately the sound of a door opening behind the cat led to him seeing a strong-looking manacled dwarf being led by two black orcs through the hallway. The cat hid down another turn in the hall. Doing so caused him to pass a most peculiar door that was made of reddish colored metal with the image of a bearded horned demon-like face in its center. As the cat passed, the mouth of this face opened and said, “Oh! A kitty cat.” Jarvis, having no time for talking doors, ignored this and doubled back down the hall after the orcs and their captive.

Jarvis saw them enter the large wood and iron doors that led to the Great Hall and he was able to peer in after them as the doors were left ajar. The dwarf was led down a many pillared hall to stand before a figure seated on an ornate raised thrown flanked by tapestries. There were several orcs milling about and four armed half-orcs at the foot of the throne. The thin man upon the throne wore clothes of gray with a voluminous cloak and cowl that was drawn over his head keeping his face in shadow. Only his eyes that seemed to glow with a faint blue light could be seen under the hood and a gray beard hung down to the middle of his chest. The man questioned the dwarf and asked him with a mocking voice if he still refused to fight in the arena. The dwarf only glared at him. Angered that the prisoner wouldn’t answer he told the guards, “Feed him to Morgor.” The orcs roughly grabbed the doomed dwarf and began to take him out of the hall towards the castle courtyard. Jarvis ducked out of the way and returned to his master hiding in the chapel.

The adventurers had an argument about whether they should save the dwarf or not. Fionnula, Martijn, and Lono were the most opposed to the idea for they felt that it would alert the guardians of the castle to their presence. Svarnos and Gjord were determined to try to save him however. It was decided that Lono and Jarvis would go to the courtyard doors and try to see what could be done.

They crept to the doors without alerting anyone and looked out. The dwarf was being bound to a statue in the center of the courtyard. The sound of loud clanging metal that the party heard before when they saw the top of the castles High Tower dome peel back began to sound again. The flying monster was to be released!

The thief and the cat returned to the others and more arguing ensued. Svarnos decided he was at least going to try to use his message spell to communicate with the doomed dwarf. He snuck out with Jarvis to the doors but he was too late, for when he cast his spell he found no dwarf to communicate with. Svarnos returned and conveyed what happened to the others.

So, the party determined to continue with their stealthy exploration of the castle. They would try to enter one of the bedrooms and climb up the chimney to the roof of the structure if possible. From there maybe they could find a way into the High Tower.

They made their way to a bedroom that was richly furnished although a bit musty. The fireplace and chimney were large enough for a man to fit through, although it would be uncomfortable and sooty.
Lono was the first sent up and he made it to the bedroom on the second floor. He had to remove a grate that held old chunks of burnt wood that was blocking his progress. He lifted this and set it into the bedroom he was climbing into. To his shock he found that this room was occupied. A comely young woman with black hair and green eyes was sitting bolt upright in the bed with the blanket held tightly in her fists up to her chin and look of terror on her face. The soot covered rogue clambered into the room and said, “Don’t worry, I’m just your friendly neighborhood thief passing through.” The woman screamed, shot out of bed, and ran to the door. She began to cry out and pound on the door but it seemed that it was locked. Now that Lono saw her fully he could see that she was dressed in an immodest slip of a nightdress as if she had been awaiting a lover in the bedroom. He could also see that her back bore the mark of the whip upon it as well. Lono accosted the woman and pulled her away from the door. He treid to calm her but she kept crying out, “Illnath, Illnath!” Lono could think of nothing else to do so he slugged her. It took a couple punches (Lono is a lover not a fighter) but she was finally knocked out. Lono shimmied back down the chimney and told the party what happened. They’re reaction was one of horrified amusement.

The whole group came up the chimney then. Svarnos cast a charm person spell upon the young lady as Fionnula revived and tried to comfort her. They learned that the woman, Shianna, was abducted from her family’s farm near Arrain. From what they could tell Illnath was apparently using her as a sex slave and he visited her almost every night. She was kept prisoner in this room although she sometimes was sent to work in the kitchen with other slaves. The party noticed also that she seemed to have a strange devotion to Illnath and that she did not really speak ill of him calling him her lord and master. It was his servants that she feared. The heroes realized she was already under the effects of a charm spell from the illusionist.

While they were talking there was a knock on the door and it opened with a goblin carrying a tray of food. The creature barely set foot in the room when Gjord brained him with his hammer. They closed the door again.

So now, with a twice-charmed terrified slave girl and a dead goblin lying upon the bedroom floor our heroes began to formulate a plan.

Feel free to add anything you want in the comments and let me know if I missed something.

D&D This Saturday 8/28/10

2010-08-25T18:18:00.000-07:00

We're looking at 6:00pm. I'll try to get a synopsis up tomorrow.

Check out the Useful Links section in the sidebar for the new file and PDF page.

There you can download character sheets and check out the new layout of the Elethian Calendar.

Hopefully it'll make more sense now!

D&D Tomorrow

2010-07-23T17:40:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow

6pm

BE THERE!

Sounds like a threat doesn't it

If you get a chance please recopy your character sheet.

Thanks

The Story So Far... The Curthor Crypt

2010-07-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

Goldengrass the 23rd to the 25th, 1845

Having battled their way through the ruins of Riveon the party found the cemetery and the crypt of the Curthors - the last ruling family of the once grand citadel. Somewhere within the crypt is a secret passage that leads to the chapel inside the castle stronghold of the city.

Inside the crypt, the adventurers faced and defeated a host of undead horrors. Zombies and skeletons dressed in the rotted finery of noblemen and women, others armed as warriors and knights. They also met and destroyed a twisted wight-like horror that was filled with a necrotic energy that it used as a weapon sending forth terrible bolts of the foul stuff which paralyzed those that it struck. This fiend was also the source of the sinister music that sounded throughout the dark chambers of the crypt as the monster played an ancient organ in the underground temple which was its lair.

After the conflict with the creatures of undeath the party found refuge in a secret chamber that contained a glowing magical pool. This pool turned out to be a great boon to the party as it proved to be a blessed pool dedicated to the Immortal known as Numora -The Whisperer of Secrets (see the Immortals of Eleth from the old 2009 post). It not only healed and revived all who drank from it but it gave them strange unreachable experiences that entered the hidden recesses of their minds and strengthened them physically as well. (The party gained x.p. and 2 permanent h.p. to boot! Including Jarvis!)

The heroes also encountered the spirit of a boy who's appearance matched the eerie statue of Prince Garin Curthor in the main hallway of the crypt. The ever faithful Fionnula attempted to tell the spirit to pass on into the afterlife but the ghost was wholly evil and malicious and had to be destroyed.

A great amount of treasure was found in the south wing of the crypt after a battle with armored skeletons that burst forth from their ancient sarcophagi where a magic lance was found that had the ability to shrink down to a miniature replica so it could easily be carried.

More treasure was found in a flooded treasure room. The adventurers were able to avoid fighting the rooms inhabitant - a grayish ooze that lurked in the fetid water. They accomplished this with the use of Svarnos' magic wand of levitation with Gjord being the one to be levitated above the water.

In the North wing of the crypt the party was attacked as they inspected the sarcophagus of Lady Minress Curthor. It was as if a shadowy mass of crawling rats were gnawing at their feet. These things could not be clearly seen in the dim light of their lantern. When bit by these unseen vermin the heroes could feel their strength drawn from them. Fighting back against the them was difficult as the creatures were essentially invisible. The party fled the room and slammed the marble doors to the chamber behind them.

So, this is where we left our intrepid heroes still deep in the haunted depths of the Curthor Crypt.

Reading Posts

2010-07-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

Note. I would recommend reading Malavon posts on the actual blog. For some reason when the posts are translated into email format they get a bit wonky. Thanks.

The Quest for The Key to the Gate of Dreams

2010-07-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

A little excerpt from Lovecraft's The Silver Key that makes a case for having fantasy and wonder is ones life.

All the more reason to play D&D! We are planning for this Saturday July 24th at 6:00pm.

"When Randolph Carter was thirty he lost the key to the gate of dreams..."

"He had read much of things as they are, and talked with too many people. Well-meaning philosophers had taught him to look into the logical relations of things, and analyse the processes which shaped his thoughts and fancies. Wonder had gone away, and he had forgotten that all life is only a set of pictures in the brain, among which there is no difference betwixt those born of real things and those born of inward dreamings, and no cause to value the one above the other. Custom had dinned into his ears a superstitious reverence for that which tangibly and physically exists, and had made him secretly ashamed to dwell in visions. Wise men told him his simple fancies were inane and childish, and he believed it because he could easily see that they might be so. What he failed to recall was that the deeds of reality are just as inane and childish, and even more absurd because their actors persist in fancying them full of meaning and purpose as the blind cosmos grinds aimlessly on from nothing to something and from something back to nothing again, neither heeding nor knowing the wishes or existence of the minds that flicker for a second now and then in the darkness."

Creepy Creatures: Bestiary of the Bizarre finally out!

2010-07-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

Looks like I got the cover.

Creepy Creatures: Bestiary of the Bizarre

Davros the Hilarious Fascist

2010-07-03T13:50:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite Davros quote from Genesis of the Daleks a Tom Baker Dr. Who episode.

"Ours is the victory, Nyder. They talk of democracy, freedom, fairness. Those are the creeds of cowards! The ones who would listen to a thousand opinions and try to satisfy them all. Achievement comes through absolute power! And power through strength! They have lost!"

This from a guy in a funky wheelchair. You gotta love'im.

New Painting - Akivasha, The Woman who Never Died.

2010-07-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

My interpretation of the sexy vampire from the Conan story Hour of the Dragon by Robert Howard. There sure are a lot of scantily clad women those stories!

Malavon Awaits

2010-06-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

Just wondering when our next foray into Malavon will be taking place. You guys did exceptionally well last time considering all the horrific battles you went through. You should be getting some decent experience points.

By the way the girl in the ad is actually one of Gygax's daughters. (Not bad Gary - ROWR!)

The Story so Far.... The Ruins of Riveon

2010-06-11T19:44:00.000-07:00

1st Day, Goldengrass the 23rd, 1845

The adventurers are deep in the heart of the ruined citadel of Riveon.

Long ago the forces of the Shadow Dragon Zorvoath laid waste to the city and it is now under the dominion of a foul horde of orcs and other goblinoid creatures. Some power holds these chaotic creatures together as it is unusual for them to keep from cutting each others throats. So now, our intrepid party along with Eldan the ranger, Norgrim the dwarven bard, and the ever faithful Tursan are ready to explore the mystery of this fallen city and put an end to the evil.

The ranger Eldan, in his previous foray into the dire citadel, learned from an orc that he took prisoner that they have a master that they greatly fear called Gorthukon. From what Eldan could tell he thinks that this may be a shaman or wizard but he couldn't be sure. The orc also let out that the master has a "pet" that is almost as feared as he is. Eldan said that the description was vague, but it is possible that the creature could be a dragon.

In his quest to discover more of the lore of Riveon, Eldan discovered a secret way into the central fortress from a senile old dwarf in Senion. There was a secret tunnel from the Curthor tomb in the city's cemetery to the chapel within the castle itself. A way to strike at the heart of the enemy!

The dwarf even gave him some old maps of the castle as he had been one of the architects that had designed it. Armed with this knowledge Eldan felt confident that a small party of bold heroes could make a difference in Riveon where an army could not hope to assail it.

The adventurers remembered another reason why they were braving the perils of the city. The sorceress Aness had told them that she believed that a Shadow Cylinder (see previous posts) may be found within the city. She learned that Cyndara the court illusionist of Riveon had one in her possession before the downfall of the city and it was possible it was still there. If the party could retrieve this, Aness would have all three of the mysterious cylinders that contained a secret so great that she cast the geas upon the party so that they would tell no one.

Aness believed that this Gorthukon the captured orc spoke of could possibly be Illnath, Cyndara's apprentice that was believed to have betrayed his city and his mistress on the night the Shadow Dragon attacked.

With Lono leading the way the party sneaked into the heavily guarded city through destroyed sections on the north side of the surrounding defensive wall — a legacy of the city's downfall.

Svarnos, showing his usual resourcefulness, found a way to get a birds eye view of the layout of the city. Using the magic wand of levitation found in the ruins of Gormoon's tower he levitated his familiar cat Jarvis high into the air to report back to him what he saw. In doing this Svarnos was able to get a good idea of the layout of the city and even found the location of the cemetary.

Inside the city they found a once glorious place run to rot and ruin. There were burnt out and collapsed buildings and rotting husks of homes once populated by the men and women of Riveon. But not all the buildings were left derelict. There were barracks and worg stables for the awful orc soldiers. Smoke rose into the sky from forges and cooking fires. The party even found a church once dedicated to Varcan being used by the orcs for rights to their evil gods. Fionnula the Sister of Varcan led the way in making the orcs regret their sacrilege and not one orc in the church was left breathing.

So, the party wove a stealthy path through the city. They encountered ogres, goblins, worgs, and in addition to the typical orcs there was a larger black-skinned breed that fought like devils.

Slowly, the party was making its way to where they believe the cemetery to be. Suddenly, in the distance, the sound of orcish horns sounded answered by the howl of the wicked worgs. Dusk was settling over the broken towers of the city but our heroes with weapons drawn and magic as their ally were ready for anything.

Conan the Agnostic

2010-06-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

I've been on a Robert Howard kick lately since Alicia and Norb both got me Conan/Soloman Kane related stuff for my birthday.

I think this conversation between the pirate queen Belit and Conan from Queen of the Black Coast best sums up what the barbaric character is all about. I don't know why but something in it just resonates with me somehow. Although, on a much lamer level as I haven't done a lot of "slaying" recently and my adventures are just confined to my imagination.

Belit:

"What of your own gods? I have never heard you call on them."

Conan:

"Their chief is Crom. He dwells on a great mountain. What use to call on him? Little he cares if men live or die. Better to be silent than to call his attention to you; he will send you dooms, not fortune! He is grim and loveless, but at birth he breathes power to strive and slay into a man's soul. What else shall men ask of the gods?"

"But what of the worlds beyond the river of death?" she persisted.

"There is no hope here or hereafter in the cult of my people," answered Conan. "In this world men struggle and suffer vainly, finding pleasure only in the bright madness of battle; dying, their souls enter a gray misty realm of clouds and icy winds, to wander cheerlessly throughout eternity."

Belit shuddered. "Life, bad as it is, is better than such a destiny. What do you believe, Conan?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I have known many gods. He who denies them is as blind as he who trusts them too deeply. I seek not beyond death. It may be the blackness averred by the Nemedian skeptics, or Crom's realm of ice and cloud, or the snowy plains and vaulted halls of the Nordheimer's Valhalla. I know not, nor do I care. Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat and stinging wine on my palate, the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame and crimson, and I am content. Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content."

Posting Comments

2010-06-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

If you guys can please try to post any comments or anything else directly to the Malavon blog. This way we can all see the comment right under the related post. I plan on opening the blog so you all can create your own posts.

Thanks

D&D This Weekend, Monster Counters, and New Art at Neothera!

2010-06-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

Looking to get a session of D&D in on Saturday or Sunday evening. Alicia is free so let me know. I'll be putting up a brief synopsis before Saturday.

The Monster Counters site is up and running!

Here is the link http://www.monstercounters.com

Also, enjoy a new painting I just added to Neothera.

