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#71
Game Log / Session 26 - Like Shooting Dwa...
Last post by Wildfire - February 12, 2014, 06:14:59 PM
Bravo...thanks for this!
#72
Game Log / Session 27 - Captain Tindarin
Last post by Wildfire - February 12, 2014, 06:14:01 PM
Thanks for the recap Johan!
#73
Game Log / Session 27 - Captain Tindarin
Last post by Johan - February 11, 2014, 03:46:59 PM
Play Date: Unknown, 2013

Players: Huntmaster Jarmok (Conlon the Elder), & Darian Firefist (Buccella the characterless)

Qwydeon Albyr Basque VY. 237 (June 5)

In the morning, Sayer got all craven on us and went back on the boat. He claimed that he was looking for "fire wood".

Jarmok and Darian forged a path in-land to approach Ivy Berry from the North. Hopefully, in the daylight, the resident Shadow Riders might be able to be overtaken. Guile, tact, and no doubt bravery will be needed as well.

The companions came upon a farmland, overlooked by a watch tower. Jarmok snuck up into the fields and got within a few feet of one of the guards watching over the fields. The guard was clearly a Shadow Rider. Not wanting to start a ruckus that might be overseen from the watch tower, Jarmok crept away from the field guard. He came upon a field worker who told him that he needed to get out...the fields are closely watched from the tower in addition to guards in the fields themselves (nothing we didn't already know by then). She did state that the tower had a few Kurr guards in addition to Shadow Rider guards. They needed Kurr to send troops.

Darian and Jarmok decided to attempt to take the tower, and thus boldly walked up to the tower's gate.

The two were stopped by a Shadow Rider guard, and they told him that they were looking for Captain Tandrin...they had news from Kurr. The guard was suspicious, but he was a quick kill too. The duo pressed into the tower. However, it did start a sequence of combat that was hard-fought...nearly to the loss.

At the end of it, two shadewolves were dead, numerous Shadow Riders were dead, all of the Kurr guards that were resident in the tower were also dead, and Jarmok & Darian had captured Captain Tandrin (a female Shadow Rider captain who was extremely tough to best). At first sight, Captain Tandrin became affectionately known as "Captain big tits". I'm not sure why! :)

The companions interrogated Tandrin, and learned the following (if it be trustworthy):

    In the boathouse, there are supplies & bodies
    An "associate" is supposed to animate the bodies
    There shouldn't be any other people there
    There are 3 Shadow Riders in the fields
    Tandrin was born a Shadow Rider - "Not all of us take the vow of Umbrage"
    The goal is the conquest of Kurr
    All of the bodies that are set for animation are out of Kurr
    When asked whether there were other Shadow Rider cells, she said "most assuredly", though for the protection of the overall Empire, she did not know where they might be
    The population of the tower would have been 3 Kurr guards (all now dead), 4 Shadow Riders (3 bodies at this point accounted for)

In the tower Darian found quite a bit of correspondence between Tandrin and Fitzsimmons. These correspondences indicate that the Ivy Berry cell has been in operation for about a month-and-a-half.

Also, they learned that Fitzsimmons' superior was the same as Tandrin's. With fire, she uttered a name: Nightstar.

Believing that they had gotten as much as they could from Tandrin, they searched the remainder of the tower, finding in a war room on the second story the last Shadow Rider...dead.
#74
Game Log / Session 26 - Like Shooting Dwa...
Last post by Johan - February 11, 2014, 03:39:17 PM
Play Date: October 26, 2013
Players: Councilor Sayer (Phin of the Vision), Huntmaster Jarmok (Johan the Elder), & Darian Firefist (Chassic the characterless)

Qwydeon Albyr Syncath VY. 237 (June 3)

After the evidence of Fitzsimmon's treason was sealed and delivered, Archduke Corwynn had an assignment for the companions:

Search Markel's warehouse (from where Argen McKenzie's family was rescued). Corwynn Would like to know what's being trafficked into and out of Kurr. Need an inventory. Also, we need to try to find out where these shipments are coming from and / or going to.

Note: Markell's is a distinguished family and upstanding citizens of Kurr (hopefully). Erikarn Markell is the son of the owner, and he accompanies the trio (and the detachment of guards put at their disposal) to the warehouse.

In the basement of the warehouse, where the fight on the night before occurred, the group proceeded to inventory the barrels that were there.

Barrel 1: body of a dead male dwarf (stabbed in the back of the head, dock laborer).
Barrel 2: body of a dead male elf (Fop, dead ~1 week, stabbed in chest)

In all 18 bodies are found. The demographics are:
    Mid- & Lower-class
    Male & female
    All races
    All dead within the last week
    All stabbed...nice, clean stab wounds from sharp blades...wounds expertly placed

There are crates here too, and they contain foodstuffs and weapons.
The weapons are smithed by many different smiths, from all over the country.

