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2010-01-24 The End Days, Part II

Excerpt from the Chronicles of the Intrepid and Incomparable Wimrick Nacklewyn:

…and so it was that we finally defeated the Cagewrights and saved Cauldron. Just like the stories say. Well, almost like that.

It does not mention that we were nearly massacred by strange creatures from the Plane of Mirrors. Or that we had to defeat a dragon from the plane of Gehenna that liked to sleep in a lake of lava! The stories do not make it sound easy, but they also do not make it sound as hard as it was.

In the end, though, we defeated the “dark wyrm of Gehenna”, retrieved the Disruption Collar, and used it to stop the Tree of Souls. The leader of the Cagewrights, a fat, ugly demodand of one sort or the other, was none too happy when we dimension doored beside the trip and clapped the collar onto its trunk without blinking. He vented his full wrath on us, but it was done – the portal to Carceri was stopped. Cauldron had suffered serious damage, but the city was safe, indeed all of Faerun was safe. A happy ending, at the very least the stories got that right.

What did we do after that? Well, my friends, that is another story, another story entirely…

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2009-12-13 The End Days, Part I

Excerpt from the Chronicles of the Intrepid and Incomparable Wimrick Nacklewyn:

…and suddenly we looked up, and could see the sky was darkened by black, roiling, churning clouds. Red lightning danced from cloud to cloud, and the darkness only seemed to spread. Had the Cagewrights finally succeeded? Were we too late?

Rhysalis led us towards the orphanage as the citizens of Cauldron began to panic and flee. As we ran through Cauldron, demodands began raining from the sky, and fissures tore open the ground. We battled several farastu, and then faced off against two dreadful undead fire elementals that seemed to have been released from the depths of the volcano.

When we reached the orphanage, lava was licking at the front doors, preventing us from entering. I dimension doored into the building, and using my keen gnomish senses started to find the children. Khaleel leaped across the lava and climbed up into the building, while Fenyael flew overheard to find a safe location, and Rhysalis led the others around to the other side of the building. I managed to find the children huddled upstairs, and Khaleel smashed a hole in the wall. We began handing the children down to Rhysalis, and then I went back in, and found Ruphus and more children. Finally, I managed to find the headmistress unconscious in her room, and I dimension doored her to safety.

Things took a turn for the worse, however. At this point the reader might ask, “How is that possible?” My answer: Hookface.

Hookface, the legendary red dragon, scourge of the lands, the most dreaded monster among the common folk. That Hookface. For some reason, he decided now was a good time to attack the city. Fenyael saw the blasts of flame first, and then finally the dragon itself, circling and attacking the church of St. Cuthbert. We girded ourselves with fire protection magic, and then ran to the temple.

At the temple, we took up positions, and tried to lure the dragon into landing. Instead, Hookface strafed us with fire, leaving us terribly weakened, and we were forced to take cover inside the temple with Jenya. That did not last for long, for Hookface landed on the roof and tore a hole in the ceiling. Spell and sword were unleashed, fighting in the air, on the roof, and Taros even fought on the back of the dragon. Finally, Hookface asked for quarter – and Rhysalis gave him none. The dragon fought back, but he soon succumbed.

Finally, the battle was over, and we could see to the safe evacuation of the citizens. Until Fenyael spotted some sort of tentacled monstrosity rising up out of the lake! The legendary morkoth?!?

Still licking our wounds from slaying Hookface, we rushed down to Crater Lake, and watched in horror as the morkoth tore apart two demodands. Faced with no choice but to fight, we threw ourselves at the morkoth. I tried to crush it beneath our adamantine instant fortress, but it proved too slippery. Taros and Khaleel used the top of the tower to launch themselves at the morkoth, while the rest of us fought from the ground. Finally, its tentacles gave a last shudder, and it expired. Two legendary monsters slain in, oh, fifteen minutes of bloody work. Not bad for an old gnome and some clumsy bigfolk, eh?

But I digress. Now we saw to the people of Cauldron, who had mostly massed outside of three of the gates. Rhysalis began to make plans to escort them to Redgorge. Fenyael, however, was fascinated by the clouds, and soon was able to see the faint vistas of an alien sky – the portal to Carceri was opening! And the source of the portal’s magic could not be in the Demonscar – it had to be close, somewhere deep below Cauldron. Using Vhalantru’s notes and the help of the dwarves of the Malachite Fortress, we found the subterranean stronghold of the Cagewrights, and plunged into their tunnels.

Secret doors, thin walls to thwart powerful divination spells, and deadly traps all guarded the lair, along with a strange hallway with a mirror finish on the stone surfaces, and mirror creatures that attacked and disappeared with warning. Much of our magic expended, we were forced to retreat, and look for alternative ways into the heart of the complex. Where were the Cagewrights?

Comments on 2009-12-13 The End Days, Part I

Also, in a dreadful chamber with spikes on the wall and weapons of all sorts lining the walls, behind a sleeping minotaur guard and secret doors, Fenyael discovered a magic weapon, Aria determined that it was an ancient blade dedicated to Pelor, and when Rhysalis took it, the holy fire burst from the blade and the powers of magic receded… We had found a holy avenger!