The Dark and the Light

A Farewell to Frank Frazetta (February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010)

2010-05-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

The Whisperer in Darkness

2010-04-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to an article from Grognardia that has a new trailer for the upcoming adaptation of The Whisperer in Darkness by the HP Lovecraft Society. The trailer looks good, I was afraid that this one being a "talkie" would be a little off but you can decide for yourself from the trailer.

I hope they mean that its coming out on October of this year.

http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2010/04/lovecraftian-serendipity.html

Where the line blurs between fantasy and reality.

2010-04-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

I love this image of the Iceland volcano.

I hope that this is really Tiamat trying to force her way into our world. It would be worth the world ending just to see that!

Tiamat

What Kind of D&D Character Would You Be?

2010-04-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if this quiz is accurate but it was fun to do anyway.

http://www.easydamus.com/character.html

Here was my result (I thought I was answering the questions as honestly as possible).

I Am A: True Neutral Human Druid (5th Level)

Ability Scores:

Strength-14

Dexterity-13

Constitution-12

Intelligence-14

Wisdom-14

Charisma-11

Alignment:
True Neutral A true neutral character does what seems to be a good idea. He doesn't feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos. Most true neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality. Such a character thinks of good as better than evil after all, he would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones. Still, he's not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way. Some true neutral characters, on the other hand, commit themselves philosophically to neutrality. They see good, evil, law, and chaos as prejudices and dangerous extremes. They advocate the middle way of neutrality as the best, most balanced road in the long run. True neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you act naturally, without prejudice or compulsion. However, true neutral can be a dangerous alignment because it represents apathy, indifference, and a lack of conviction.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Class:
Druids gain power not by ruling nature but by being at one with it. They hate the unnatural, including aberrations or undead, and destroy them where possible. Druids receive divine spells from nature, not the gods, and can gain an array of powers as they gain experience, including the ability to take the shapes of animals. The weapons and armor of a druid are restricted by their traditional oaths, not simply training. A druid's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that they can cast.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

Encumbrance

2010-04-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

Encumbrance. Ah yes, the word that I know you guys all love to hear when we enter into one of gaming sessions. In this video from Troll Lord Games you get a visual example of what your character looks like carrying all that crap around.

Encumbrance

An inspiring short message about RPGs

2010-04-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

This is a great inspirational message about Castles and Crusades from one of the Troll Lord guys.

Troll Lord Games Message

In Search of the Unknown

2010-04-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

Tips for playing D&D from the first module produced for the D&D Basic set. It still holds up as good advice actually.

Although all the stuff about respect and not arguing probably won't hold over very well with us. Especially after a couple of beers have been drunk.

TIPS FOR PLAYERS

Beginning players would do well to profit from some basic advice before beginning their D&D careers, and with that in mind, the following points are offered for consideration:

1) Be an organized player. Keep accurate records on your character (experience, abilities, items possessed, etc.) for your own purposes and to aid the Dungeon Master.

2) Always keep in mind that the Dungeon Master is the moderator of the game, and as such, deserves the continued cooperation, consideration and respect of all the players. If you disagree with him or her, present your viewpoint with deference to the DM's position as game judge, but be prepared to accept his or her decision as final—after all, keep in mind that you may not know all aspects of the overall game situation, and in that case, not everything will always go your way!

3) Cooperate with your fellow players and work together when adventuring. Remember that on any foray into the dungeon or wilderness, a mix of character classes will be beneficial, since the special abilities of the various characters will complement each other and add to the overall effectiveness of the party.

4) Be neither too hasty nor too sluggish when adventuring. If you are too fast in your exploration, you may recklessly endanger yourself and your fellow adventurers and fall prone to every trick and trap you encounter. If you are too slow, you will waste valuable time and may be waylaid by more than your share of wandering monsters without accomplishing anything. As you gain playing experience you will learn the proper pace, but rely on your DM for guidance.

5) Avoid arguing. While disagreements about a course of action will certainly arise from time to time, players should quickly discuss their options and reach a consensus in order to proceed. Bickering in the dungeon will only create noise which may well attract wandering monsters. Above all, remember that this is just a game and a little consideration will go far toward avoiding any hard feelings . . .

6) Be on your guard. Don't be overly cautious, but be advised that some non-player characters may try to hoodwink you, players may doublecross you, and while adventuring, tricks and traps await the unwary. Of course, you won't avoid every such pitfall (dealing with the uncertainties is part of the fun and challenge of the game), but don't be surprised if everything is not always as it seems.

7) Treat any retainers or NPCs fairly. If you reward them generously and do not expose them to great risks of life and limb that your own character would not face, then you can expect a continuing loyalty (although there may be exceptions, of course).

8) Know your limits. Your party may not be a match for every monster you encounter, and occasionally it pays to know when and how to run away from danger. Likewise, a dungeon adventure may have to be cut short if your party suffers great adversity and/or depleted strength. Many times it will take more than one adventure to accomplish certain goals, and it will thus be necessary to come back out of a dungeon to heal wounds, restore magical abilities and spells, and reinforce a party's strength.

9) Use your head. Many of the characters' goals in the game can be accomplished through the strength of arms or magic. Others, however, demand common sense and shrewd judgment as well as logical deduction. The most successful players are those who can effectively use both aspects of the game to advantage.

10) The fun of a D&D game comes in playing your character's role. Take on your character's persona and immerse yourself in the game setting, enjoying the fantasy element and the interaction with your fellow players and the Dungeon Master.

Varcan The Message-Bringer

2010-04-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

Here is another drawing from my sketchbook. This is the statue of Varcan that your characters have come across before. Also, at the end of this post I have a listing of the Octadic Creed of Varcan. It will help flesh out the religion that both Fionnula and Martijn follow.

Varcan

This statue of the Immortal known as Varcan the Message Bringer can be seen standing before the doors of his temples. The scene depicted is known as the "Exalting". It shows Varcan taking the soul of a departed faithful cleric to his hallowed realm.

Each motto of this creed represents a point upon the cross of Varcan which is a symbol of the pathway to his realm.

The Octadic Creed of Varcan

Always be kind and never cruel.
Give mercy to those that ask for it.
Thou shalt never lie and remain faithful to thy pledged word.
Thou shalt respect all those whom are weak, the poor and the innocent, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.
Be charitable to others and give to those in need.
Live a pure and noble life.
Suffer no undead creature to exist for they are a blight and a great evil upon the world.
Thou shalt be everywhere and always thy champion of the Right, the Good and the True, and forever the foe of Injustice, Tyranny and Evil.

Aness

2010-04-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a drawing from my sketchbook of how I envision the sorceress Aness.

Aness

The alluring and potent elven sorceress that lives in a magically protected tower north of the town of Berengel.

Note: If anyone wants to make a comment please try to not email me directly but post it up in the comments in the blog. This way we can all read them and this blog won't look so dead. Thanks.

The Story so Far XIII

2010-03-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

I'll have our last adventure up soon, this is our previous adventure.

6th Day, Goldengrass the 12th, 1845

7th Day, Goldengrass the 20th, 1845

The days passed swiftly for the adventurers as they planned for their expedition to Riveon. Svarnos took advantage of learning some new spells from Aness' spellbooks, and the party spent their days either at Aness' tower visiting with her apprentice Vanen or in Berengel at the Jaded Unicorn. During this time Aness was showing signs of fatigue and stress that the party attributed to her possession of two of the Shadow Cylinders. Aness admitted this was true and claimed that she could hear voices at night in the dark, see fleeting shadowy forms at the edge of her vision, and she had the constant feeling of being watched.

For their journey to Riveon, Aness let the party borrow a magic ring of spell storing with a Lightning Bolt spell stored within. She also used her spells to identify the magic items that the party possessed.

As the days passed the heroes began to notice that every time they were leaving the tower there were three horsemen that they could see in the distance on the road towards Berengel. At first they thought this was a coincidence as there are usually regular travelers on the road between Berengel and Grisoan. Soon however, they began to suspect that they were being watched as the riders appeared more often than not. The party decided to concoct a plan to discover who the riders could be.

In the afternoon of Goldengrass the 20th, Svarnos sent his familiar cat Jarvis out of the tower to investigate. The cat stealthily watched the riders from the cover of the rocks to the east of the road. They were gray cloaked and hooded men mounted upon warhorses. Their dark hoods hid their faces, they wore plate breastplates of dull metal and clothes in dark shades of gray, and they were armed with longswords. As the cat watched (sending his senses back to his master) one of the men temporarily removed a glove revealing a hand of dark gray skin and pale colored nails.

The adventurers committed themselves to solving this mystery and endeavored to discover why they were being watched. They decided to leave the tower to head back towards town and Svarnos would concentrate on his familiar to see what the riders would do. As soon as the party was mounted the riders began to head back towards Berengel. Svarnos sent Jarvis after them and the familiar ran at top speed to keep up with the riders. Gjord led Svarnos' horse so he could keep his attention upon his familiar.

A the riders approached the gate the one in the middle seemed to incant some sort of spell. He suddenly transformed into a golden haired young man in a bright blue cloak that waved a greeting to the guard as they sped through the gate. The exhausted familiar followed the riders through the gate but lost them on a side street from the main road.

The party rode back to The Jaded Unicorn and Lono was sent to scout out the area where the riders were last seen. Turning around after heading down a dead end alley, Lono saw the riders (none of which resembled a blonde haired man) pass the mouth of the alley. Lono followed them and the riders took up a position down the street in sight of The Jaded Unicorn. It appeared they were watching the party again.

Lono snuck back to The Jaded Unicorn and entered (after picking the lock) through the back door which brought him into the inns kitchen He finagled his way past a cauldron scrubbing barmaid, first pretending to be a delivery man, and then telling her that he wished to surprise his friend who was out in the bar. The daft wench was a bit charmed by the rogue and let him through a door into the common room of the inn. He came out and announced "Happy Birthday!" to his friends as he sidled past the confused barkeep. Lono then related what happened out on the street with the riders to the rest of the party.

Gjord came up with a plan to trap the riders. They sent Jarvis out to keep an eye on them and report back to Svarnos. Then Fionnula was sent out as bait to see if she would be followed. The rest of the party would then come out and try to trap them. To the party's consternation only one rider followed after the half-elven cleric but they thought might still trap at least the one. As Fionnula turned down a side street the rest of the party followed but they in turn were pursued by the two remaining riders. They knew that this would happen but they were determined to try to trap at least one of the riders.

After she turned down the side street Fionnula accidentally gave her self away by trying to cast a Protection From Evil spell upon herself. The rider that was following her turned his horse about and tried to get back to his comrades. This drove him almost right into the middle of the following adventurers and he had to violently reign his horse in to try to turn about. Knowing that they would never catch up to him on foot Svarnos cast a Sleep spell upon both rider and horse. The cloaked riders warhorse fell to the ground beneath him asleep as the rider jumped clear and landed on his feet. The rider than whipped his longsword from his scabbard to meet the attack of the charging adventurers. Martijn, Gjord, and Tursan took the fight to the single rider as the rest of the party prepared to take on the others that were fast approaching.

The three warriors swung their weapons at the rider but he parried and dodged most of their attacks but Gjord was able to get one good strike in. Suddenly, one of the approaching riders from behind incanted a spell and the three fighters fell to the ground before their enemy overtaken my a magical Sleep spell. One of the mysterious riders was obviously a wizard. Svarnos rushed forward to awaken Martijn and as he did so the rider they had been battling turned his longsword point downward and set it against Gjord's throat! He called out to the party (which were about to engage the other riders) to stop fighting and lay down their weapons. Fionulla came around from the side street then and attempted to use the Wand of Fear that they had acquired in their last adventure. The wands spell washed over the rider but he resisted its power and almost plunged his sword into the dwarf. A tense stand off had begun.

In the midst of the conflict the cowls of the riders had fallen back to reveal their eerie visages. They all had skin of a dusky dark gray hue, gray hair, and dead white eyes showing no pupils. They looked like men that had been drained of all color. There were some townsfolk in the street that were watching the conflict and most of them cried out and fled when they saw the faces of the riders.

The stand off led to a tragic conclusion. The adventurers were at a loss of what to do as the valiant dwarf was at the mercy of their enemies. Martijn had been awakened by Svarnos but continued to feign sleep in hope of catching their enemy unaware. The riders grouped together around the helpless dwarf and one dismounted and kicked the sleeping horse to awaken it. The rider that was threatening to kill the dwarf shouted for the party to get back. One rider that seemed to be the leader (and the spellcaster) proclaimed that the party was being deceived by the elven sorceress Aness and that they knew that she possessed the Shadow Cylinders. Svarnos began questioning the riders in hope of wasting time as he knew that the Sleep spell upon the dwarf would eventually end.

Lono, forgetting about the Geas upon him, spoke up and let slip his knowledge about the cylinders! He felt the spell subtly take hold and he knew he had erred as soon as the words left his mouth. Lono, unfamiliar with powerful magics like the Geas, wondered if he would drop dead at any moment.

NOTE: I can't remember exactly what Lono said. So maybe you guys can fill me in.

The strange riders knew that the wizard was purposely wasting time. They told the party that they were leaving and that the battle was over. The one threatening Gjord shouted for them to get further back down the street. The heroes were at a loss of what to do as they did not want the riders to escape but the at the same time the dwarven warrior's life was hanging by a thread.

Finally, realizing that the effects of the Sleep spell would end soon the one on Gjord shouted for the party to run away. The adventurers, thinking he was bluffing, stood their ground. It was then that evil rider thrust his sword into the defenseless dwarfs neck! Martijn, who was feigning sleep, tried to thrust out with his dagger at the rider but he was not fast enough to stop the slaying of the dwarf.

Horrified and angered the party went into action. The fighters took the attack to the one that had killed Gjord and Galyfinakus destroyed him with a powerful sweep of his two-handed sword. The creature faded away into a cloud of grey smoke leaving a heap of his clothes, armor, and weapons behind. The other riders tried to escape. A furious Svarnos took out a powerful scroll of Lightning Bolt that they had discovered in Gormoon's tower and used it to blast the other dismounted rider (the spell caster). All that was left of him was a smoking pile of his equipment.

The last rider began to try to ride away down the street and Svarnos launched a Magic Missile spell at his horse in hopes of taking it down under its rider. The spell struck but the rider was able to escape.

Gjord was dead and it was soon obvious that the party was ready to do anything in their power to change this dire situation. For the heroes knew that there were powerful magics that could recall a being back from the grip of death. Not knowing what else to do Svarnos wanted to go see Aness to see if she knew of any way to accomplish this. Fionnula and Martijn wanted to find a temple to the Immortal that they worshipped, Varcan. Powerful priests of Varcan have the power to raise the dead.

As the party was discussing this, men-at-arms of the town watch had finally arrived, and wanted to know what happened. The party told them and many townsfolk in the street corroborated their story. The men-at-arms took possession of the horses of the riders and told Martijn how to get to a shrine dedicated to Varcan that was located nearby.

Martijn, Fionnula, and Tursan took Gjord's body to the shrine while the rest of the group went back to the sorceresses tower. Both groups were successful in their endeavors to some extent.

Aness was furious at Lono when she discovered he had activated the Geas and she told him she should let the spell take its hold. She calmed down however, when she realized he had only spoken of the Shadow Cylinders and had not mentioned the passing of the archmage Moandor. She would remove the spell that bound him and then cast the Geas again upon him. Aness also told them that she could recall the dwarf back from death but she needed the proper components. Namely 5,000 gold pieces worth of diamonds. She would cast her most potent spell, Limited Wish, that could mimic the power of even a clerical spell.