Essentially, there seems to be nothing that ties these victims together, and there's also nothing to point to a specific smithy that might be supplying the SR cause.

The companions decide to question Jeeza MacKenzie, who had been captive there for some time...she might have some insight.

    Crates & barrels came in and out constantly
    She heard Ivy Berry mentioned more than once (Ivy Berry is a fishing & farming community on the far side of Lake Vallensun)
    The people working in this subterranean dock weren't "normal". They had dusky skin.

Looks like a trip to Ivy Berry will be in order. A man called Dorith is Magistrate of that community.

FIRST: Let us wait to see who shows up here tonight.

Sometime between sun-down and midnight, a small dingy pulls into the dock. The dingy is occupied by two men: one dark-cloaked human, and one scale-clad human.

The companions set an ambush, and the dark-cloaked man is killed. The scale-clad man is eventually captured, as he found himself swimming in scale!

The scale-clad fellow spoke pretty readily (it's amazing how the threat of fire loosens a coward's tongue!!) We learned as follows:

    The boat is from Ivy Berry (it is the Ivy Berry Annie); it is here for a pick-up, and is due back before dawn
    The boaters identify the destination dock by the color of the lanterns on them (doesn't know if it's the same technique as docks in other places) - we later took care to look at the lantern on this dock...it is a very normal-looking lantern with green glass. Along the docks, lanterns might have any of a number of different colors of glass...more than one are green
    The sun hurts the Shadow Riders; They can't move normally
    After pick-ups, deliveries are made to Ivy Berry; Boats are guided into the community by a light that only Shadow Riders can see.
Sayer then issued a task for the Kurr guard: Take a small boat under the docks. We would like to know how many of these docks have what we have come to call "under-docks".

It is late...to bed now, and on the morrow: Ivy Berry.

Qwydeon Albyr Arkus VY. 237 (June 4)

With Sayer's accompaniment, we embarked upon a very comfortable boat to Ivy Berry.

Landing on the docks of Ivy Berry, we were approached by a haggard-looking fellow (haggard, although he yet bore the posture of faded authority). He introduced himself as Dorth - he is Magistrate of Ivy Berry. Dorith was quite nervous, and clearly frightened. He begged the companions to leave, for the sake of the village. With some uneasiness, we agree to leave. Dorith then whispers, "They are here."

"How many?" We asked quietly.
"Less than 10...in the boathouse."

With this information, we took again to the water. Once out of sight, we took the boat north with the intent to disembark and make our way via land, circling back into Ivy Berry.

We camped that night, listening to Shade Wolves calling each other.
#75
In Character Discussions / Gnarcheon's Festival at the Gr...
Last post by Wildfire - February 10, 2014, 07:33:35 PM
Maragarn looked at Shankaria's soothing and matronly smile. He took comfort in knowing that she was there to lean on in a time of need. He liked to think he didn't need anything, he was, after all, a revered Vallenbrush warden. What more could he need? He needed his Vallenbrush. He needed to be among friends. He needed to be here. He needed Mahiya.

He removed his flute from his belt and looked at it. It was so common among his kin and it was what everyone expected to see a satyr with. At this moment it gave him courage. He looked overhead to see the colorful light tendrils reaching for the center fire. He needed to bring them full circle. He spied the Blood Tear through the needles and branches of the grove. There it was, a sign of portents, a sign of change.

By now the drone had embraced everyone in the grove. Varshya sang in full glory, Eswarth and Mirriam kept one beat over the over, and Cailyder spun her fire sticks around with dizzying abandon. They were all ready and waiting for him. Maragarn began to play his flute. It was low and whispering at first. Barely audible even to him. Like the drone, he could feel it. He wanted to play a lamenting dirge but in this moment he could not. The flute's volume began to rise and did so in time with all of the other fire stewards ritual offerings. Maragarn sunk into his place of peace. He could feel himself being moved by something within him and without him. His mind drifted away to wonder and intuition. It was here that he knew who he was and what his place in the world meant.

The chromatic streams of light finally connected to the center fire and flared up and out in a swirling, blazing twist of elemental divinity. The four fire streams made one and the one made four. It was a union of all things to make precious life.
#76
In Character Discussions / Gnarcheon's Festival at the Gr...
Last post by Johan - February 10, 2014, 04:32:04 PM
To the west of the Dale of Wolves stand the glacier-tipped Dragonteeth mountains. Some of the run-off from those glaciers create two great rivers that careen down the mountain slopes and come together to flow as one under the Tower of Zebulon, thereafter falling four hundred feet to carve a great gorge in the valley below. It is said that in that place, Istisha makes love to Grumbar.