– Alex 2009-12-18 00:35 UTC


I had a lot of fun last session. Khaleel got to use his jump and climb skills to clear a lava pool and climb the wall on the other side. Fortunately his swim skill was not required at that time. :)

Oh yeah, and casting Permanency(Passwall) with a greatsword is heaps of fun. Think I might keep that adamantine axe around for just that purpose.

– Marco 2009-12-18 07:50 UTC


Strange how things like holy avengers and fighters casting passwall slip Wim’s mind. Oh well, the dangers of letting the gnome keep the party journal :)

– Adrian 2009-12-19 17:18 UTC

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2009-10-18 Lady Rhiavadi

Excerpt from the Chronicles of the Intrepid and Incomparable Wimrick Nacklewyn:

Having defeated Lord Vhalantru and learned of Lady Thifrane Rhiavadi’s possible involvement, we decided to gird ourselves for the coming battles with the Cagewrights. First we visited the Malachite Fortress, where we found the dwarven city growing quickly. The dwarves had retrieved Ioulam’s Throne, and the rocky exchange between Rhysalis and the dwarves was smoothed over. We requested that they ply their smithing arts and improve our armor, shields, and cloaks, and Sondor Ironfold gladly obliged.

Then we split up – Rhysalis and Aria traveled to Sasserine to visit the Dawnhouse and locate some ioun stones, Fenyael and Khaleel traveled to Calimport, and Taros and I went to Redgorge to look through the Chisel’s library. When we visited Redgorge and called on the Chisel, the Honest Minstrel seemed rather abashed. It seems that the forbidden section of their library was not only forbidden to us, but to them as well – whoever placed those tomes there also protected them with an insidious and extremely deadly series of magical wards. I studied the wards, and while I thought I might be able to disable them, the chances were very low, and the risk of disintegration astoundingly high. Perhaps another time…

…three weeks later, ready for action, we decided to investigate Lady Rhiavadi. Rumors around town spoke of the lady entertaining guests in frighteningly life-like monster costumes – or were they actually monstrous guests? Fenyael sent his raven Claw to watch the Rhiavadi manor, and we soon learned that an ogre and a fell-looking gnome both made late calls. The next night, I decided to investigate. After listening in on two slack-jawed half-orc stooges and hearing them talk about the dangerous people visiting the manor tonight, I snuck into the kitchen and then upstairs, all the while tracking the movement of guards and guests using a trick I picked up in the Golden Hills. See, Segojan Earthcaller…well, that’s another story.

Anyways, I lucked out and overheard Lady Rhiavadi speaking to a rogue’s gallery of characters about the Cagewrights! The Cagewrights had succeeded in finishing the Tree of Lost Souls, and using the power locked in those with demodand blood and bearing the invisible sign of Carceri known as the Shackleborn, they had already started their foul plan to open a portal to Othrys, first layer of Carceri. Then fiendish armies would overrun the world, and Lady Rhiavadi called upon those summoned here tonight to wage a shadow war against any that would resist the demodand armies. Fell stuff indeed! So I returned to the group, described the situation, and with haste, we assembled and launched a teleport strike against them.

We appeared suddenly, taking them by surprise. Fenyael quickly separated our foes with a wall of force, while the rest of us charged in. Many of them possessed magical powers, but despite two blasts of frost, we somehow emerged relatively unscathed. In the ensuing chaos of battle, Aria turned away a dread wraith, and Fenyael disintegrated Lady Thifrane! Several of the conspirators escaped, including the ogre mage and a vampire, but the rest quickly fell. Licking our wounds but victorious, we searched Lady Rhiavadi’s manor and found her personal notes. From these, we learned that, once started, the ritual would take no more than seven days. It seemed we had little time…

…so over pints at the Drunken Morkoth, we discussed our next move. It seemed we had little choice – we needed to return to the Demonscar and stop the Cagewrights from activating the Tree of Lost Souls. A likely place to start seemed to be the forge of the fire giant. Suddenly, the ground began to shake. What could it be? Could the volcano be awakening after all these years? We ran outside, and as the tremors intensified, Rhysalis and Khaleel tried to usher the growing mobs of worried citizens to higher, safer ground, while the rest of us waited for the next shoe to drop…

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2009-09-20

Excerpt from the Chronicles of the Intrepid and Incomparable Wimrick Nacklewyn:

Lord Vhalantru, a beholder! Incredible! The same beholder that we encountered seemingly so long ago, in the bowels of the Malachite Fortress. He had slain the mayor and seized control of the city, all the while conspiring with the Cagewrights. We could not let this stand.

Fenyael and I went to the Blue Crater Academy to learn about beholders, as we feared facing such a foe without a better knowledge of its abilities. I mean, have you ever seen a beholder? Well, I have, twice, and it is not something you want to face without some idea of what you are doing. We learned that its central eye can cancel out all magic, while its ten eye stalks each possess powerful magical rays, the worst of which can kill you instantly, disintegrate you (more on this later), or turn you into stone.