Martijn and Fionulla found no cleric of sufficient power to raise the dead at the small shrine. An old priest named Omarth who kept the shrine took pity on the adventurers and their dead comrade. He revealed that there was a trust of treasure that was being attained for the construction of an actual temple to Varcan in Berengel. He said that the high priest that had passed away years ago had the means to raise the dead and there was a cache of diamonds for just that purpose secreted away by the remaining clergy. Fionnula knew this ids what they would need if they found someone to cast the spell. Without hesitation they exchanged the glorious sapphire of Gormoon for the diamonds. They thought that they could find a cleric at the temple to Varcan in Wychton so they went to seek the others.

Eventually the party came together and the body of the dwarf was taken to Aness and her conjuration room. She invoked her most powerful spell and sprinkled the diamonds upon the dwarf which turned into a phosphorescent dust as they fell. The body glowed with an eerie light and suddenly the wound upon the dwarfs neck was gone and Gjord's eyes fluttered open. He was among the living again.

They heroes gave a sigh of relief and they were happy to have the stout dwarf back. Gjord had no memory of what occurred and was surprised to find himself where he was. He was also greatly weakened by his ordeal. Aness comforted him and the party saw a brief moment of tenderness from the usually stern and enigmatic demeanor of the elven sorceress.

She told the party that they should continue upon the adventure that they had meant to set out upon. Riveon was waiting and that possibly another Shadow Cylinder could be found there. This would be one way they could strike a blow against the Shadow Dragon and his minions.

Aness said the mysterious riders were creatures called Shades. Servants of Zorvoath the Shadow Dragon, these were beings that had given over their life essence for that of the demi-plane of Shadow. This shadow essence gave them supernatural abilities and it was a quick way to power. It also enslaved them to Zorvoath's will. These creatures were drawn to things of the shadow plane like the Shadow Cylinders and anyone who bore these was not safe from them.

Aness looked weary and she asked the party to be on with their quest as soon as possible. The sooner that the mystery of the Cylinders was revealed it would be better for them all.

The Books that Founded D&D

2010-03-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting article I found by James Maliszewski the prolific writer of the Grognardia blog. If you ever wondered what books most influenced the creation of D&D here is a complete list with descriptions on how they influenced the game.

I would also suggest checking out Grognardia itself for a host of great articles on D&D and swords and sorcery pulp fantasy in general.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/days-of-high-adventure/6791-The-Books-That-Founded-D-D

D&D Kitteh

2010-02-24T14:46:00.000-08:00

The Story So Far XII

2010-02-24T14:38:00.000-08:00

NOTE: You may notice many more details in this synopsis than you remember. Be assured these are all thing that I want you to know. -EJ

Festival of High Summer

Day One
1845

Our heroes awaited the festivities that would begin as soon as Wyrlos began to rise into the sky that evening. Galthran's acolytes Faysa and Ulath set a large oaken table outside the lodge and a large fire-pit was prepared. Galthran hunted early in the day and returned with a deer that would be prepared for the festival dinner that evening. The druid also brought out some barrels of hard cider that he had made for the occasion.

Soon other friends of the druid began to appear. A younger red haired druid that went by the name of Khorgal armed with a scimitar and wearing leather armor with robes of a brown hue arrived first. Later, four elven travelers from the Silverwood strode into the clearing. They wore simple tunics and trousers of silver and green colors and were armed with long bows. They introduced themselves as Galadren (obviously the leader), Lamial (who also bore a mandolin amongst his gear), Arost, and Elil (an elf-maiden that brought a flute with her). They had all come to spend the festival days with the druids. Galadren also announced that he had brought several bottles of elven feywine to share amongst the revelers.

The elves and druids performed some rites and observances within the stone circle as dusk approached.

The night finally arrived and Wyrlos rose up in all its majesty.

As it rose Svarnos remembered from his studies of arcane knowledge that it is theorized by some wizards that this mysterious moon is the conduit of magic to the world of Eleth.

The heroes were treated to a feast and the elves along with Norgrim the dwarven bard began to play upon their instruments. Norgrim and Gjord sung some time-honored dwarven songs and Galifynakus showed off his singing skills by belting out a song of celebration that he used to sing among his clan.

Some of the adventurers wanted to sample the feywine that the elves were drinking. The elves warned them that the wine effected non-elvish folk in strange ways and it would be wise for them to wait a couple days before sampling it so as not to miss the rest of the festival. Lamial told them how the wine was made from the Fainbereth flower. This sacred flower is believed by the elves to be where the elven race came forth from in the deeps of time. It could put a drinker who is not a pure elf into a deep sleep that could last weeks. Lamial said that if they do drink it that they should wait until the third night of the festival when Wyrlos is highest in the sky. He told them that when the feywine is drunk during the Festival of High Summer it could bring strange prophetic dreams. The heroes took his advice. So, the adventurers partied, feasted, and drank as the orange ochre hue of Wyrlos shone upon them.

At one point a shape could be seen moving through the trees towards the stone circle upon the hill. As the figure emerged from the trees the revelers saw what appeared to be a nude woman of unearthly beauty walking up the hill to the stone circle. She had long honey colored hair that blew about her in the warm summer breeze. Galthran told them all to be silent and not to approach her, as this was nymph that had come to visit the sacred stones. All who looked upon her could feel an uncontrollable wild passion building within them. Their hearts hammered in their chests as if it were trying to break free. The fey creature walked to the middle of the stones and turned towards the gathering. She seemed to give a slight almost imperceptible nod to Galthran and then she vanished from sight. Immediately, everyone felt the enchantment break and they were themselves again. Galthran related how nymphs were quite rare in the Ivy Forest and that one may have been the only solitary nymph in the forest. He said that nymphs were dangerous unpredictable creatures and if that one had chose to reveal her full beauty upon them their hearts may have burst from sheer passion. The elves told the adventurers that the standing stones were a fey crossroads that could transport those who stepped between them during the Festival far away to other fey crossroads. The elves intended to make use of the stones on the final night of the Festival.

After this the first night of the festival was over.

Festival of High Summer

Day Two
1845

On the second day the grig leader Nuur k’k’ and a five other grigs came to join the party as they heard that there was feywine to be had. That evening they accompanied the other musicians with their small fiddles. Always a mischievous lot they used their magic to cause the adventurers to dance an irresistible charmed dance. Only some were affected, but others joined the enchanted dancers and raucous group enjoyed the joke.

At one point in the evening a flight of pixies glowing with faerie fire swirled into view. The diminutive translucent winged creatures sipped from the cups of the elves and then proceeded to cast a glamer of a group of ghostly riders chasing a stag through the woods. The elves clapped and called out with appreciation of the spectacle. The pixies then proceeded to the stone circle and vanished.

Festival of High Summer

Day Three
1845

This night was the height of the festival and the night that the party would sample the feywine. Galadren, the leader of the group of elves, took out some fine crystal cups and began to pour out the wine. Martijn and Lono refrained as the knight wanted to stay in control and aware of what was happening and the thief was a little wary. When Galadren handed a cup to Gjord he said that he wished this to symbolize another healing of the rift between their two races. Gjord agreed heartily. Galifynakus then Gjord partook of the wine and the others waited to watch how they reacted. First they became quite inebriated and in time they began to see a faint glowing aura of multicolored light coming from the trees the grass and their fellow revelers. Elil, the elf maiden, explained that they were seeing the emanations of the life force that all living things emit. The others except for the knight and the thief then began to drink the feywine as well. In time they would suffer the full consequences of drinking feywine under the light of the High Summer moon.

Four magnificent unicorns then emerged from the forest and they made their way to the stone circle. The elves and the druids were in awe for this was a living symbol of the nature deity Duvarion the Grey Unicorn. The druids got to their knees in supplication at the foot of the hill. The unicorns seemed to be drawing a strange ectoplasmic mist from the stones that swirled about their horns as if they were drawing some power from them. Suddenly they neighed and began to charge down the side of the hill right at the kneeling druids. The acolytes began to arise and back away in fear but Galthran stood his ground. The unicorns charged right at him but right before they collided with him there was a flash and they vanished. Galthran said that unicorns had blessed their gathering and he took it as a personal sign from the deity Duvarion. The druid told of how unicorns had not been seen in the forest since before the time of the Shadow Dragon and that their appearance here was a good indication that things were changing for the better.

All who drank the feywine were soon unable to see as the glowing echo intensified and soon drowned out all other vision. They then fell into a trance where they muttered strange cryptic phrases in archaic elvish. After this they fell into an enchanted sleep and were subject to the strange prophetic dreams that the wine brought.

NOTE: If you could all do me favor and enter your dreams in the comments I would appreciate it, as I don’t have all the descriptions with me. –EJ

Festival of High Summer

Day Four & Day Five

1845

The rest of the festival days were anticlimactic after that night although Lono did consume of the feywine on the following night. His half-elven blood served him well however and he resisted the effects of the potent wine although he still had a strange dream. Martijn stood firm on his decision and kept in control. Lono and the grigs had some fun at Gjord and Galifynakus’ expense as they kept arranging their sleeping bodies in awkward positions of embrace. Martijn looked upon this tomfoolery with disdain, which made them all laugh harder.

On the final night the elves said their farewells and used the fey crossroads to return to the Silverwood. The grigs also left, bounding into the woods, after thanking them all again. The enchanted sleepers continued to sleep. So, our heroes had an extended stay with the druids although only Lono, Martijn, Tursan, Norgrim, and the cat Jarvis would remember it. Though they awoke at different times they did not all awaken until the morning of the 9th of Goldengrass! The druids took care of the sleepers during this time and fed them a concoction of nuts, berries, and milk to sustain them.

2^nd Day, Goldengrass the 9th, 1845

Later that day Galthran led them to the edge of the forest to return to the road back to Sulthe. Before they departed Galthran said he was glad to have made new friends and he gave them each a carved wooden oak leaf on a woven necklace. He said that no fey creatures of the Ivy Forest would harass them if they wore these. The party thanked him for the gift and the hospitality he had shone. They then proceeded northward to Sulthe to find the elf jeweler Rumil.

Near dusk they knocked on the jewelers door and he let them in. Rumil was happy to see them as it had been some time (25 days to be exact) and the elf was worried that they did not survive their foray into Gormoon’s ruined tower. They showed him the recovered sapphire and the elf’s eyes shone with delight. He said that he would have the gem cut by tomorrow evening. So the party left him to his work and they left their horses behind, as the elf had taken good care of them (especially after the small fortune they left behind for their care). They proceeded into the city to find an inn.

They got into the city right before the city guards were about to close the gate for the evening. They went to the Laughing Ogre a small cozy inn located near the south gate owned by two sisters that are known to have some magical talent. Their names are Beruna and Leanna and they both are middle-aged women with dark brown hair and green eyes (in fact they look very similar). They always keep a wand or two in their belts as they are tending the bar. Svarnos, remembering that they were wizards, asked if they knew anything about fixing their torn Bag of Holding. The sisters looked skeptical that it would be possible to fix. It was at this point that Leanna remembered that someone was looking for a party matching their description. She said a ranger named Eldan was looking for them and if they wished they could seek him out at the Jaded Unicorn in Berengel as he would be there for the rest of the month. This excited the heroes, as the last they heard of Eldan was that he was gathering information about the ruins of Riveon. They intended to meet up with him as soon as possible. Gjord, Martijn, and Galifynakus then decided to have a drinking contest. They purchased a whole bottle of Hadramoorian Firewater (this is what drew the Hadramoorian knight into the challenge) and began taking shots. Beruna called out that a drinking contest was going on and some of the patrons of the inn gathered round and started placing bets. Many shots later Martijn passed out, followed by the dwarf, and the barbarian won the contest. In fact he proceeded to finish off the whole bottle! The crowd applauded as Galifynakus broke into a drunken song. The sisters said that his feat of drinking would be remembered for some time at the Laughing Ogre.

3^rd Day, Goldengrass the 10th, 1845

The next day the party (with some hung-over members) explored the city and purchased some new provisions, clothes, and even masterwork weapons with their newfound wealth. Later in the evening they went back to Rumil who showed them the fantastic results of his work. The sapphire was now a true treasure expertly cut and as they held it in their hands it reflected the light into bluish rays like a thousand distant stars. Rumil thanked them again concerning his daughter and he said that he would be returning to Avaneth shortly so they probably would not see each other again although he hoped that one day they would. They party returned to the city and spent another night at the Laughing Ogre (stabling their horses this time).

4^th Day, Goldengrass the 10th, 1845

6^th Day, Goldengrass the 12^th, 1845

It took two days to travel to Berengel by way of Grisoan. Grisoan proved to be a small wood and earthwork-fortified town. The place had a feeling of a large barracks as it was populated with many soldiers. This town was staging area for the constant watch upon the lands to the north that are under the dominion of the Shadow Dragon. They stayed at the Golden Barrel Inn.

On the way just outside Berengel they passed the tower of Aness the elven sorceress. They were a bit wary encountering her just yet however due to what Lono saw in his feywine induced dream. (See comments for the dream.)

They finally arrived in Berengel by noontime. They finally met up with Eldan at the Jaded Unicorn and this is what the weather worn ranger told them.

Eldan

He had been scouting the area around Riveon and he had even entered the citadel itself. The outer city wall of the ruin was mostly still intact except for two places upon its northern side facing the River Arcas. Orcs patrol the walls, which are battlemented stone and stand 20’ tall with 30’ guard towers at various intervals. Inside most of the buildings are burnt out, collapsed due to neglect, or just rotting husks. Some are being used as barracks, warg stables, storage, and smithies. Creatures that Eldan saw other than orcs included, wargs, goblins (that seemed to be subjugated by the orcs), ogres and a vicious larger breed of what looked like some sort of monstrous orc. For lack of a better name Eldan called them “Black Orcs”. Some of these orcs bore shields bearing the dragonhead device – a symbol of the Shadow Dragon.

Eldan said that there was a fortress in the center of the city with a high tower rising above it. The top of the tower appeared to be made of glass and iron like a large domed greenhouse.

Eldan was discovered and barely escaped with his life. He used an old ranger trick and used black pepper to hinder the scent trail of the wargs.

Some days later he captured a lone orc and got some information out of him before he sent him to the Nine Hells. There is a ruler of the ruined citadel that the orc called Gorthukon (which means master in orcish) and from what the ranger could gather he does not think it is an orc. The main fortress is only manned by the “Black Orcs” no other orcs are allowed within. The orc was also afraid that if he told too much the master would feed him to his pet, which he seemed terrified of. The descriptions that the foul creature gave Eldan were vague but Eldan thinks it may be a dragon of some kind.

After his scouting mission Eldan traveled to the city of Senion to visit the great library there. He hoped to find maps or other pertinent information about Riveon. He found nothing but a list of names of designers and architects of the city and the great fortress. He saw that all were human and most assuredly long dead except for one who was a dwarf and possibly still alive. The dwarfs name was Brognor and he was actually a somewhat famous architect having designed a great many structures in his time. The ranger went to the local stonemasons guild and discovered that the dwarf was alive and living in Senion!