Standing near the falls in the valley below, one is deafened and shaken by the vibration of the water smashing into the ground. You do not have to be in the water proper for the falls to fully envelop you...it carries its power to you. Through you, more aptly put.

Shankaria couldn't help but think of Zebulon's Falls when Bal-Jhor's drone filled the Grove of Needles. The mist and fog that was so persistent at Zebulon's Falls were here replaced by the chromatic ghostly fingers from the four fires, and the Falls' thunderous voice was replaced by the Drone of the assembled Gnarcheon. But the drone filled her body as much as the halo of ghostly lights filled her eyes.

When the Drone had been lifted on the voices of all Gnarchon around the perimeter of the Grove of Needles, then did Shankaria take it up, as did Kaltya and the few others who were at Mahiya's fire.

The tendrils of light from the four childrens' fires reached towards the center, as if attracted by the Drone that was taken up there, and the light that was a flowing halo constricted to become more of a dome. Shankaria looked to Maragarn. It was time for him to complete the Ritual.
#77
Game Log / Session 37 A Torch in the Dark
Last post by Johan - February 04, 2014, 11:15:14 AM
Thanks, WF. I'll consider "polishing" this at a later time. It certainly captures the salient points!
#78
Game Log / Session 37 A Torch in the Dark
Last post by Wildfire - February 03, 2014, 07:28:36 PM
Session 37 "A Torch in the Dark"

Along our road to find the glyph we discuss the implications of having the two journals, one of which basically indicts Bardek of being a traitor (thereby offering Belwar sanction). The journal also indicates that Bardek believes he's a chosen of Moradin. Naturally, teaming up with Vorntoque would indicate otherwise. But it's also mentioned that Bardek may not actually be involved with Margarath (the gargan master). It's also discussed that it's odd that the journals are still intact...maybe for blackmail use? Maybe Urguth has them in case he needs to use them for leverage against Bardek.

We continue...


Knowing that making haste is crucial in getting the glyph, we, The Forest Keepers, force on to the next camp.

We hear some noise coming from up ahead and send in Faznar the Giggly in to investigate. He crept close...closer...closer still.  He spied an ogre, some orcs, slobgoblins, and an orc on a poor man's crucifix with his feet spiked into the ground being tortured (as if the spiked feet weren't torture enough) over a fire. Then Faznar giggled too much. He sends a magical message to Zurn, "THE JIG IS UP!!". Zurn conveys the message that Faznar may be turned into gnome marmalade shortly.

ATTACK! Faznar charms the ogre into beating one of the orcs into the ground like a tent post. The ogre confused at what he just did dimly says, "I dun a bad ting..." and proceeds to avenge his friend by tangling with Belwar. Mirri and Belwar tag team the ogre and a couple of orcs in a very bloody melee involving the pack of gargan. On occasion Belwar and Mirri were outfitted in red dunce caps, red devil horns, and red dildo hats (apparently it's the latest fashion for the injured). One of the pesky orcs was a shaman of some sort.

After the melee ended we approached the tortured orc (which is a really good name for a dive bar on the docks of some city). The orc has all manner of runes, dwarf-orc hybrid runes in some cases, tattooed on him. Among them on his right shoulder is a rune of the Kharan'Jhul and on his left the rune of the Marin'Thar (the scout division of the Kharan'Jhul). Not sure if we should let him go or kill him he states plainly, "Either kill me or release me." Being the trusting sorts with a sense of empathy, at least some of us, we let him go.

Through our conversation we find out that he's a soldier in a war that is raging and he's reluctant to tell us more information because he's not sure what side of this war we're on. He's on the side of Moradin and he wants proof that we are as well. We prove through revealing Zurn's holy symbol and Belwar's dad's axe that he can trust us. Later we show him our glyph.

He tells us the temple for which we seek the glyph was an outpost of the Varn'Khor (Soldiers). He also tells us that Burk the Ettin is leading this branch of the gargan and that he has the other glyph. He asks, and rightly so, why we seek the temple. Belwar informs him that we seek it in the hopes that it will in some way make up for the unfortunate death of Dannobar. That it's also for the greater good of his kin even though he's not in their favor. Ghering the Orc is surprised that we're doing this even though we're not Kharan'Jhul. How does he know that, we ask? "Because I am Kharan'Jhul." He replies.