Rhysalis tried to arrange an audience with Lord Vhalantru, but even her silver tongue could not get her past Vhalantru’s man-servant, so I dug up plans to the estate, and Fenyael teleported us in. Soon we were battling miniature beholders and half-orc guards, who we quickly dispatched. Having studied the plan, it seemed likely that the beholder was living beneath the mansion, and we quickly found a deep shaft (Rhysalis found it the hard way) leading underground.

At the bottom we encountered zombies that, when they were slain, erupted and summoned some sort of outsider, something Fenyael called a farastu demodand. They proved annoying foes, as their bodies were covered in a tar-like substance that could hold your weapon fast, but Rhysalis’s demon-fighting prowess was on full display, and we laid them low.

We almost fell down another deep pit, but this time we were a bit more ready, and soon we found ourselves facing an intricate, gem-studded door decorated with a relief of a beholder, marked with the word “Oblivion” in Undercommon. After some painful discoveries about how the doors were trapped, I managed to open the first one, and then figured out which of the next two doors was most used.

When I opened that one, a scene of true horror was revealed. A great beholder floated over a gold-inlaid circle, where three figures were chained to the ground. Suddenly black lightning coursed through their bodies and into the beholder, leaving the three people reduced to ash, and Lord Vhalantru suddenly empowered. Though we thought we were prepared, we were not. Not only was he a beholder, but Vhalantru was also a wizard! We laughed off his poison gas spell, but in moments I wasn’t laughing anymore. A green ray hit me square in the chest, and then everything went black…

…and I awoke from a dream in the Temple of Pelor. My body was weak, but my friends stood around me, smiling. I soon learned I had been disintegrated. Not an experience I would recommend to anyone, but an interesting one, nonetheless. The Golden Lanterns had managed to defeat Vhalantru in my absence, as Fenyael single-handedly returned the favor and disintegrated the abomination. See, you can always count on members of the exclusive Blue Crater Academy to come through in a pinch.

It seems the beholder known as Lord Vhalantru had used its considerable wealth to buy itself influence in Cauldron decades ago, and in that time had been marshaling its strength, carving out its subterranean lair, and conspiring with the Cagewrights. We recovered many petrified victims from Vhalantru’s manor, including the famous adventuring troupe known as the Forest Wraiths. And we learned that Vhalantru had extensive contact with Lady Thifrane Rhiavadi, one of Cauldron’s most influential nobles, and it seemed she too was a Cagewright agent. But there was still much treasure to be liberated from the beholder’s sanctum, so I did not get to enjoy much rest after being resurrected. Back to Oblivion!

There were indeed great riches, but also great danger still lurking in Oblivion. A trio of stone golems nearly pulverized Khaleel and Rhysalis, and then a pack of horse-sized hell hounds, followed by their fire giant mistress, nearly cut Khaleel in two. But we prevailed.

Comments on 2009-09-20

“You can always count on members of the exclusive Blue Crater Academy to come through in a pinch?” A subtle stab indeed… :)

A very entertaining write-up, as always! Thanks.

– Alex 2009-09-21 08:20 UTC

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2009-07-26 The Temple of Wee Jas

Excerpt from the Chronicles of the Intrepid and Incomparable Wimrick Nacklewyn:

I didn’t find anything poking around the temple (in particular, no sign of Ike Iverson or Embril Aloustinai), so I rejoined the rest of the group. We decided that the catacombs below the temple would afford us the best opportunity to enter the temple undetected, so Fenyael and I visited the Blue Crater Academy, and found an aged scholar who, after hours of talking my ear off, eventually showed me some old maps and plans to Cauldron. I found one map, probably four centuries old, of the “Shaded House”, another name for the catacombs beneath the Cathedral of Wee Jas. It soon became obvious that the entrance to the Shaded House was beneath Bolar Westkey’s former shop.

The next morning we entered Bolar’s old shop and found the stairs leading down. We soon found ourselves in the catacombs, which were warded by two force traps and an undeath to death trap, apparently to keep the restless dead inside. We bypassed the traps and entered the crypts, walking down dark, grim hallways stuffed with bones. On one occasion Wim nearly fell prey to the chilling touch of a large and powerful wraith, but we soon defeated it. Penetrating deeper into the complex, we meet a strange man: he called himself Nathrakar(?), servant of Wee Jas and Keeper of the Dead. He had an uncanny knack for names – he even recognized the names of Taros and Khaleel, saying they died centuries ago in the Battle of the Five Halls and the battle on Occipitus, respectively. He was a rather morbid fellow with a strange sense of humor, and after a short chat, he led us to see the interred bodies of Stone and Todd Vanderboren, the two fallen members of the Stormblades. I was trailing behind the group, invisible, when suddenly two clay golems appeared from hidden alcoves to trap the rest of the party, and Nathrakar teleported away. We quickly disposed of the golems, then raced after Nathrakar, who was waiting for us in his library. He proved a stalwart foe, and particularly eager to attack Aria, but when we finally had the upper hand, he fled again.