Eldan found the dwarf and the poor old coot was quite senile. His son was taking care of him and helped Eldan in his conversation with the dwarf. Brognor gave Eldan some old maps of the fortress of Riveon once the home of Duke Curthor Malavon and his family. He told of how Duke Curthor had them design and construct an underground tunnel leading from the castle chapel to the family vault in the cemetery as he wished upon occasion to visit and pray among the bones of his ancestors without having to stroll amongst the commoners of the city to do it. Eldan knew he had found a possibly way into the heart of the fortress and his dream of rooting out the evil of Riveon looked as if it could come true.

The Maps of Castle Riveon

He asked the adventurers if they still wished to join him. Most were in agreement and Martijn saw this as an honorable quest. Lono and Svarnos needed a little coaxing however but were convinced when Eldan spoke of the treasures that assuredly laid in wait for those bold enough to seek them.

The party wanted to visit with Aness and her apprentice Vanen however. They were curious about Lono’s dream and they thought maybe the sorceress knew something more about Riveon.

Svarnos, Martijn, and Lono took off for the sorceresses’ tower and they left the black cylinder behind with the party. At the entrance to the tower the magical stone golem that guards it allowed them to pass and the door opened. Vanen and Aness both greeted them warmly and took them to a sitting room to have some tea. Svarnos tried to ask about fixing the Bag of Holding again but the sorceress dashed his hopes completely this time as she told him it would be easier to create a new one (which is really no easy task). The wizard then began to ask her about other items that they had and Aness asked where they acquired them. The wizard vaguely stated that they were fighting bugbears in the Ivy Forest and that is where they acquired the magical items. This led to a play of words that led to a discussion of a black cylinder.

NOTE: I am leaving this part unclear, as I can’t exactly remember how the discussion of the cylinder came about. Svarnos was being vague as he wanted more clues but was loath to give away that they had a cylinder. I know that Aness detected deception from Svarnos and soon the party was revealing more information with Lono even relating his dream to her. If you guys could help me out in the comments it would be greatly appreciated. -EJ

Aness said she would not speak more on the subject unless she cast the Geas (a spell that places a magical command upon a person to carry out some service or to refrain from some action, as desired by the wizard) that upon the heroes. For she did not want what she was to say to ever be told to anyone else. Svarnos and Lono were very reluctant to have this happen but Martijn (in his usual fashion) knelt before the sorceress and stated that he would accept whatever charge she would lay upon him. There was an argument but eventually the heroes could see they would get no further with Aness without the Geas. They said they must have the sanction and the presence of the rest of their party before making such a decision. They returned to the inn and explained the situation to the rest of the group. There was some trepidation from Eldan and Norgrim but Tursan was ready to follow Martijn’s lead as usual. So, they returned to the tower after dusk fell and Aness was ready with her spell to begin the casting of the Geas upon them. Svarnos and Fionnula could tell that the spell was enhanced somehow as the Geas is usually cast upon one individual creature at a time but this spell seemed to effect the whole party. Even Vanen her apprentice had it cast upon him. Now that they were under the spell, Aness seemed to relax and she began to tell them of what she called the Shadow Cylinders.

“There are three cylinders containing the sundered fragments of the scroll of Myrthas. Myrthas was the archmage that founded the Wizard’s Isle over 900 years ago. Myrthas was a gifted seer and shortly before his death he used powerful magic to see far into the future to find out what would be the outcome of his teaching others his arcane secrets. He feared that in time the power that he shared for the sake of his fellow men would be corrupted and used for evil purposes. Using complex supernatural rites he hurled his sight far into future time and saw the events of many centuries in a single moment.”

“Thus, he witnessed the coming of the Shadow Dragon Zorvoath. He realized that this entity was to be the greatest threat to the lands he had known and loved all his life. So, he planned a way to thwart this coming evil. Calling upon the forces of the elemental planes he created a magical artifact. A scroll upon which was written a secret plan to halt the dark future that he had witnessed in his prophecy. The scroll was not written in ink upon parchment. It was sorcerously created out of alien substances from other planes. The scroll was indecipherable and Myrthas told that it would reveal its secret when its need was greatest. This secrecy was needed because Myrthas also saw that if those who would ally themselves with the Shadow Dragon ever read the scroll they could undo his plan.”

“After the passing of Myrthas the scroll was secured in Myrthas’ Tower that which we now know as the Howling Tower. Over the centuries it was forgotten and the tower stood alone in the wilderness, yet still defended by magical servants and spells.”

“Only after the coming of Zorvoath was the existence of the scroll rediscovered by the wizard Moandor, the current archmage of Vegraine. Yet, the discovery was too late. After Pelegrim, Myrthas’ Tower was the next stronghold to be assaulted and taken. It is believed that somehow Zorvoath knew about the prophecy and his attack upon the tower was solely aimed at obtaining it. Thus depriving his victims of their only true hope against him. Moandor used his powers to discover the fate of the scroll and he found that the Dragon had his fanatic warlocks try to destroy the scroll for they could not decipher the runes upon it. The scroll proved impossible to destroy and they were only capable of rending it into three pieces. In frustration they encased each piece into magic prisons – cylinders made of bizarre metal from the demi-plane of Shadow. These warlocks then tried to send the pieces into that dire plane. In this they were incapable for the spells that Myrthas cast upon the scroll went into action. The fragments of the scroll (though unable to shed their cylindrical prisons) teleported away from the clutches of Zorvoath.”

Aness related how she now suspected that the fragments went to each of the good-hearted archmages in Malavon. Each found the cylinder within their treasuries but they never spoke of it to each other for there was a great rivalry based upon foolish pride between them. The archmages were Moandor (Aness knew about his possession of a cylinder for he was her mentor in the magical arts), Gormoon (who’s cylinder was found by our heroes), and Cyndara court magician of Riveon. Cyndara was an illusionist of great power and not really an archmage, her title among wizards was Mistress of Phantasms.

Then Aness told them the greatest secret and this was the main reason she had put them under the Geas. Moander the archmage of Vegraine was dead and now there was no living arch mage in all the lands. When Zorvoath attacked one hundred years ago Moandor proved the only one who could take the Shadow Dragon head on. He polymorphed into a great silver dragon and forced Zorvoath to retreat while the knights and warriors of Malavon and Elnarra drove his forces back from Miragar. If the Shadow Dragon knew that the arch mage was dead he would not hesitate to attack again and this time nothing could stop him!

Moandor was very old and was sustaining himself by supernatural means for some time. He claimed that since the cylinder came to him over time he felt as if he was being watched, even on Vegraine. He would see shadows at the corner of his vision and hear whispers in the dark at night. He no longer felt safe anywhere even within his chambers. Aness said she believes that this strange paranoia contributed to his demise. Aness has told the other wizards of Vegraine that their master has gone on a long voyage to Xoranara in search of some rare components. She does not know how long she can keep up this ruse.

Aness said that she also has the feeling of being watched and that she feels it would be unwise for her to leave the safety of her tower. This began two weeks after she received the cylinder that she charged Vanen with retrieving from its hiding place on the Wizard’s Isle. She feels that there is some curse connected to the Shadow Cylinders.

Moandor, before his death, gave his most faithful apprentice Aness a powerful spell that would break the enchantment upon the cylinders and free them of their prisons. This spell can be used but once so all three cylinders must be present to utilize it.

Aness believes that the last cylinder may still be in Riveon. She said she would keep Gormoons cylinder safe if the party would leave it with her for it may prove dangerous to possess it for them in time. She offered to help the party identify the magic items they had found and perhaps help them in other ways if they would tell her of what they discovered in Riveon.

She also related this last piece of information. When Zorvoath and his forces attacked Riveon long ago it was always known that that there was some inside help for the attackers for Mistress Cyndara was found murdered in her chambers. Therefore she could not come to the aid of the city against the assault. Aness always suspected one of Cyndara’s many apprentices especially an ambitious spellbinder named Ilnath.

So, it was now late in the evening and the candles in the room burned low. A grand adventure had come upon the heroes. Though it came with solemn news that was perhaps either a new hope or a dire fate for Malavon.

Give your characters some personality.

2010-02-14T08:52:00.000-08:00

This is a great article that I found that could really help you develop your characters backgrounds. Remember in our game that role-playing your character well is a major factor in how much experience points you receive each gaming session. Give it a try, I started using the article for some of the non-player characters in the game and it was fun to do and has really helped in fleshing them out.

http//www.neothera.com/Give your character some personality.pdf

I'll be posting stuff like this occasionally in case your in the mood to do something D&Dish between gaming sessions.

Gary Gygax Tribute!

2010-02-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

A romantic song about D&D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc3byq9y_OQ

The Story So Far XI

2010-01-08T17:57:00.000-08:00

7th day, Greenheart the 21st, 1845

(later that same evening)

The sapphire was now in their hands and the adventurers were preparing to leave the dungeon. The party ascended to the main level of the dungeon via the imposing Medusa statue that served as an elevator into Gormoon's treasury.

Svarnos, looking at the map he had made of the dungeon, realized that there was quite a bit more of the place to explore. This resulted in a debate where some of the party wanted to leave the dungeon and some wanted to continue exploring. Gjord, Svarnos, Galifynakus, and Martijn wanted to stay and Lono and Fionnula wanted to leave. Lono's voice was the loudest in opposition to continuing as he felt that they had found what they had come looking for. He was out voted however as even Fionnula was convinced to stay once Gjord said that there were probably more bugbears and gnolls in the place and that they had promised the grigs that they would rid the dungeon of their evil presence. Fionnula said that they should only stay one more day and it was agreed they would do so.

They explored the rest of the dungeon (with Lono complaining most of the way) and its stony halls seemed empty and barren. In some rooms they found empty chests and other signs of a desertion.

They came upon a locked oaken door and listening at it they could hear the sound of someone humming a somber tune. Gjord figured that their elusive enemies could be behind the door and began to formulate a plan of action. Martijn, who was tired of skulking around the dungeon, suddenly banged on the door with his mailed fist and shouted, "Open in the name of the Knights of Hadramoor!"

A weak gruff voice answered from beyond the door saying, "I would if I could."

Lono picked the lock on the door easily and the party entered to find a three celled prison. In a cell on the left was a disheveled looking dwarf with black hair and brown eyes grinning at them through the bars. In the cell furthest to the right however was a strange beast. It was a six foot tall humanoid creature with green scaled skin and the head of a large lizard. It stared at them with its long forked tongue flicking occasionally from its mouth.

They freed the dwarf (Lono again showing off his thief skills) whose name was Norgrim and he was a bard by profession. Norgrim was extremely grateful and the party gave him some rations and water. They asked him about what happened to him and if he knew anything about the lizard creature. He said that the lizard was brought in and thrown into the cell by the bugbears a little after he was captured. It turned out that the dwarf was a member of Devinal's party that was captured in the woods some days ago. Norgrim was aggrieved to hear of the demise of his comrades but he seemed to hold the same opinion as our heroes about the halfling rogue Devinal. The party also returned Norgrim's equipment which they had found earlier in the adventure. He was happy to get his drums back as he told them he uses them for his bardic magic. He then proved this by drumming lightly upon the skins and humming a little tune which cast some healing spells upon the party members that needed it.

Gjord asked the lizard creature who he was and the creature hissed something back at him in a strange language. Astonishingly, Svarnos found that he could understand it for the creature was speaking Draconic. Svarnos (using Draconic) asked the lizard if he was a troglodyte. The creature seemed insulted by this and he said that he was one of the lizardfolk a "lizard man". He said that his hunting party was attacked by gnolls near his tribes village which is located by the river in the northwest section of the woods. The hunting party was slain and he was captured for some reason unknown to anyone accept the gnolls. They found out his name was Nahhssahn and he said that if they set him free he would help them fight and would be indebted to them. The adventurers set him free and they continued onward with lizard man marching next to them.

They proceeded to the armory that they found before to find some weapons that the lizard man could use. The creature took a wicked wolf spear and Gjord decided that they could take some more weapons as they now had what they thought to be a magical "bag of holding". He proceeded to stuff a halberd into it when he saw the point of the weapon puncture through the bottom of the bag. The party was stunned as the magical purple and gold trimmed bag looked now quite useless. Fionnula said, "Good one Gjord." The dwarf mumbled something about getting a wizard to fix it.

Before leaving the dungeon the party decided to check the griffin statue room one last time as they felt there was some unfinished business there. Now that they possessed the blue iron key they were not disappointed. A mouth appeared in the center of the circle on the stone floor and spoke these words.

"In this room, my apprentice, you will learn to conquer your fear by either spell or will. For nothing is more important to a true wizard than courage. You may think it to be intelligence, but you will learn it is your fearlessness. For one day you will face the power of the Elemental Planes and perhaps that which lies beyond them."

The mouth them disappeared and would reappear every time they left and reentered with the key. They could make nothing of the wizard's message however and they made their way to exit the dungeon.

1st day, Greenheart the 22nd, 1845

(past midnight)

The group made its way back to the spider den from whence they first entered the dungeon days ago. They noticed that the secret door which leads to the spider den was slightly ajar but they reasoned that Devinal had left it open when he fled the dungeon. The heroes had been fighting and exploring all day and now they were ready for a peaceful rest under the trees of the Ivy Forest under the watchful eyes of the grigs.

Gormoon's dungeon was not finished with them yet, however. The denizens had discovered how the party had been entering their underground stronghold.

As they made their way through the spider den they were ambushed by a force of gnolls, bugbears, and fierce dire hyenas controlled by their gnoll handlers with whips. One of the bugbears was a huge monster and probably the leader of the hairy brutes. Our heroes were in for an deadly battle.

It was a grim fight and but the might and magic of the heroes overcame their enemies. Galifynakus was locked in battle with the bugbear chieftain and he was sorely wounded and almost slain but he was saved in the nick of time by his comrades and the clerics healing spells. Fionnula cast a Bless spell to provide divine assistance to her party and Svarnos used his Sleep spells to help turn the tide of the conflict. Martijn, Gjord and Tursan both took the battle to the enemy and Lono tried to back them up with his sling. The party's newly found friends Norgrim and the lizardman Nahhssahn both helped in the battle with Nahhssahn doing his best to aid Galifynakus against the bugbear leader.

The battle being won, the creatures were searched and the bugbear leader had a trove of treasure upon him. The party finally made its way out of the dungeon.

They met the grigs in the forest and told them all that happened. The grigs were elated to hear of the demise of the evil creatures. The Ivy Forest was now made safe for them and they thanked the heroes prodigiously. They offered to keep watch for them as they slept and they invited them to come celebrate the Festival of High Summer (which was fast approaching) at the grove of a good druid named Galthran. The party decided they would take a respite from adventuring and join the grigs after their night of well deserved rest under the eaves of the Ivy Forest.

2nd day, Greenheart the 23rd, 1845

The next day the party awoke late in the afternoon and after breakfast and the casting of some healing spells by Fionnula and Norgrim they were ready to go. Before setting off the lizardman Nahhssahn told them that he would now return to his tribe that lived near the Arcas River. He thanked them again and the party thanked him for his help in the battle of the previous day. The lizardman then sprinted off into the forest. The party then set off to the druid's grove. It took two days to reach the grove and the travelers were able to appreciate the sylvan beauty of the Ivy Forest at the height of summer.