Dun-dun-DAAAAH!!
#79
Game Log / Session 36- Tombs, Temples, an...
Last post by Johan - February 03, 2014, 08:45:05 AM
Thanks, WF
#80
Game Log / Session 36- Tombs, Temples, an...
Last post by Wildfire - February 02, 2014, 11:00:01 AM
Session 36 "Tombs, Temples, and Troubles"
Date:

Party:
Belwar: Griznuq
Faznar: Chassic
Mirri: Phineas
Zurn: Wildfire

Trillomore gives the party a scroll that contains all of the glyphs of the Kharan'Jhul. Each outpost of the four branches of the Kharan'Jhul has two glyphs. One glyph is common between all four outposts meaning there are four stones with the same glyph (glyph of Mordin). The other glyphs are signature to each outpost. Both are needed to open the doors to the outpost. The glyph the party has is a glyph of Moradin. Since we now know the location of the other glyph (see Session 36) we can get it and reclaim and identify the outpost. The antmen squatting in the Moradin Temple/Outpost will be happy to have the freshly cleaned gargan valley all to themselves.

The rune that the companions described to Trill is that of an ancient dwarven empire called "Droung'Knaqt" (Drown-Nacht). Generations ago (several dwarven generations...millennia, all in all), there were four such outposts to that empire.

These outposts were used for a few reasons, one of which was the canonization of the Kharan'Juhl (Kah-Rahn-Jewel), who were special agents of Moradin.

The Varn'Khor were Soldiers of Moradin.
The Nicht'Luraw were the Magi of Moradin.
The Marin'Thar were Scouts of Moradin.
The Tareen'Phol were Dispatchers of Moradin.

Eager to get on the road to find the second glyph to uncover the mystery of the Moradin Temple as it relates to the Kharan-Jhul the party gathered their gear and head for the exit of the Forest Keep.

Before leaving, Corris asked if we had been to Dannobar's Tomb since the discovery of Melzak in the Keep Dannobar's quarters. Corris wanted to make sure that all was correct ("Was Dannobar's crypt desecrated?" "Umm...how the hell would we know?". Um...nooo? Corris wanted to make sure that all was correct. So down to the tomb we go!

Upon arriving we investigate his sarcophagus to see if it's been tampered with. After all, the book Melzak was searching for, though incomplete, had detailed human anatomy possibly for some necromantic means(?). Also, why else would Melzak be down here if not to mess with a redeemed soul that escaped the talons of Vorntoque?

The sarcophagus has not been moved or messed with that we can see. The companions searched the crypt for signs of vandalism or other untoward desecration. Ultimately, Zurn climbs on top of the sarcophagus and called upon Ehlona to consecrate it.tomb. A ghostly image of Dannobar appears and has a worried and disturbed look on his face. He splits into eight tendrils of light and they shoot out to each brazier in the chamber. Investigating the braziers we find little crystal vulture skulls. SON OF A...!!!

Dannobar continues to look worried. He puts his hand on Zurn's bicep and points to the back wall. What's on the back wall? Nothing.

After much searching, it was determined that there was a glimmer of some kind on the rear wall of the crypt.  SON OF A...!!!

Trillomore was summoned for his arcane input, and he dispelled that glimmer, a large rune circle (~10' diameter) was revealed on the wall. This rune circle was determined to be a teleportation circle. SON OF A...!!!

Trillomore enlisted the companions to dispel that too.

We discuss the endless ways and means of fonging Melzak until his outsides are in, his insides are out, his entrails become his extrails. Pain! Lots of pain!

Faznar gave the crystal vulture skulls to Trillomore and we leave the tomb who is excited about studying them.

Now we can go to the Temple of Moradin.

We arrive to find that the door to the temple has a rubbish pile of trees in front of it, effectively barricading the door. SON OF A...!!! We search for the tree that has the glyph hidden in it only to conclude that it's in the pile...SON OF A...!!! We search the pile to find the tree to find it split in half, yes, IN HALF, and the glyph is gone. Say it with me...SON OF A...!!! It was then that it occurred to Zurn that since the Dwarves, Orcs, and Ogres were once allied it could have been during the time of Kharan'Jhul. With the Stonehammers seeking a rekindling of that alliance it could well mean that the gargan are also searching for the glyphs to gain control of the outposts! Zoinks Scoob!

So we figure that anything that could split a tree in half, clear trees with such ease, and move them in front of the door has to leave some sort of tracks. Lucky for us, they do! Mirri follows the tracks and we come across a camp of gargan consisting of four hobgoblins and one cranky orc. This party must have been eating their Wheaties because they were tough! Not tough enough to beat us but tougher than one would expect...or so it seemed.

Searching the bodies we found no glyph but we did find that the tracks continued.