We quickly scoured the rest of the catacombs, found nothing, and then entered the temple. We found ourselves at the base of the tower, and quickly headed up a long spiraling staircase. We soon found the quarters of Embril Aloustinai, and the evidence we had been seeking – the high priestess was in regular correspondence with a member of the Cagewrights, working on some sort of the project that involved the spell weaver complex in the Demonscar! Determined to finish this, we pushed forward to the top of the tower, where we were confronted and nearly dealt a swift and crippling blow by Ike Iverson. The cleric was surrounded by five massive zombies, and a fiend from the Lower Planes. Surviving his first onslaught, we quickly made short work of our foes, though Aria and Fenyael were sorely pressed. Somehow we prevailed, and took the unconscious Iverson captive. We also claimed a strange cage hanging from the ceiling, made of metal shaped to look like bones, but surprisingly light for its size.

When we left the temple through the catacombs, we were again confronted by Nathrakar. This time, though, he was willing to let us pass, in return for three books we had taken from his library. We acquiesced, since we had what we came for, and then we hurried back to the Temple of Pelor.

While Fenyael and I researched the symbols on the cage at the academy (where we learned that the symbols were linked to the plane of Carceri, and that the cage itself was probably part of a larger device that could be used to open a portal to Carceri), Aria retrieved the helm of opposite alignment. We revived Iverson and placed it on the captive priest. Within minutes, he was mad with grief when he realized all the evil deeds he had committed. Aria had to clear his mind with a heal spell. Though still deeply grieved, he was now of sound enough mind to answer our questions.

We learned that the Embril Aloustinai, along with Ike Iverson and Calmus Vel, had been working with the Cagewrights for some time. The high priestess was working on a device called the Tree of Souls, which needed thirteen of these soul cages and thirteen people who bore a taint on their soul called the Carcerian Sign, a mark of demodand ancestry. The Cagewrights intended to use the Tree of Souls to open a portal to Carceri! The Cagewrights had used the Ebon Triad, including Triel, Skaven, and others, to fabricate a soul cage (the one we had, which was apparently a spare). We also learned that the mayor died some 12 days ago, and that Lord Vhalantru was behind his death. But even more shocking – Lord Vhalantru was actually an eye tyrant, the same beholder that absconded with the orphan child we rescued from Malachite Fortress!

Leaving Iverson to contemplate his crimes, we had to contemplate what to do next. Should we journey to the spell weaver complex in the Demonscar, to face Embril Aloustinai and stop construction of the Tree of Souls? Or should we focus our attention closer to home, and deal with Lord Vhalantru?

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2009-06-28 Kaurophon's Betrayal

Excerpt from the Chronicles of the Intrepid and Incomparable Wimrick Nacklewyn:

It seems the feathered serpent was no feathered serpent, but a man! We tore open the cyst and Aria revived the unconscious man with powerful divine magics. He said his name was Khalil, but he had no other recollections of his past – what he was doing on Occipitus, and why he had been trapped in that cyst. Nonetheless, he seemed an honorable, if confused, man, and he was willing to fight alongside us, so we gave him armor and one of the spears we claimed from the salamanders, and soldiered on.

The lantern of guidance led us to the base of the great skull, its red light aiming us into a pool of acid. Great, for a lantern of guidance, it was sure giving us awful advice. Nonetheless, we made our way through (after defeating a roving black dragon – maybe he was upset because he had swallowed an adamantine mace and it was giving him indigestion?), with the help of Halilia’s ability to teleport us short distances. Once inside, we climbed a long, spiraling tube. Along the way, we faced off against a rakshasa and a fire giant, apparently also seeking the throne of Adimarchus, teleported our way past a clay construct, and barely defeated an undead necromancer hiding inside a bonfire of pure black fire.

Finally, we reached the top of the tunnel, and found a column of red fire (Fenyael called it “plasma”, whatever that is) pouring forth from some sort of planar rift, and filling the sky with its red flame. The mummy appeared to us again, and we now faced the Test of Sacrifice: to assume the throne of Adimarchus, one must sacrifice an ally to the fire.

Then Kaurophon appeared, saying he was delayed because he was curious about the black fire in the chamber below, then surprised us with a sudden attack, blasting us with cold and slaying Eliza instantly! We struck back hard and fast, and just before Kaurophon could unleash another spell (and potentially kill Fenyael, who had been grievously wounded by the first attack), our new companion Khalil stabbed him with his spear. The traitor fell, Rhysalis staunched his wounds, and then discussions began.