4th day, Greenheart the 25th, 1845

They arrived at the grove of Galthran the druid. Galthran is a tall brown haired and bearded man with a kindly face. He wears a strange armor that looks like it is carved from some sort of dark colored wood. He greeted the adventurers warmly and he seemed to be familiar with their exploits in the forest. They learned that he was a druid of Duvarion the Gray Unicorn. He invited them to stay at the grove as long as they wished.

The grove was a large clearing surrounded by ancient maple trees with a small hill at its center crowned by a group of six carved standing stones that stand over 10' high. The stones carved with totemic animal shapes. There was a long wooden lodge at one end of the clearing. The inside turned out to be quite comfortable furnished with tables, stools, and straw pallets to sleep upon. There was a huge fire-pit at the center for warmth that vented through the center of the roof. Here they met two young druids, Galthran's acolytes named Faysa (a comely blonde woman) and Ulath (a slight fellow with dark hair). They were fed and they soon questioned Galthran about some of the treasures they found as he seemed to learned in such matters.

5th day, Greenheart the 25th, 1845
to
(the morning of)
Festival of High Summer - Day One

They spent the next few days recovering from their harrowing adventure, enjoying Galthran's hospitality, and awaiting the beginning of the Festival of High Summer when the strange moon Wyrlos would rise with a ochreous hue into the night sky and the revels would begin.

The Story So Far X

2009-12-29T18:00:00.000-08:00

7th day, Greenheart the 21st, 1845

(evening)

The adventurers continued to search the dark corridors of the dungeon. They kept hearing the faint sound of furtive footsteps but upon investigation they found nothing. Stuffed away in a corner of an otherwise barren chamber they found some equipment that looked as if it may have belonged to a fellow adventurer. The gear looked as if it may have belonged to a dwarven bard as there was a pair of small drums and a suit of dwarf sized studded leather armor in the pile of goods. They questioned Devinal if he knew anything about this and he admitted that one of his former captured party members was indeed a dwarf and a bard. Devinal tried to take some tobacco from the pile of goods but Gjord angrily told him to let it alone. Galifynakus tried to mediate the situation between the two but Gjord won out and the halfling eyed him spitefully.

In another chamber they found a griffin statue similar to the ones that stood sentinel in the room with the magical "fear" circle. It was old and worn with time but the party could see that it was different than the ones they saw earlier in that it held a large key (that was immovable and part of the statue). Also, carved upon its pedestal in Draconic (the ancient tongue of dragons readable by the wizard Svarnos) was the following legend. "We must do that which we think we cannot." The party tried to make sense of this and began to investigate the statue further. Gjord even lifted it so the others could search underneath but they found nothing. Devinal suddenly said that he thought he heard something (possibly footsteps) outside the rooms entrance. Lono and Fionnula also heard it as well so the three warriors Galifynakus, Gjord, and Martijn drew weapons and stormed out of the room to investigate. While the fighters searched the corridors outside the room Devinal struck up a conversation with Lono in the secret language of thieves known as the Cant. He asked Lono why he would work with such a party of gullible fools that walked blindly into danger and battle and that things could be far more profitable for both of them if they worked together. He said that they should wait until the party was asleep and then when it was Lono's watch they could rob them and make away with their treasure. He told Lono that he had connections with a prestigious thieves guild in Senion and he could put in a good word for Lono if he helped him with this caper. Lono listened and feigned agreement with the halflings plan, although he really had another plan for the treacherous halfling. The rest of the party noticed that some sort of interchange went on between the two rogues but Lono would not speak of what was said to anyone...yet.

So the adventurers continued on through the dungeon. In a large dank bat-infested chamber they found a gruesome sight. The bodies of three horribly mutilated and half eaten people were strewn about the room. They appeared to be the corpses of a male elf, a male human, and a female human. The party began to hear a chuckling sound behind them and they found that it was Devinal. They watched in disbelief as he walked up to the elf corpse and he spoke to it saying, "Serves you right Galen, you bastard!" These bodies were obviously members of Devinal's former party. Gjord was enraged by the halflings attitude towards his former party members and he attacked Devinal. The halfling thief reacted first and fled out of the chamber and into the dungeon. Fionnula went after him but was unable to capture him. Lono said that his plan was to kill the halfling in his sleep the next time they stopped to rest and that he felt that he now missed his opportunity. He also told the party what had occurred in his secret conversation with the halfling rogue.

So, the adventurers turned their attention back to the room and they found a large moldy sack with some treasure (two potions, a finely crafted flail, a wolf pelt, a small silver griffin statue and some gold, silver and electrum coins). The wall opposite the entrance was carved with the image of pegasi flying over a raging sea. The two half elves (Lono and Fionnula) noticed immediately that there was a concealed door in this wall. The party opened it and went inside and it lead to two small chambers. One appeared to be a conjuring room as there was a cauldron in the middle of a pentacle in the center of the room. The other was a study furnished with a desk and chair and a vented hearth along one wall. They also noticed some dusty shelves above the desk and on them they found some arcane scrolls and a large blue metal key. They figured that the blue key might open the large blue stone door that they encountered earlier. They decided to make their way back to this door.

As they approached the concealed door Lono heard the sound of movement on the other side. It turned out to be two bugbears that were searching the room. Svarnos took one down with a Sleep spell (and Lono soon slayed the creature) and Gjord took out the other one with his warhammer. The party continued on to the blue stone door.

They opened the stone door with the key and they found what looked to be a wizard's alchemical lab and a magic circle carved into the floor with faintly glowing runes around its circumference. On a dusty table with various beakers, distillers, oil burners and whatnot on it they found some potions (three of which were labeled and one that seemed to have a swirling dust inside it that was unlabeled except for a cork with a rune upon it) and some jars of alchemical reagents. Svarnos was able to tell that the rune upon the unlabeled potion bottle was from the Abjuration school of magic. The party figured that the magic circle was possibly a teleportation device of some sort. They were deciding what to do when Martijn (in his usual bold manner) stepped into the circle. There was a flash and the knight disappeared. A moment later and there was another flash and the knight reappeared and he told his comrades what had happened. He was teleported to circular room with one 10' high arched exit and strange writing carved into the walls in large letters. This room had a magic circle identical to the one in the alchemical lab and when the knight stepped out of it and back into it he was transported back to the lab. The whole group then entered the magic circle and was transported to the circular room.

The writing on the walls was again in Draconic and Svarnos read it. It read, "Fortune favors the Brave." the party noted this but could not make sense of it. When the party tried to continue on to the arched exit a strange thing happened. A mouth appeared in the stone over the archway and in a stern voice it began to speak.

"Invader! Turn back now and flee if you value your life! I Gormoon have not left my chambers unprotected. The guardians have been awakened and they await you. This is the only warning you will get!"

The adventurers did not heed this warning and went into the exit.

They came to a large square chamber with a ten foot exit on the opposite side from whence they entered. The walls of this chamber were embedded with the skulls of various (mostly humanoid) creatures. In the center of the room was a trapezoidal pedestal with a expertly carved statue of a nude medusa, her body entwined with a large snake. There was a dark 8" diameter hole in the center of the trapezoid. The party could hear an ominous rattling sound coming from the trapezoid as if it were filled with rattlesnakes. Martijn, thinking that maybe there was a actually a medusa in the room, took a small silver mirror that the party had and walking backward entered the room using the mirror to see. As he approached the statue they heard a sound at the far end of the chamber near the exit. Four creatures were coming out of the wall! They appeared to be large skeletal snakes with human skulls for heads. The party readied for battle but the snake creatures did not attack right away. The creatures began to sway and dance and all who saw them were affected with a spell that made them stand still dumbfounded and hypnotized. Only Martijn, Lono, and Svarnos were able to resist it! Martijn waded into conflict with two of the monsters while the other two attacked Lono and Svarnos. The creatures were completely silent and they made no sound as they slithered forward and attacked. Martijn held his own well against the creatures but Lono and Svarnos were hard pressed. Lono was dodging every attack made on him but was not dealing much damage in return. Svarnos first tried a Sleep spell but he found that they were immune, he then tried to fight with his dagger. Martijn, in a hard battle, killed the two he was fighting and eventually the hypnotism began to wear off the afflicted party members. Galifynakus snapped out of it and took care of the one on Lono. Gjord and Fionnula finally were free and they killed the one on Svarnos. Svarnos was severely wounded but Lono made it through unscathed.

With the creatures dead the party began to search the statue. No light seemed to penetrate the 8" hole and there seemed as if there was a magical darkness within it. Svarnos figured that the whole thing was a trick to scare would be intruders away. So, with a little trepidation, he reached into the hole. Feeling inside his hand came across a sort of lever which he pulled. There was the sound of grating stone and the statue and a 5' diameter circle around it began to slowly descend into the floor. Martijn jumped upon it as Svarnos jumped off. Then the whole group jumped onto it (Lono took some urging). The heroes slowly descended to another chamber.

It descended into a large rectangular chamber with a lever on the wall closest to the statue that now rested on the floor of this room. On the far side of the room they could see a huge chest. Lono decided to check the chest for traps but as soon as he touched it he found himself stuck fast to it as if by some super adhesive glue. They suddenly heard a deep laugh come from the chest itself. a seam opened between where the lid and the lock met and the chest began to speak with this "mouth". It told them that if they wanted the thief to live and if they wanted to get out of the dungeon alive themselves they were to drop all their treasure and leave. the party asked what the creature was and it said they could call it "Mimic". Gjord feigned that he was about to comply when suddenly he attacked! The mimic creatures mouth lashed out with a pseudopod of teeth and bit onto Lono. Gjord struck and damaged the creature but he found that he had to keep pulling his weapon free of the creatures strange adhesive. The rest of the party attacked and all had the same problem with the glue. Lono was sorely wounded by the creature as it kept biting him and it also released more pseudopodia that formed into fists to pummel its attackers. The party defeated it however and as the creature cried out, "Wait!" Gjord dealt it a killing blow. Lono was released and the body of the thing melted into a puddle of ooze.

Searching the room the party found that the wall behind the creature was illusory and they entered into a small treasure chamber. Inside amongst a small fortune of precious items (some which were likely magical) they found the large fist-sized uncut sapphire! The treasures twinkled in the torchlight and the heroes felt that all their trials and adventures in the dungeons Gormoon's ruined tower were justified.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

2009-12-29T17:40:00.001-08:00

We are playing a revised version of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons that borrows heavily from Castles & Crusades (by Troll Lord Games), D&D 3.X, and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (both 1st & 2nd Edition).

This fantastic version of the game was put together by Chris Perkins. Here is his webpage with a PDF of the Players Handbook we will be using and a bunch of other stuff.

LINK

Here is a link to the Character Sheet (home made) that we will be using. It is a MS Word document.

LINK

The Adventurers

2009-12-24T14:48:00.000-08:00

Svarnos

Class: Wizard (Magic-user)

Race: Human

Description: Svarnos is a proud wizard with black hair and a goatee. He carries himself with an air of arrogance and wears a fine decorative mantle over his robes. Svarnos prefers to use his spells and his wits to overcome his enemies.

Fionnula

Class: Cleric (Sister of Varcan)

Race: Half-Elf

Description: Fionnula is a capable cleric with a mane of red-gold hair and green eyes. She wears her hair long and wavy. She is armed with a heavy mace and shield plus the symbol of her faith Varcan’s Cross. She wears scale mail armor.

Gjord

Class: Fighter

Race: Dwarf

Description: Gjord is a powerful dwarven warrior with a long golden blonde beard and hair. He wields a warhammer and shield in battle. He is wearing scale mail armor and carries a steel sheild.

Galifynakus

Class: Barbarian

Race: Human

Description: Galifynakus is a stout fiery berserker with red hair and a bristly beard. He seeks the ecstasy of battle above all other pleasures in life. He uses a great sword in combat and wears studded leather armor.

Lono

Class: Thief

Race: Half-Elf

Description: Lono is a slim dexterous rogue with strange violet eyes and wild hair that peeks around the corners of his cloaks hood. He primarily likes use his sling but will resort to using his dirk if forced into melee. He wears leather armor.

Martijn Alisander

Class: Knight (Cavalier) (Knight of Hadramoor - Order of the White Leopard)

Race: Human

Description: Martijn is a tall and imposing figure with black skin and black hair. He normally wears his hair short and clean. He wields a finely worked bastard sword with a sapphire in the pommel and shield in battle and is armored with a steel breastplate.

The Immortals

2009-12-23T16:54:00.000-08:00

In case you want to play a cleric, druid or paladin I made up some deities that they could worship. This list is not yet complete as I've just started. I'll have images of their symbols added sometime soon (I'm only one man).For now.....bow down and worship!!!

The Immortals of Eleth

This is a listing of the deities of the world of Eleth (the elvish name for the world). These Immortals are primarily worshipped in Malavon and the realm of Elnarra.

Varcan - The Messenger

Alignment: Lawful good

Worshippers Alignment: LG,NG,LN
Symbol: Varcan’s Cross (representing the unity and balance between the spirit world and Eleth)
Favored Weapon: Mace (Message-bringer)

Appearance: Varcan is depicted as a tall androgynous human with silver skin and dark violet eyes. Great wings with silver feathers adorn his back. He wears robes of midnight blue and his head is adorned with a radiant nimbus of holy power and wisdom.

Description: Varcan is worshipped by many clerics, paladins, and common folk. He is admired for his unswerving devotion to the welfare of the people of Eleth. Varcan brought the holy word and the knowledge of Celestia (the planes where many lawful good deities reside) to Eleth. His clerics and paladins are devoted to fighting evil and exemplify aspects of virtue, morality and good. His temples are grand structures found in most cities and towns and his followers are usually well received wherever they go. Clerics of Varcan turn or destroy the undead and they will not use spells to summon them nor will they pray for “reversed” healing spells.

Mortarg - The Lord of Doom

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Worshippers Alignment: All Chaotics
Symbol: The Chaos Wheel (a wheel with eight spokes representing the nine alignments with neutrality at its center)
Favored Weapon: Warhammer (Doom-hammer)

Appearance: Mortarg is pictured as a tall powerfully built human with dark gray skin and glowing orange unblinking eyes. He wears a voluminous cloak and a ram horned great helm that keeps his face in shadow.

Description: Mortarg is a dark deity whose origins are lost in the forming of the world. His followers believe that Mortarg has foreknowledge of the end of the multi-verse therefore he knows that all in the end is futile. One needs only live for the day and take from life what they can because the hand of doom may fall on them at any moment. Nothing stands forever, change is inevitable, and the Chaos is all that is left in the end. Mortarg places great worth in individual freedom and he admires people that continue to live, strive, and struggle even though in the end it all comes to nothing. His temples are located in various locations but are usually dimly lit places shrouded in the smoke of incense. Clerics of Mortarg are a strange sort as they are champions of freedom and yet they are as fatalistic and gloomy as their deity.

Duvarion - The Gray Unicorn

Alignment: Neutral good

Worshippers Alignment: N, NG, CG, CN

Symbol: A Unicorn (a symbol of the perfection of nature)

Favored Weapon: Scimitar (Horn of Duvarion)

Appearance: Duvarion appears as a unicorn stallion with a silver gray coat that shimmers with unearthly light.

Description: Unicorns are said to be a living embodiment of the perfection of nature and Duvarion is their lord. His coat is gray to represent the balance of the natural world. Legends about Duvarion tell how he walked the primeval forests of the world before time began. In that silence he gained a profound wisdom from observing the harmony of nature that he tries to impart to his followers. Duvarion teaches the protection of woodlands and proper respect for the creatures that dwell within them. He watches over all who live in the forest, love the woodlands, or make their livelihood there. His shrines are located in natural groves and are usually open to the elements in the center of a group of standing stones. Some of his shrines are very ancient and are in actuality “magical crossroads” for fey creatures. Many rangers and druids of every race follow Duvarion. There are no clerics of Duvarion, only druids.

Mahal - Father of the Dwarves

Alignment: Lawful Good

Worshippers Alignment: LG, NG, CG

Symbol: A Hammer and Anvil inside a Mountain (representing the secret forge under the mountains)

Favored Weapon: Warhammer (Forgehammer)

Appearance: Mahal is depicted as a stern-looking dwarf warrior with a flowing white beard. He wears armor of mithral and holds a mighty mithral warhammer .

Description: Dwarves believe that Mahal was born from the living rock of Ereth in a vast underground cavern at the center of the world. Upon awakening he explored the world under the earth, built the first forge, and began to craft the first fathers and mothers of the dwarven race out of mithral. He gave his creations life by placing a magical stone called a “heartstone” in every dwarf. He taught them the ways of the underground world and the art of forging before he left them to forge out their own lives upon Ereth. Mahal teaches dwarves to walk the deeps of Ereth and seek out its hidden gifts. In doing so they are taught to work with the natural beauty of caverns and to work with, not against, the contours of the deep. They are also taught to keep their strongholds well tended and protected from enemies. Temples to Mahal are underground or built into the side of hills or mountains. Dwarven clerics turn or destroy undead and will not use spells to summon them. They do not pray for “reversed” healing spells.

Fainarel - The Queen of the Elves

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Worshippers Alignment: CG, NG, N, CN

Symbol: A white flower (Fainbereth)

Favored Weapon: Longsword (Fainarel’s Thorn)

Appearance: Fainarel appears as a lovely elven maiden with bright green eyes and hair that shifts with the colors of autumn. She wears a gossamer gown that looks as if it was set with miniature stars.

Description: Elves believe that Fainarel was the first elf, born from the petals of a white flower that they now hold sacred known as the Fainbereth. When she awoke she walked singing in her loneliness through the lands of Ereth. Everywhere she went Fainbereth bloomed and the first elves were born of these blossoms. When Fainarel and the first elves discovered each other they were overjoyed and the elves made her their queen. Fainarel teaches all elves to live in harmony with the natural world. She teaches them to defend their forest homes and to bring forth and revere the beauty in all things. She tells them to let their spirits be unfettered to create, love, and experience the world. Shrines to Fainarel are in all places where elves dwell. They are usually well tended gardens surrounded by evergreen trees. Some druids worship her as she is closely linked with Duvarion. Elven clerics turn or destroy undead and will not use spells to summon them. They do not pray for “reversed” healing spells.

Peredin - The Lucky Fellow

Alignment: Neutral Good

Worshippers Alignment: LG, NG, CG

Symbol: A Luckstone ( a stone that has a hole in it from wearing away in a riverbed)

Favored Weapon: Shortsword (Luckblade)

Appearance: Peredin is depicted as a stout halfling with bright eyes and a mischievous grin. He is usually shown playfully tossing a luckstone into the air.

Description: Halflings have hundreds of legends about the escapades of their hero Peredin. In these legends he always prevails by his wits, courage, or sometimes by his uncanny luck. He is always a bit of a scamp or rascal in these stories and they are usually quite humorous, although in the end they also teach an important lesson. Many halflings that go on adventures (a rare breed) feel their hearts moved by these stories. Although, most Halflings would prefer to tell these tales around a dinner table rather than live through them. There are no formal temples to Peredin, instead his clerics gather at each others homes for communal worship where they sing songs, eat, drink and have a party. For the most important lesson that Peredin teaches is to enjoy the comforts of home, hearth, and the fellowship of good friends. Clerics of Peredin turn or destroy the undead and they will not use spells to summon them nor will they pray for “reversed” healing spells.

Keliem - The Wanderer

Alignment: Neutral

Worshippers Alignment: All Neutrals

Symbol: The Convergence (An image of a sun and moon joined)

Favored Weapon: Staff (Walking-staff)

Appearance: Keliem is usually shown as a bearded middle-aged human wearing a gray traveling cloak and bearing a gnarled oak staff. He demeanor is cunning and he looks much traveled and wise. He also is depicted as a raven with a white breast and sometimes as a gray fox.

Description: Followers of Keliem say that this immortal has no beginning and no end but that he has always walked the strange pathways of the multi-verse. Keliem is a deity of travelers and adventurers. He is always open to new possibilities and experiences and he creates opportunities when they do not occur themselves. Legends of Keliem speak of him as a wily traveler that can change his skin to fool his enemies. He teaches that the greatest advantage that one can have in life is to keep an open mind and to be imaginative.

Thorar - The Furor

Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Worshippers Alignment: CE, CN
Symbol: The Thunderaxe (An axe crossed with a lightening bolt)
Favored Weapon: Battle axe (Thunderaxe)

Appearance: Thorar appears as a powerfully built human warrior with a red-blonde beard and hair. His eyes are a glacial blue and he wears the skin of a great dire wolf. In his hands he holds a great battle axe from which bolts of lightning spring forth.

Description: Born from the tempest of a thunderstorm the Furor came to Eleth to do battle. Thorar is the patron deity of the Korthian barbarians. Thorar is a brutal unforgiving deity of battle and violent storms that has no pity for the weak and only admiration for the strong. He commands his followers to take what they will from the weak and to show no mercy to their enemies. Make all fear you for that is the true path to power and glory. Temples to Thorar are great wooden halls where duels, feats of strength, and declarations of ones prowess in battle are made. Korthians believe that their slain warriors souls are taken to Thoror’s Hall to await the day that they are called to the final battle upon Eleth at the end of days.

Falthar - The Lion

Alignment: Lawful Good
Worshippers Alignment: LG, NG, CG
Symbol: Sigil of the Valiant(A rampant golden lion)
Favored Weapon: Bastard sword (Slayer)

Appearance: Falthar appears as a youthful human warrior in golden armor with an enchanted sword. He has a stern countenance and a mane of flowing blonde hair.

Description: It is said that Falthar was once a human warrior who wandered Eleth in the deeps of time. He fought all evil beings and creatures who would harm or enslave those that could not defend themselves and he became a renowned hero. His bravery was so great he even challenged the demon lord Adramelech - Overlord of the Undead. He made a horrific journey to the Abyss to challenge Adramelech in his own realm. He fought the demon in single combat and was on the verge of destroying the foul entity forever when Adramelech summoned his hordes to the attack. Falthar, already weakened by the battle with their master was overwhelmed and slain. But this was not the end of Falthar, for Varcan the Messenger had witnessed it all. For Falthars bravery Varcan beseeched the benevolent powers of Celestia to elevate Falthar’s soul to the status of an Immortal so that he could become their champion. This was granted and he is now known as Falthar the Lion. Falthar’s clerics and paladins are stalwart defenders against evil and his shrines and temples attract many good-aligned warriors and many others. His temples are beautiful structures with arched stained glass windows to let the brightness of the sun in. Clerics of Falthar turn or destroy the undead and they will not use spells to summon them nor will they pray for “reversed” healing spells.

Numora - Whisperer of Secrets

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Worshippers Alignment: NG, CG, N, CN

Symbol: The Lamen (A pentacle)

Favored Weapon: Dagger (Cat’s Claw)

Appearance: Numora is shown as a white skinned black haired woman with green catlike eyes. She dresses in black silk robes and she wears a veil of transparent spider silk. She has great shadowy wings that sprout from her back.

Description: Numora is an enigmatic deity that was formed by the mysterious powers of the multi-verse during the first setting of the sun upon Eleth. Her domain is the supernatural and the occult. Her followers seek to fathom the unknown and unravel the mystical secrets of the multi-verse. On their path to this knowledge Numora advises them to use wisdom and temperance lest they blunder blindly into areas that may be dangerous for mortals to tread. Although she is secretive, Numora is also a benevolent deity who opposes evil ways and seeks to counter it when she can. Many arcane spellcasters and some rogues pay homage to Numora as they see themselves as seekers of hidden knowledge. Her clerics delve into occult realms to uncover secrets for the benefit of all. Her shrines are hidden structures in remote places.

Adramelech - Overlord of the Undead

Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Worshippers Alignment: CE,NE
Symbol: The Face of Adramelech (A demons skull surrounded by flames)
Favored Weapon: Flail (Corruptor)

Appearance: Adramelech is depicted as a horned demon with black scaled decomposing skin and skeletal bat like wings rising from his back. His eyes are red smoldering pits and he is wreathed in unholy dark flames. He is shown more often than not devouring the souls of the damned in the Abyss.

Description: Adramelech seeks to destroy all life on Eleth. He envisions a world of undead monsters all under his total control. He believes that when this is accomplished, and he has devoured enough souls, he will be able to break through the cosmic barriers forged by the mysterious powers of the multi-verse and make war upon the other outer planes. He is the sworn enemy of Varcan and Falthar and seeks to corrupt or destroy their followers whenever he can. His twisted followers seek power and immortality through necromancy. They wish to become vampires and liches or other powerful undead servants of Adramelech. They believe that they will be rewarded for their devotion and command his legions when they march upon Celestia.

The Calendar of Eleth

2009-12-23T16:43:00.000-08:00

The Elethian Calendar

There are twelve months in the Elethian Calendar each consisting of twenty-eight days. Every three months there are festivals that consist of five days that occur before the last month of a particular season. This adds up to three hundred and sixty five days in a year. Days are twenty-four hours long and a week consists of seven days. Days are called by their number as they fall in the week (1st day, 2nd day, 3rd day, etc.).

For example our campaign begins on 4th day, Silvangate the 18th, 1845.

The moon (known as Lyrayth) that orbits Eleth waxes and wanes in 28 day cycles yet it seems to vanish from the sky during the Festival days. Lyrayth appears full on the first day of every month even after it seems to vanish during the Festivals. During the Festivals, Eleths larger and mysterious moon Wyrlos waxes and wanes quickly during the five day interim becoming full in the middle of the festival week. This strange moon appears with a different hue every season. Eleth travels once around the sun (known as Radiayth) in 365 days on a path that never varies.The months and festivals are listed as follows.

Month or Festival	Season	Holidays and other special events
Snowdell	Winter
Dominion of Wintertide	Winter	5 day interim festival Wyrlos appears blue
Elderwind	Winter
Silverdew	Spring	1^st Vernal Equinox
Deepwater	Spring
Rite of Spring Dawning	Spring	5 day interim festival Wyrlos appears green
Mossnock	Spring
Silvangate	Summer	1^st Summer Solstice
Greenheart	Summer
Festival of High Summer	Summer	5 day interim festival Wyrlos appears orange
Goldengrass	Summer
Redleaf	Fall	1^st Autumnal Equinox
Applehusk	Fall
Cycle of the Blood Moon	Fall	5 day interim festival Wyrlos appears red
Duskfall	Fall
Stormwatch	Winter	1^st Winter Solstice

More Holidays and other special events will be listed soon.

Knightly Orders

2009-12-23T16:36:00.000-08:00

Knightly Orders of Malavon & Elnarra

Please note that this list is not yet complete.

The Order of the White Leopard - The Knights of Hadramoor

They are the protectors of the land of Elnarra and the port city of Hadramoor. It is partly due to their vigilance that Elnarra has known peace for many years. One hundred years ago they rode to the defense of Malavon against the Shadow Dragon. They came north up the road through Besia, Pyra, and Senion to the desperate battle on the fields of Miragar. The people of Malavon have always contended that the onslaught of Zorvoath and his minions would never have been halted without their help. Some of these stalwart cavaliers still travel to Malavon to help those in need and they bring with them the dream of peace and hope that Elnarra has enjoyed for so long.

Heraldry: An argent crowned leopard (passant) on a azure field above an argent fess. Below the fess is Varcan’s Cross in or. In other words, a white crowned leopard (on all fours with one front paw up) on a blue background with a horizontal white stripe with Varcan’s Cross in gold beneath it.

The Order of the Sword - The Exiled Knights of Malavon

The heart of this knightly order was once located in the city of Malavon but now it resides in the recently constructed Valord Castle. They have been trying to liberate their kingdom from the clutches of the Shadow Dragon Zorvoath for 100 years now. Their numbers have been greatly depleted and they are have been in a stalemate with their foes for some time now. They draw many half-elves to their order owing to the fact that they hold allegiance to the half-elven princess Morelana the last surviving member of the royal house of Malavon. Morelana is a knight herself and leader of their order. She has vowed never to take the throne until her kingdom has been liberated.

Heraldry: An or chevron on a vert field with an argent upright sword beneath it. In other words, a gold chevron on a green field with a silver sword beneath it.

The Order of the Peryton - The Knights of Moondown

These knights are greatly feared throughout Malavon as they are believed to serve the evil Count Aleron lord of Moondown Keep. Count Aleron was once a member of the royal house of Senion but his thirst for power caused him to secretly assassinate his rivals. When he was discovered he escaped and fled and all thought he had left Malavon for good. Some 15 years ago however, a small army of black-armored human soldiers appeared from the East. They stormed the mining town of Worwyvern and brought it under their rule and began using their captives to build a keep east of the town. Refugees from Worwyvern say that the dark soldiers were under command of a man calling himself Aleron. Soon after the building of the keep mounted knights in black armor with strange shields were seen traveling the lands of Malavon. These knights are formidable and expect deference from all they meet. They usually challenge knights of other orders that are unfortunate enough to cross their path.

Heraldry: A gules peryton on a sable field. In other words, a red peryton on a black field.

The Story So Far IX

2009-12-21T17:37:00.000-08:00

IX

6th day, Greenheart the 20th, 1845 (just after midnight)

The adventurers had barely fallen asleep when they were awakened by the grigs. The denizens of the dungeon had emerged and they were on the hunt for the invaders of their lair!

The party could hear growls and roars coming from the direction of the ruined tower. At first they were inclined to stay and fight but the grigs urged them to follow and run away into the forest, as there was no time for the warriors to even don their armor. The grigs led them on a mad chase through the woods with the pursuing creatures not far behind. Behind them, through the trees, the party could occasionally see pyrotechnic explosions of color and light. They soon discovered that these were magically created distractions by the grigs in their attempt to throw the monsters off their trail. The chase lasted almost two hours with the grigs hopping ahead and behind the party urging them on. Finally the sounds of pursuit faded away and the grigs told them what had chased them. It was a large group of bugbears, gnolls (with a pair of monstrous dog-like creatures), and a troll. The party was now safe and they once again bedded down under the watch of the grigs.

6th day, Greenheart the 20th, 1845

The following day the grigs led the party back to Gormoon’s ruined tower. The group declined an offer to be led to a druid’s grove (a two day march away) known to the grigs to rest and recuperate. Tursan seemed to like this idea but our heroes’ preferred to return to the dungeon and strike at their enemy while the monsters were weakened.

It was afternoon when the party (with Devinal the halfling trailing behind) approached the hill upon which the ruined tower stood and they entered the dungeon again through the secret door past the defeated spiders den. Lono wanted to try to set a trap for the creatures if possible. He thought maybe if the monsters were still hunting for them they could use oil on the main entrance stair to cause the creatures to slip and fall down into a pile of wood and giant spider webbing soaked with oil when they returned. They could then light this aflame and roast them.