Should we sacrifice Kaurophon to the red fire, and take over Occipitus? Perhaps then we could repair the damage done to the plane, and return it to its rightful place in Celestia. But could we do that in good conscience, or was this yet another test, a test within a test? Rhysalis prevailed on us to revive Kaurophon and to interrogate him further, since he seemed very knowledgeable about this. But even as we did, he struck us dumb with a single word of evil, and then disappeared using teleportation magic. We had no way of finding him – he could be anywhere in Occipitus. And we were not willing to sacrifice anyone (nor was anyone willing to sacrifice him or herself) to gain control of the plane. Though we had many questions about Occipitus and its connections to the Cagewrights and the demonic incursions around Cauldron, there were no answers, so we plane shifted back to Sasserine.

We revived Eliza at the Dawnhouse, and sold what treasure we had found on Occipitus. Khalil decided to stay with us, so we prepared to return to Cauldron. That night, as we traded stories and talked about our next move over tankards of ale at the Rusty Scimitar in Sasserine, assassins rushed into the inn, blasting us with a cone of ice (not unlike the attack Kaurophon used before). Many innocent bystanders died, and Eliza fell again! Enraged, we struck back, and soon overwhelmed the three assassins. Wanting answers, we kept their corpses and questioned with with necromantic magic. We learned they had been hired by the Veiled Lady, another name for Wee Jas! A few more questions revealed that Ike Iverson of the Jasite temple in Cauldron had hired the assassins. It seemed it was time to return and deal with this threat, once and for all.

But first we made a short side trip to the Dawnhouse, to revive Eliza once again, and then we journeyed to Calimport, across the Shining Sea. Why? Because the attack on the Rusty Scimitar showed that our mere presence had become dangerous for those around us. We had powerful enemies, and more innocents would die if we continued to put them in harm’s way. So on the fabled streets and dark alleys of Calimport, we sought out merchants of arcane goods, and procured a magic item, first fashioned by a sorceress named Daern, that transformed from a small metal cube into a high defensible adamantine tower. It seemed that, for now on, this is where we would be sleeping.

We traveled back to Cauldron, and Eliza returned to her family. She had died three times in our care, and though powerful magic from the gods meant that physically she was little worse for it, no doubt the experience had taken an emotional toll. We bid her farewell, and then turned our minds to the task at hand: the Temple of Wee Jas. We spoke to Terseon Skellerang about our evidence and misgivings, but he was unwilling to do anything about it. He did accompany us to the temple, but when we arrived it was “Closed for Renovations.” No one answered the door, so Terseon left, and then I broke into the Temple…

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2009-05-17 Occipitus

Excerpt from the Chronicles of the Intrepid and Incomparable Wimrick Nacklewyn:

Nabthatoron defeated! I wish Zacharias would have been here to see it. Nonetheless, we had scored a great victory for Redgorge and Cauldron, and a dealt a stunning defeat to the forces of the Demonscar. We celebrated in Redgorge, and then returned home, troubled not only by the somber task of informing Zacharias’s parents of his death and giving Alec Tercival a proper burial, but also the growing suspicion that Lord Velantru was part of a larger conspiracy to undermine Cauldron’s will.

When we returned to Cauldron, we were rudely greeted by a 100 gp adventurer’s tax, shops boarded shut (including Bolar Westkey’s map shop!), and citizens either complaining about the conditions in Cauldron, or actually leaving for Sasserine. Before we could deal with these problems, however, we sought out Zacharias’s parents at the crematorium. Though it was just past business hours, the crematorium and house seemed strangely empty…so we let ourselves in, and discovered, to our horror, that his parents had been hacked to pieces by an unknown murderer.

Zacharias’s parents dead, and a cruel, mocking note showing every indication that this was a revenge killing. We had made enemies, the Ebon Triad foremost among them – was this retribution for our interference, and what did it mean for the rest of us and our families?

We alerted the authorities, then organized public services for Zacharias, his parents, and Alec Tercival. We lauded Zacharias’s heroic deeds – saving the orphans of Lantern Street, battling hobgoblins in the wilds around Archet, saving Cauldron from the flood, and facing the evil of the Demonscar. We lamented his loss, the shocking murders of his parents, and we mourned the death of one of Cauldron’s staunchest defenders in Alec Tercival.

Then we left. Things were bad in Cauldron, but we did not yet know how to confront Lord Velantru, nor did we know what it was we were truly confronting. Why had Velantru hired the Blue Duke? What did they hope to gain by conspiring with Nabthatoron? Why was Nabthatoron still alive – had not Surabar Spellmason defeated him with Alacast some six hundred years ago? We hoped that we could find some answers in Sasserine – as well as some new magical treasures to aid our cause.

I managed to speak to Bolar Westkey, and we also learned that the crystal we had found in the Netherese ruins inside Lady Knowlern’s mines was a planar ancanabra, some sort of incredibly powerful item related to manipulatind demi-planes or somesuch. But before we could delve further into this, or any of our other concerns, we interrupted a group of babau demons (demons in broad daylight in Sasserine!) attacking a lone figure. We intervened, and soon discovered that this figure was a half-fiend named Kaurophon. Kaurophon had been seeking us out, hoping that we would aid him in unearthing knowledge and treasures in the scarred demiplane of Occipitus. Apparently Occipitus was once a fragment of Celestia that had fallen into the Abyss, and was the site of a war waged between the forces of good and evil. This war was somehow connected to the planar weakness that seemed to exist in the Cauldron area – the weakening that had been caused by the spellweavers millenia ago, and the weakening that had led to the Demonscar and the many battles that resulted (including the Battle of the Five Halls).

We did not trust Kaurophon, but he possessed information about the mysterious Cagewrights, who seemed to have a connection to Occipitus, various kidnappings, the planar weakening, and even a brief alliance with the Ebon Triad. We sensed great forces moving, and the Cagewrights, it seemed, might have something to do with the unrest in Cauldron. We saw little choice, and despite our distrust, we traveled with Kaurophon to Occipitus.

Occipitus is not a place I would recommend for a vacation. Unless your idea of a pleasant vacation spot is not a secluded tropical beach, or an untouched sylvan glade, but instead a pocket plane made from the spongy, preserved corpse of a dead god. And it gets better. A great skull with a burning eye means the sky is always red, and the plane seems to be absorbing the essences of celestials and demons that fell in the great battles waged here ages ago. Though harried by vrocks, we made our way to the Cathedral of Feathers, where we suddenly were thrust into a test, a test that our mummified examiner said would determine if we were worthy to ascend to the throne of Adimarchus, the former lord of Occipitus.

Deal with Rivals first
Enemies second

First we faced off against a bebilith, a huge spider-demon, but Fenyael demonstrated newfound magical powers and we defeated it easily. Then we released an avoral guardinal that had been imprisoned in Occipitus for centuries, perhaps millenia. Her name was Halalia, and in her gratitude she offered to join us on our quest. We then followed a path illuminated by a magical lantern of guidance, completing the Test of Resolve.

Do not be concerned with spoils and rices
but spread them in front of your enemies to detract them

We found a strange feathered serpent that was still alive, but could not be revived by healing magic alone. We decided to camp for the night and see if Aria could pray to Pelor for spells that could help the creature. That night, we were ambushed by assassins bearing holy symbols of Wee Jas. What were they doing here? This only fed our growing suspicion of the Jasite temple in Cauldron…

Comments on 2009-05-17 Occipitus

I love your summaries. Thanks for writing them!

– Alex 2009-06-26 09:00 UTC


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2009-04-19 The Defense of Redgorge

Excerpt from the Chronicles of the Intrepid and Incomparable Wimrick Nacklewyn:

The deva had given us simple instructions: travel to the Hall of Heroes and prove our worth to the forces of good, but return to Redgorge in three days with the remains of Alec Tercival. So we had journey to the Temple of the Three, beneath which lay the Hall of Heroes. And there we had lost Zacharias.

We were grief-stricken, but we also had work to do. So we plunged down a long spiral staircase, through an immense dome of glowing light, and into a huge cavern, also suffused with a magical glow. As we walked down the staircase, we could make out four gates, each made of a different-colored material: black, white, red, and silver. As we approached each gate, we were overwhelmed by a feeling that this was the wrong gate. Finally, standing before the silver gate, we saw images flash around us: phantasms of ancient heroes, fighting battles against demons. This must be the Hall of Heroes!

Beyond the silver doors was a long, seemingly infinite hallway. Along the walls were stone cenotaphs – most were unadorned, as if set aside for someone, but many had stone figures carved on them. We recognized some – one which appeared to be Surabar Spellmason, and none other than Javar Westwanderer himself. All of the carved figures held real weapons, so we remembered the words of Nidrama: “Take no weapon that you cannot name.” Aria handed Alacast to Surabar, and the stone carving grasped the staff. When I said the name “Javar’s Negotiator” and tried to take Javar’s hooked hammer, I was repelled by a powerful force; the same happened to Aria. Nearby a strange archway, clearly a portal, flashed with energy. Could this be the test the deva spoke of?

I jumped through, and Rhysalis and Aria soon followed. We found ourselves in a huge desert, and in the distance we spotted two figures. We approached, and found a mother desperately trying to free her son from a trap. I tried to free him, but somehow the trap would not release him, and suddenly in the distance the shadows of a massive demon army appeared. Aria and Rhysalis readied themselves for a battle, but the odds looked hopeless. I tried to free the boy, and finally Rhysalis tried to cut off his foot, but nothing worked! Now the demons were upon us. Rhysalis began a fighting retreat, but Aria and I stood shoulder-to-shoulder.

Then we were back in the Hall of Heroes. I remember being torn limb from limb, and demonic beasts feasting on my entrails as my vision faded. Not an experience I would recommend to anyone. But apparently it was just a test, and now Javar’s figure freely relinquished Javar's Negotiator. It didn’t feel right, though, so I left my own hooked hammer behind – no match for the Negotiator, but that weapon had served me well.