They took what they needed for their trap with them. In the dungeon they noticed that many of the torches that were lit before were burnt out and the dungeon seemed quieter in general. Before they could do any of this however they were discovered by some bugbears that seemed to be moving supplies from a chamber that the party entered on their previous foray into the dungeon. The bugbears proved to be tough opponents but the group handled them well and had to slay four of the stinking creatures before continuing. The supply chamber had some barrels of beer missing but the party found that the keg of oil and other supplies were still there.

One room that the party found treasure in before (but did not take for fear of alerting the dungeon denizens to their presence) was now devoid of treasure. When Devinal found out that the party had left treasure behind he groaned aloud.

The party decided to continue onwards and soon encountered a horrid creature walking the dark hallways – a troll! The party ambushed it and after a dangerous battle the creature was killed (Gjord’s dwarvish defensive skill against these creatures really stood out here). They continued on to the areas of the dungeon they had explored before with Svarnos using Jarvis the cat familiar as a scout. They noticed that the gnoll heads had been removed from where Gjord had placed them earlier.

While exploring they were attacked by a troll again! This time it came from behind them and they defeated this one as well but not without getting injured in the process. The fighting also alerted a group of bugbears that came running up the hall and attacked. To the horror of the party in the middle of their fight the troll that they thought they had killed rose up in the midst of the battle and started to attack! Lono got behind the bugbears to backstab them but he could not get his dirk to pierce their tough hides. They were hard pressed but they survived the conflict and slayed the monsters.

Many in the party were wounded and they feared that the troll had the dreadful power of regeneration so Gjord cut off its head and took it with him. At this point, Devinal began to sarcastically critique how the party was handling themselves. He felt that they were getting into too many unnecessary fights and were getting weaker each time. This angered the group, as Devinal had not lifted a finger to help them yet. Again they all began to reconsider their association with the Halfling.

While they were talking they heard a roar behind them and they could see the troll that they just killed shambling towards them with a new head on its shoulders! They engaged the monster and killed it once more. They decided to shred it body into bits and Martijn, Gjord, and Galifynakus hacked away. The warriors were covered in gore but after a minute they noticed that a piece of the troll began to pulse and began to grow and regenerate. Fionulla said maybe fire could destroy it so they used the wood, webs and oil and lit the pieces on fire. Gjord even threw the head that he lopped off into the blaze. The fire seemed to work as the charred flesh did not stir afterwards.

The party was tired and weak so they returned to the spider den to rest and Fionnula cast her healing spells upon the wounded. They spent an uneventful night in the spider den.

7th day, Greenheart the 21st, 1845

The next day Martijn and Fionulla wanted to go back in and explore the griffin room. In the room nothing new could be discovered other than that the words (“Courage is the mastery of fear, not the absence of it.”) inscribed upon the floor emanated a faint aura of necromantic magic after Fionnula cast Detect Magic on them. Martijn was affected by the spells power and almost ran screaming out of the room but Fionnula cast Remove Fear upon him and the effect subsided. Devinal kept rolling his eyes and shaking his head as he watched the party.

Down one long hall they found a set of double doors that seemed to be made of the same blue stone as the griffin statues they saw before. The doors were locked with an inset iron lock in the middle that was so complex that Lono could not pick it (even Devinal tried and failed).

The dungeon overall seemed quiet and all the torches had not been replaced. There was a silent dread over all.

The Story So Far VIII

2009-12-21T17:30:00.000-08:00

VIII

3rd day, Greenheart the 17th, 1845

The party ventured into the Ivy Forest to find the wizard Gormoon’s ruined tower in hope of capturing the sapphire that the elf Rumil spoke of. They found the forest to be quite spacious with numerous clearings and groves. The only trails through the forest seemed to be made by animals or possibly by the monsters that dwell within.

Rather quickly, the party ran into some trouble. As they entered a grove, six gnolls (evil hyena-headed humanoid monsters) broke from the brush on the other side and rushed to attack our heroes. The creatures were defeated after a battle that left the party wounded and their henchman Tursan unconscious. They were healed by Fionnula’s clerical healing magic. Gjord took the head of the largest ugliest gnoll as a trophy.

As they continued to travel deeper into the woods the adventurers noticed that it seemed like they were being followed. They kept hearing random sounds as if something was moving in the brush and leaves about them. Svarnos sent his familiar Jarvis to investigate. The cat reported that there was the sound of many small creatures moving about them. The party prepared for a possible conflict and Jarvis ran back to the side of his master. Suddenly a seemingly disembodied high-toned voice spoke from somewhere in front of the group. The voice wanted to know what the party was doing in the forest. While the party decided what to say, Martijn boldly answered with the truth, he stated that they sought the ruined tower. The voice then asked if they were friends or foes of those that dwelled within. Martijn answered foes and Gjord produced the head of the gnoll and held it out before him.

All of a sudden, a one-foot tall creature appeared before them. The creature had the torso of a fey-looking humanoid creature with antennae growing from its head; its hindquarters were those of a grasshopper however. A dozen more of these strange beings appeared and surrounded the party. They called themselves Grigs and said that they were enemies of the gnolls as well. They were armed with tiny daggers and darts and one had a miniature fiddle. Their leaders name was Murrr’k’k and after they were given some of the elven Feywine (reluctantly by Lono) they seemed quite comfortable with the party and became friendly. They told the adventurers that they would lead them to the ruined tower if they would defeat the menacing creatures within. They informed the party that gnolls and bugbears (large hairy goblinoid creatures with short snouts somewhat resembling a bears) were the main denizens of the dungeon. They also knew of a tunnel that might lead into the dungeon under the ruins but it was the lair of some dangerous giant spiders.

So, the party was taken to the ruined tower. All that was standing was a single curved wall with a section of stone stairs leading nowhere jutting up into the sky. The ruin was situated on a tree crowned hill and the Grigs showed a place hidden in the side of the rise that was the entrance to the spider lair. The heroes decided to rest before going any further and the Grigs kept watch for them throughout the night.

4th day, Greenheart the 18th, 1845

The party ventured into the dungeon the following day after Murrr’k’k gave them a tiny bottle of green liquid that he said was a healing potion. The natural cavern lair was infested with the foul spiders and the party had a hard time fighting them. They defeated the spiders but the creatures poison paralyzed Galifynakus and Gjord. Inside the lair of the spiders they found one room that had a spring of clear water and they also found an old rusted doorway behind a thick wall of webbing.

This doorway led into what appeared to be the dungeon underneath the tower. The party investigated some halls and rooms beyond the door and they even found some valuables. They did not take any of these as they thought this might alert their presence to the creatures that lived there. They also came across a room with four statues of griffins in the corners facing toward the center of the room, which bore an inscription in Draconic (which Svarnos can read) that read, “Courage is the mastery of fear, not the absence of it.” When the party tried to cross the room the inscription glimmered briefly and some of the adventurers were overcome by an overwhelming fear. They ran screaming from the room back the way they came. Luckily, the effects of this spell were temporary but the party decided to leave the dungeon anyway as they were still weakened by their battle with the spiders. They dragged the paralyzed forms of Galifynakus and Gjord out of the dungeon and spent another night in the forest under the watch of the Grigs.

5th day, Greenheart the 19th, 1845

By morning the paralyzing poison wore off and the party was ready to reenter the dungeon.

Inside, they came face to face with the gnolls and in a series of battles they even found and defeated the ferocious gnoll leader. They also found the portcullis barred main entrance to the dungeon.

After slaying the gnolls they met a captured halfling that was dressed as an adventurer in leather armor. He had sandy blonde hair and hazel eyes and the party noticed right away that he seemed to have a somewhat arrogant personality. He hardly thanked them for his rescue and told them he probably would have escaped anyway. He told the party that he was traveling alone to Sulthe when the gnolls ambushed and captured him. The halfling said his name was Devinal and from what the party could tell he was probably a thief by profession. Devinal offered to join the party as long as he got a fair share of the treasure found. They found Devinal’s equipment in the hall where they encountered the gnoll leader.

As the adventurers were slaying the female gnolls of the leaders harem (with Fionulla and Martijn watching with distain) Devinal began to search the bodies of the fallen gnoll guards. When the party caught him doing this he said that he found nothing and that they should continue their search of the dungeon. No one believed this and the Halfling was accosted by the party (Lono even drew his dirk on him). Under protest Devinal coughed up the coins he found on the gnolls. The party began to really reconsider their association with the thief.

They party withdrew from the dungeon again as they were greatly weakened after the conflict with the gnolls. Before doing so Gjord cut the heads from the slain gnolls and lined them up in the hall leading to the main entrance to the dungeon. Gjiord explained that this would serve to unnerve any other denizens of the dungeon.

They went looking for the Grigs that have proved to be such trust-worthy guards. As soon as they encountered them however both the Grigs and Devinal drew weapons and prepared to fight. The party intervened and asked what was going on. Apparently, Devinal had attacked the Grigs when he encountered them earlier. Devinal said that they were just monsters that had questioned him and his party when they came into the forest, and that they deserved to be attacked. This revealed a lie that Devinal had told earlier, as he told the party that he was traveling alone.

The heroes had had enough and they told Devinal to leave. Devinal said he wouldn’t because he knew that the Grigs would attempt to kill him if he went alone into the forest. This was confirmed by the Grigs. Devinal threw himself on the mercy of Fionulla and Martijn and asked for their protection. It seemed that they were stuck with the Halfling thief, at least for the time being. So, the party settled down for another night in the forest with a surly halfling smoking his pipe and eyeing the Grigs.

The Story So Far VII

2009-12-21T17:25:00.000-08:00

VII

2nd day, Greenheart the 2nd, 1845

1st day, Greenheart the 8th, 1845

The fire turned out to be a ruse set up by the evil knights of Moondown. Soldiers from Moondown were waiting outside the city gates and set fire to the wooden gatehouse and two buildings as soon Kassos, Pramon, and Aval rode out the gate. As the party dealt with these soldiers and the city guard (along with volunteer citizens) tried to quench the fire, kidnappers had abducted Monnene (the mayors daughter) and made away with her. Mayor Evaloix Arandire begged the party to help and they set out after the men from Moondown. The mayor sent a contingent of town guards with them and supplied the party with horses.

The party chased them along the southern edge of the Ironstorm Mountains with the help of Galifynakus’ tracking skills. They were assaulted by two of the knights (Pramon and Aval) from Moondown and a group of soldiers, which they defeated. In this fight Svarnos’ magic proved invaluable as he first used his Sleep spell then Charm Person to gain an unlikely ally. The knight Pramon! Pramon under influence of the spell joined the party in the hunt for his comrade Kassos.

Next, the party came across a trio of insidious harpies. They used their “captivating song” and almost the whole company was charmed including the horses. Luckily, Svarnos, Lono, and Fionulla resisted. Lono snuck up behind the singing creature and stabbed it in the back thus breaking its charm song. The company was free to deal with the harpies and only one escaped with its life. They noticed Kassos’ group had also met with the harpies, as there were the bodies of Moondown soldiers in the foul nest of the monsters.

The company continued to track Kassos and his men along the tempestuous peaks of the Ironstorm Mountains for some days. The adventure finally culminated in a horrific battle with an unexpected enemy, one of the most dreaded monsters of the Ironstorms, a Wyvern! The creature had attacked Kassos and his group and all but the evil knight were slain. The wyvern had snatched Monnene and it had taken her up to its lair in the side of a hill overlooking the scene of battle. Svarnos told Pramon that Kassos was a traitor to the knights of Moondown and the charmed knight believed him! He charged his former comrade along with Galifinakus and Gjord. The rest of the party, with Martijn in the lead, went to rescue Monnene. Pramon was slain by the hand of his fellow knight and Martijn dealt the killing blow to the Wyvern after a terrible fight where he was almost slain.

Gjord took the wyvern’s head as a gift to Garam at the Wyvern’s Watch. Sometime after the battle they slew Pramon, as he broke free from the wizards charm spell, (much to the chagrin of Martijn and Fionulla). They took some pity however, and gave him a decent burial. Kassos was left for the vultures.

Monnene was saved and returned after some days to her father. The adventurers were now considered heroes in Wychton. The party was rewarded and the mayor and his daughter would be eternally grateful.

2nd day, Greenheart the 9th, 1845

3rd day, Greenheart the 17th, 1845

The party decided to finally bring peace to the spirit of the elf-maiden Casruil. They had to go to Sulthe to see if they could find her father Rumil and return her bones to him and let him know what happened. Before they set out Svarnos hired use of a conjuration room at the wizard Gilac’s shop to summon a familiar. Gilac’s Curious Goods is a sturdy stone structure with iron-shuttered windows on its second floor. The proprietor, Gilac, is a fat blond bearded wizard with an aloof and gruff personality. Svarnos summoned a black cat with strange icy blue eyes that he christened Jasper.

The party set out on the road south then west to Valord Castle, home of the Malavonian Knights of the Sword. They were warmly welcomed here due to the fact that they traveled with the Elnarran knight Martijn. They stayed at an expensive inn called the Stalwart Castle Inn and were shown around the castle grounds by a knight named Ulstrand. Ulstrand is a knight-lieutenant and he wanted to test Martijn’s combat prowess but the Elnarran knight declined, as the party had to get to sleep and be away in the morning early. Ulstrand warned the party that a band of gnolls had been attacking travelers on the road to Sulthe and to be careful.

The adventurers then traveled to Sulthe (pronounced Sool-thay). They went to two inns trying to find information about Rumil. The first was a small cozy inn called the Laughing Ogre run by two sisters Beruna and Leanna that are known to be witches of some skill. They knew the story of Casruil and Rumil as a local legend but nothing more. The party then went to an inn called Wyrlos Rising run by a harried gnome named Noldin. He actually knew Rumil once and said that he still lived on the outskirts of the farmlands that surround Sulthe. He told the party that Rumil spent all his fortune looking for his missing daughter and was no longer working as jeweler as he had lost his business. He now lived on a small rundown farm raising goats.

With this information the party found the old elf and told him of their encounter with Casruil’s ghost and returned his daughters bones to him. They held a funeral for her and the elf was very sorrowful but grateful to have closure. Casruil was finally at rest.

Rumil wanted to reward the party but he had nothing to give. He instead told them a story about a wizard named Gormoon. The wizard once had a tower stronghold in the northwest region of the Ivy Forest. Gormoon came to Rumil’s shop one day and showed him a wondrous uncut sapphire about the size of a man’s fist. He asked Rumil if he could finish and cut the gem and Rumil said he would love to work on such a fine gem. Gormoon said that he would consider it and return in one week. Unfortunately, that week, the Shadow Dragon came to Sulthe with his evil horde. The city was overrun and Gormoon’s Tower was also destroyed. When Rumil and his daughter returned to Sulthe after the dragon was driven away they never again saw Gormoon.

So, Gormoon’s tower was swallowed up by the Ivy Forest and almost forgotten. When Rumil’s daughter was abducted he thought that maybe some lingering evil at the ruin was responsible and he hired mercenary adventurers to investigate it. They all reported the same thing, a ruined tower guarded by monstrous creatures and no sign of Casruil. Throughout the years Rumil always wondered if there was more to the ruin. The mercenaries never spoke of a dungeon and none ever spoke of finding a sapphire. Perhaps the sapphire was still there in some deep hidden vault.