As we tried to leave the hall, a huge golem made of some silvery metal stopped our way. “Halt!” it said. “You carry the weapons of heroes. You must name them if you wish to pass.” I named Javar's Negotiator. Aria named Alacast. And Rhysalis named Ilefern…but the golem said she was carrying two weapons. “Arcbrand,” she said, and the golem seemed to scoff. Then Rhysalis drew forth Alec Tercival’s greatsword.

And suddenly a voice spoke out beside us! Instead of a stone carving upon a cenotaph, there was a living, breathing person! He blinked, confused, then saw the sword in Rhysalis’s hand. “Tyrriath!” he said. It soon became apparent that he was a hero from a forgotten age, and he seemed convinced that he had been sent back to continue the fight against evil. Rhysalis handed the man his blade, and now named, the golem let us pass.

We briefly explored the temple, unlocking a secret door marked on Javar’s old map, and retrieved an interesting and seemingly magical map from within the compartment. That done, Eliza and Fenyael drew forth scrolls of teleportation, and we appeared in the Hall of Carvings, in Redgorge.

We immediately met with the Chisel, and learned dire news: when Alec had failed to appear to challenge Terseon Skellerang, the captain had declared Alec outlaw, and was marching an army to Redgorge, claiming that the Chisel was part of a conspiracy to destabilize Cauldron! At the same time, scouts from Redgorge had sighted a demon army, coming from the Demonscar!

We sprang into action. Rhysalis and I began training the troops, while Aria helped the townsfolk set up a field hospital, as well as preparing the temple for the flood of wounded, when the fighting started. That evening, the Cauldron forces arrived. We rode out meet them, hoping to talk some sense in Terseon.

We met Terseon, and finally saw the infamous Blue Duke for the first time – an ogre mage, by the looks of him. We told Terseon about the death of Alec, and the coming demon army, but the Blue Duke dismissed our news, and Terseon seemed unwilling or afraid to speak up. As we left the camp, I did a little “investigating,” and found that the Blue Duke was conspiring with the demon army, led by Nabthatoron himself. The next night, the Blue Duke himself planned on making a sneak attack against the gatehouse. Meanwhile, Rhysalis spoke with Skylar, and convinced Skylar and a few loyal men to join us in Redgorge.

With the enemy’s plans in our possession, we decided we must act. I sneaked back into the camp to cripple the siege engines and steal the half-orc mercenaries’ weapons stores, while Rhysalis and Aria saw to the town’s defenses.

The next dawn, the Battle of Redgorge began in earnest. With the siege engines rendered inoperable for the day, and our forces bolstered with weapons, training, and Aria’s powerful divine magics, we managed to hold the walls for the day. That night, we prepared ourselves for the Blue Duke: Aria warded the gatehouse with magical symbols, and then we waited. When the Blue Duke finally appeared, he was unprepared for us, and we quickly slew him.

With the Blue Duke defeated, things were being to look up for Redgorge. But then the demon army arrived: Nabthatoron himself leading the host, towering over his lessers with four huge arms; giant toad-like beasts in two; vrocks flying overhead; and a horde of small, impish demons and gaunt, horned demon warriors. There was no way the forces of Redgorge were going to hold against this force. What were we to do?

The demon army, fortunately, was a disorganized mess, so we had some time. Meeting again with Terseon, we convinced him to join forces with Redgorge against the demons. As we were riding back, we saw Nabthatoron standing alone on high ground, surveying the battlefield. We hesitated – should we ride and face him, or would that be suicide? Finally, we decided that we would never have as good an opportunity to defeat the Lord of the Demonscar, and so we rode him down, weapons glowing, and charged him headlong!

Rhysalis had given me a potion to make myself larger, and now grown to the size of a human (an uncomfortable feeling, to be sure, being so oafish and clumsy), Aria gave me Alacast, the weapon used by Surabar Spellmason to defeat Nabthatoron the first time. Rhysalis charged in with Ilefern while Eliza sang us to victory, and between Rhysalis’s halberd, Alacast, and Aria’s hammer of Pelor, Nabthatoron fell! The demon army collapsed into chaos and infighting, and Redgorge was saved!

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2009-03-08 The Lair of the False Sisters

Excerpt from the Chronicles of the Intrepid and Incomparable Wimrick Nacklewyn:

It is with a heavy heart that I pen this journal entry. Zacharias, the youngest of our group, a bare stripling yet a mage of great and terrible power, and a true hero of Cauldron, fell beneath the Temple of the Three.

We had just been saved by Nidrama, and decided to retreat to the jungles around the Demonscar. There we found Fenyael, and after much planning and resting, we returned to spellweaver ruins, girded with spell and armor and ready to face the three hags.

And we did. This time, there was no hesitation, and they had not cloaked themselves in false images of angels. Fenyael struck quickly with magical flame, and after his initial onslaught, we overwhelmed them. But even after their defeat, we soon tasted their bitter curse, for we encountered Alec Tercival. But he was no longer a man, and instead an undead abomination. Rhysalis and Aria attacked him with holy fervor, and we brought him low. Rhysalis and Aria rejoiced (high five!), but we soon realized that Cauldron had lost one of its great heroes.