Rumil offered the party this. If they found the sapphire, he would cut it for them, as reward for finding out what happened to his daughter. The adventurers left their horses under Rumils care and headed under the eaves of the Ivy Forest.

The Story So Far VI

2009-12-20T20:58:00.000-08:00

7th day, Silvangate the 28th, 1845

The adventurers made their way back out of the dungeon with their hard won treasures and the bones of the elf maiden Casruil. Upon reaching the surface they found that a good deal of time had passed while they were underground and it was already approaching evening. They decided to at least walk back to the road and camp there and it was dark by the time they were finally able to rest.

1st day, Greenheart the 1st, 1845

The next day was the beginning of a new month, the second month of summer in Eleth known as Greenheart. The party awoke to a clear cool morning and Fionnula prayed for healing spells and used them on her fellows that were still wounded from their ordeal. They then set off for Wychton and were there in a couple of short hours.

They noticed as they approached the town that there was a group of gray tents erected outside the city gates near the Arcas River. They could see a cluster of soldiers and horses mulling about the tents. There was a heraldic standard set above the largest tent depicting a red peryton on black. Martijn immediately recognized this as the symbol of the knights of the Order of the Peryton. (Note: more information on this can be found on the main Malavon page under Knightly Orders of Malavon & Elnarra.) The party felt that this was a bad sign but continued on their way into town and to the inn.

Garam the innkeeper of The Wyvern’s Watch was happy to see them when they strode into the common room of the inn. He told them he wanted to hear all about their adventure but it would have to wait till the evening, as he was busy with customers. He requested that they join him for dinner and that they would be able to meet Tharivol, an elven adventurer and friend of Garam, who was staying at the inn. This was the elf that Garam told Martijn about and it was his feywine that they recovered from the clutches of the hobgoblins. They also met Tursan (who looked a lot better as his black eye was healing) in the inn and Martijn’s warhorse was safe and well cared for in the stable. So our heroes got rooms and spent the day resting, checking out the shops, and visiting the temple. Svarnos and Lono also decided to experiment with the enchanted black leather armor that they recovered from the dungeon crypt. Lono hid down a dark alleyway and Svarnos went in to try to find him. He was eventually found but the armor seemed to blur the edges of his form a little aiding him in his attempt to hide. They decided that it would be best if the thief kept the magic armor, as he would get the most use out of it.

Later that evening they were conducted to Garam’s private dining room and there they met Tharivol. Tharivol was a gracious elf with long silver hair clad in a fine suit of mithral elven chainmail and bearing a longsword at his side. He was obviously a veteran adventurer and they found out that he was once a member of Garam’s adventuring party many years ago.

While eating a sumptuous meal and drinking some of Garam’s finest ale and wines they regaled the innkeeper and the elf with the tale of their adventure. Recognizing that the Tharivol was an experienced adventurer they decided to ask him about some of the items that they found in the dungeon. Tharivol gave them his appraisals of the gems and jewelry that they found and he also cast the spell Detect Magic on the magic items. He said he thought that the mace that Fionnula was using was a “ghost touch” weapon, meaning that it existed in the ethereal plane as well as in the material. This weapon would be very effective against incorporeal spirits. The silver ring that had the word “shield” written in the arcane tongue on the inside of the band was not difficult for the elf to figure out. He suspected it was the command word that would activate the magic of the ring for whoever wore it. Gjord put on the ring and said, “shield”. A circular plane of shimmering force appeared along his arm just as if he were holding a shield! His hand was free as he did not need to hold the force shield and it was weightless as well. A character wielding this could use a two-handed weapon yet still gain the protection of the shield. Tharivol also said that a spell caster would be able to use this item as well without hindering the somatic gestures of his spell. It was decided that Galifynakus would benefit the most from this as he wielded a two- handed greatsword so they let the barbarian put the ring on. The black wavy-bladed dagger was obviously magic but Tharivol could not tell if it had any other hidden properties. Svarnos stuck it in his belt.

Tharivol told the party a story about the last stand against the forces of the Shadow Dragon one hundred years ago. Apparently the elf was present at the battle of Miragar when the knights of Elnarra rode up from the south and came to the aid of the beleaguered city. He also told how it was not just they who saved the day. The Shadow Dragon came from the north appearing like a cloud of mist and shifting shadows. Deep within this swirling mass could vaguely be seen the form of a huge serpentine creature. Everywhere on the battlefield that the dragon went the defenders were defeated, whether by the dragon’s breath or just his mere presence the elf could not tell. Then he saw the Archmage of Vegraine (that he met once when he visited the Wizard’s Isle long ago) on a high tower surveying the struggle. The mage then performed a feat of incredible magic and courage. He suddenly jumped from the tower and transformed himself into a colossal silver dragon that dove down from the tower straight into the darkness of the Shadow Dragon! The ensuing battle could not be seen but the enemy began to flee. The orcs, goblins, trolls, and gnolls that made up the bulk of his army were then driven from the field by the defenders of Miragar and the Elnarran knights. The dragon fled to Malavon Keep and has been dormant ever since.

The party also asked Garam and Tharivol if they knew anything about the gray tents outside the town but they could not tell them anything. A barmaid came in and said that a Wychton man-at-arms was outside and that he wished to speak to the adventurers. He was allowed in and he gave them a message that the Lord Mayor Evaloix Arandire requested their company for a dinner party the following night. The mayor of Wychton had invited them to tell their story yet again as he considered them heroes for making the north road safe again. Gjord laughed out loud and said that he could get used to have free dinners every night. The guard also told them that it would be a formal dress dinner. The party looked at each other realizing that they had nothing even resembling formal clothing except for Svarnos’ mantle. Svarnos decided to try to see what he could do about this problem. He persuaded the guard to ask the Lord Mayor if he could maybe accommodate them with some clothes for the dinner. The guard said he would do what he could and that a coach would pick them up from the inn the following evening, he then departed. So then, as it was getting late and the elf Tharivol had to leave in the morning they all said goodnight and went to bed.

2nd day, Greenheart the 2nd, 1845

In the morning in the common room they saw Tharivol off and before the elf left he gave Lono a great gift – a bottle of feywine! He said that he thought it was a pity that a fellow with such a high amount of elvish blood never sampled the stuff. He said to share it with his friends as it was really a gift to all of them but to be sure to drink it when they had some leisure time on their hands as the feywine is known to have some strange effects on those that are not true elves.

Tharivol then left the village for the Silverwood.A little while later the Wychton guard returned and told Svarnos that if they wished the party could be outfitted for the dinner at Gerta’s Fine Silks compliments of the Lord Mayor. They thanked the guard, tipped him, and told him they would definitely take advantage of that.

Martijn decided that he would ride up to the gray tents to discover what they were all about and meet whoever might be there. He went without the others except Tursan who was acting as his squire. There he met a courteous if cold reception. The soldiers seemed nervous about him and called for the three knights that were their superiors. Three men emerged from the main tent and introduced themselves after Martijn announced himself. They were knights of Moondown Keep of the Order of the Peryton. The leader called himself Kassos and he had a shaved head and a long mustache. The other two were Pramon, a stout man with cropped brown hair, and Aval a man with long dirty blonde hair and a thin hawkish look about him. They were all dressed in black armors and surcoats with the symbol of the red peryton on them. Kassos said that they were just visiting the city and that they would be moving on soon. They would give no other information but they did invite Martijn to join them in their tent for some refreshments. Martijn did not want to get that chummy with them so he bid them farewell and he took his leave. He did take note that there were eleven men including the three knights and two that did not seem to be soldiers, as they were not dressed as the others and they wore dark traveling cloaks. There were 11 horses, three of which were warhorses. He told of what happened when he returned to the inn.

In the afternoon Gerta decked out the party in their new fine clothes. Gerta is a plump fussy woman that is very aware of the fashions of the courts of Malavon. Martijn felt quite at home in his new clothes and Fionnula looked like a noblewoman. Svarnos could have been a court magician and Gjord just looked like he would rather have been anywhere else. Lono cut a dashing figure in his new attire but poor Galifynakus could not have been more out of his element. He accessorized his new look with his ratty mauve scarf. Even though they could not wear their armor they all girded themselves with their weapons. They asked Garam if they could stow the rest of their gear at the inn temporarily and Garam put it in a locked cellar that he kept some of his valuables in.

In the evening the carriage came rolling up to the inn and took them to the Lord Mayor’s manor. The manor is set on a small hill on the east side of the village overlooking the houses below. There is a large well-kept lawn and garden leading up to the house. The manor house itself is a two story stone structure of gray bricks with a large entrance guarded by solid oak doors, the windows are narrow on the main floor but there are balconies on the second level. The roof is of blue slate and there are many chimneys.

The party was conducted to a large dining room with a minstrel band playing chamber music in one corner. The Lord Mayor Evaloix Arandire turned out to be a short portly fellow with a pointy black beard and grey-black hair wearing a fur-trimmed jacket of blue silk over his clothes. He greeted the party warmly and announced them to his other guests a gathering of many of the merchants of Wychton. He then introduced them to his daughter Monnene. Monnene is a stunningly beautiful young woman that is slender of build with lustrous gold hair and pale skin. She wore a white dress of simple design. She also seemed to be achingly shy, as she could not even make eye contact with anyone but her father. Nevertheless she greeted the adventurers politely and thanked them for the service they had done for the village of Wychton. The party sat down and was having a fine time telling their tale to a new audience and enjoying another great meal. However, before the meal began, Fionnula cast Detect Poison upon the food that was served (under the guise of saying grace), as she did not completely trust their host.

It was then that the dining hall doors opened to admit three men. It was the three knights from Moondown Keep and the atmosphere in the room changed immediately. Monnene seemed to tense up in her seat and ball her hands into fists in her lap. The Lord Mayor seemed a little flustered at first but recovered quickly and introduced them to the other dinner guests. The knights took their seats and they stared at the adventurers indignantly, especially Martijn. The eyes of Kassos kept ever flicking towards Monnene and she kept her eyes on her plate. As the dinner progressed Kassos began to throw questions at Martijn that seemed to have an underlying sense of being both a little probing and insulting at the same time. Gjord, who tired quickly of this dance of words and preferred straight dwarf-style speech, asked the knights just what they were getting at. The knights spoke to the dwarf rudely and said that they were not interested in speaking to him. The conversation ended with an icy chill between the two sides of the table and Kassos glaring at the dwarf.

After the meal was finished the guests began to get up from the table and mingle. Kassos immediately went up to the Lord Mayor and began to whisper something to him. Lono, with his sharp ears, caught a fragment of the conversation. It seemed that the knight wanted to know what the Lord Mayor’s final answer was to an offer he previously made. The mayor said that “she” was not property to be sold and it was her decision. Kassos did not seem happy with this answer and stalked away. Lono related this to the others and the adventurers were beginning to get a picture of what was going on. Svarnos approached the mayor and whispered, “Do you need our help.” The mayor glanced in astonishment at him and nodded. He then told Svarnos, clearly enough for everyone to hear, that he wanted to show him his herb garden and asked him if he would follow him outside. Svarnos went along with this ruse and had the opportunity to hear what the problem was.

Apparently, the knights of Moondown had set up camp outside the town walls one week ago. They came into the town requesting an audience with the Lord Mayor. Wary of knights from an order with an evil reputation the mayor consented as he did not want to make any adversaries and he was curious as to what they could want with him. The knight Kassos was very clear in what he wanted as soon as he met with the mayor. He wanted to take Monnene as his wife and return to Moondown with her. The mayor was shocked and said that it would be up to his daughter whom she would marry. The knight then began to offer him money and the Lord Mayor was outraged and said that his daughter was not a horse or a ream of silk that could be bought. The knight left telling the mayor that he was used to getting what he desired and that they would discuss this again. The Lord Mayor related to his daughter what occurred and she was at first as confused as he was as to who this knight was. Then she remembered two summers ago at the Festival of High Summer celebration. A knight of Malavon from Valord Castle came with his squire to the faire and they stayed at the mayor’s house, as was the custom with visiting knights. She remembered that the squire was always leering at her and following her about and she recalled that his name was Kassos. On the final day of the faire he had said that he would see her again. She said this disturbed her as she had hardly even spoken to the squire and did not see what kind of connection he thought that they had. Now the knights would not leave and they kept trying to meet with the Lord Mayor. Kassos even approached his daughter in the gardens surrounding the manor and told her that she was to marry him and go away from Wychton. The Mayor was getting ready to drive them off with his guards and let the cards fall where they may when he heard of the adventurers that had cleared the north road of the goblin menace. And he also heard that a knight of Elnarra, the legendary heroes of the southland, was with them. He regretted telling Svarnos that he had an ulterior motive for inviting them to dinner. He had a slim hope that if the knights of Moondown saw that he had powerful friends with a knight of the Order of the White Leopard with them they would leave them alone. Svarnos said that they would consider helping him but a reward would be expected. Lord Mayor Arandire said of course but told Svarnos that he is just an elected official and that much of his wealth was not really his to give away as it belonged to the town. Svarnos sighed and muttered, “Great.”

They returned to the party and Svarnos told the others what he had learned. Fionnula then stepped up to Monnene and asked the young lady if she could speak with her. Monnene was intimidated by the cleric but she consented. She told her much of what her father had told Svarnos and was greatly agitated and almost to the point of tears. When Fionnula asked what it was that she wanted Monnene said tearfully, “I just want them to go away! I don’t want any fighting or violence! I just don’t understand why they won’t leave.” The young lady also didn’t know why Kassos had returned as a knight of Moondown and not Malavon. The cleric assured her that they would help.

The cleric returned to the others and told them what Monnene had said. Gjord and Galifynakus were ready to take care of the problem right then and there but Martijn said for them to wait, as that was not how things were done. Martijn felt that he would have to challenge Kassos to make him leave or be defeated. The dwarf thought that was silly as they could just take them on now. Lono said he would just wait till they were all asleep and slit their throats. The heroes differing personalities and ideologies were causing a squabble yet again. As this was going on they saw Kassos and the other two knights approach the Lord Mayor and his daughter and it seemed they were taking their leave. Suddenly, Kassos’ hand had snaked out and grabbed Monnene’s and he kissed it and he told her that he would see her very soon. She pulled her hand back as if an adder had bitten it. Gjord, roared out, “Can’t you tell that she doesn’t want anything to do with you?” Kassos’ reacted as if he had been slapped and retorted, “Silence, stunted one!” Kassos then reached for his flail as he had come to the party armed as well. Aval and Pramon, the other two knights, halted him however and hissed, “Not here. Not now.” The three knights then stormed out of the room. The other guests, rattled by what they witnessed, began to leave. It seemed the party was over. The adventurers came up to the Lord Mayor and his daughter and confirmed that they would help. Before they left, Martijn bowed before Monnene and said that he would personally see to her dilemma. Monnene locked her gaze upon him and lifted her chin and then held out her hand, and he gently took it in his and kissed it. The comrades then went to the coach that awaited them.

On the way back to the inn Gjord continued to say that they should ambush the knights immediately. Martijn said no, he would ride to the camp in the morning and challenge Kassos to single combat. As they got out of the coach they noticed that there were many people in the street looking towards the north gate out of town some distance away. There seemed to be a flickering orange glow there. Garam was standing outside the inn and he said, “Is that a fire?”