In the living quarters of the hags, behind a secret door, we found Alacast at last: a quarterstaff of wood, capped with cold iron, and warped by time and saltwater.


As we left the lair of the three false sisters, we were met once again by Nidrama the deva. She told us that we needed to bring Alec Tercival’s remains to the Hall of Heroes, beneath the Temple of the Three, but that it was imperative that we return to Redgorge three days hence. She also offered to answer one question from each of us, and I learned that none other than Javar Westwanderer himself was interred in the Hall of Heroes!

After we asked our questions, we immediately set off towards the Spire of Long Shadows. Navigating the desert, facing off against undead…we became too confident, maybe, or careless, but in the end we reached the Temple of the Three, and in the halls below, a construct, perhaps set there by Surabar Spellmason himself to defend the Hall of Heroes, laid Zacharias low.

What are we to do now?

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2009-02-22 The Search for Alacast

Excerpt from the Chronicles of the Intrepid and Incomparable Wimrick Nacklewyn:

Seek Alacast in the lair of my False Sisters, beyond the watchful eyes of the North...

So spoke the angelic being that appeared before us (Aria mumbled some nonsense about her being a movanic deva, I just know she was REALLY beautiful). We pondered her words (and I was pondering her full hips…) and we decided to return to Redgorge.

There we were met by Maavu, who offered us access to the Chisel’s own archive. While it was not as comprehensive as the Blue Crater Academy’s library, it had exceptional information regarding the history, geography, and notable persons of the Cauldron region, as well as two walls of tomes (made off-limits to us by Maavu) about demons, undead, and the like, no doubt to fight evil by “knowing thy enemy”.

We learned more about the Order of the Chalice, and Surabar Spellmason’s last resting place, which seemed to be located beneath the Temple of the Three, an ancient stronghold of the Ebon Triad near the Spire of Long Shadows. As luck would have it, it was also the site of the Battle of Five Halls, where cold iron used to shod Alacast was recovered (from the broken pieces of the Shield of Ademar). So we thought, since this lay to the north, that this might be the lead we were looking for. And I happened to have a map, made by none other than Javar Westwanderer himself, that could be a detailed layout of Spellmason’s tomb…

So we returned to Cauldron (Fenyael had already returned ahead of us, on urgent private business), and Aria used her powers to divine Pelor’s will. Her prayers earned this answer: Seek power in the North, and Alacast to the South. So it seemed that Alacast was somewhere in the spellweaver ruins near the Demonscar. So we turned around…

…and into the tunnels we journeyed, the bowels of the spellweaver city that once stood here, no doubt. The ogre’s map proved accurate, if crude, and we found ourselves in Vaprak’s Voice. While I was scouting out the area, I accidentally stood eye to eye with a hill giant, who threw a meteor at me and sounded the alarm. Soon thereafter, we face three hill giants, and then afterwards another five ettins, but with sound defenses and tactics we overcame them. After all, giants are stupid and slow and ugly. We gnomes have trained for centuries to outwit, outmaneuver, and outfight them.

Unfortunately, I learned a harsh lesson that day. Scouting deeper into the giants’ lair, I sneaked into the forge, where I found a massive fire giant toiling over an anvil. I tried to get a closer look, and he somehow spotted me! I barely made it out alive, thanks to my wraith bone bracelet, and we retreated from the fire giant, since we were already exhausted from two battles.

During my explorations I had sighted a strange spellweaver meeting room (before the ettins interrupted), so after resting, we went back into that room, and were greeted by three green-skinned angels with trumpets. They offered Aria the nectar of the gods, to aid us in our fight against the fire giant. But the movanic deva had warned us of her false sisters, so we were wary, forcing one of the angels to cast a spell on Aria. She resisted, and we drew our weapons…and then everything else is a haze. I remember trading blows with Aria, while Zacharias was running around babbling and hitting people with his staff, and then Rhysalis struck down Eliza with a single blow of her halberd…

Then, like the sun finally peaking through the storm clouds, the deva appeared again, and our momentary insanity was washed away. She cried over Eliza’s body, and where her tears fell, Eliza began blinking again. Suddenly the deva’s wings were burned away, and she screamed and cried, and disappeared.

What could we do? How could we defeat these three false sisters, if they could so easily turn us against each other? Maybe Fenyael will know what to do…

Comments on 2009-02-22 The Search for Alacast

Rhysalis will suggest to return to Cauldron. The spells these three hags wrought upon us are nothing we can protect ourselves against. We would have to shield our minds, or maybe assassinate one of them to break up the triumvirate. Rhysalis also needs some days to pray to Pelor and ask for guidance. Why did the astral deva sacrifice herself for us? We learnt so much about Cauldron’s past, the order of the chalice, White Spire of the elves, the Tercivals – Rhysalis prefers things to be simple.

– Alex 2009-03-07 18:00 UTC

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