PREVIOUSLY: Having narrowly escaped an altercation with the priests of Razmir, the heroes commence an investigation of their own into the Razmirans and the Rangers Lament. Eventually, the heroes discover that someone else is also watching the tavern, and the heroes rush to capture the would be spy. Unfortunately, the heroes lose the fleeing man, the result of which poses more questions than answers. Eventually, the heroes return to their inn for the night, and upon rising, they learn that the council has made a decision regarding Kassen’s plea for help. After a trip through Tamran, the heroes arrive at The Forest Bounty, a feast hall at the edge of town as per the instructions from the Tamran Council. Upon arrival, the heroes are greetings by a tall, sturdy man named Reginar who directs them to Aromina whom has come personally to deliver the news. Unfortunately, the news Aromina delivers is devastating – the Mayor of Kassen’s requests for assistance has been denied. However, Aromina suggests another course of action which may lead the council to change their minds. Aromina sheds light on the happenings of the Church of Razmir and her concerns in regards to their activities. She implores them to help her with an investigation into the church’s doings by infiltrating the church. Kal bluntly refuses, whilst the others agree. Aromina says that she may be able to find another recruit to assist which may require some more delicate negotiations…
EVENTS: Armomina provides the group with directions back to the Gar’s Last Meal as the location of the person she believes could take Kal’s place during their infiltration of the Razmir Church. Armomina asks that if they are able, to return to her within the week to report their findings, and if not, she will assume the worst.
As they arrive at the inn, the same inn that they had stayed at since arriving in Tamran, they are shocked to learn that the person Aromina suggested was none other than the elf that Evarl had clashed with only two days earlier.
The meeting went as expected, with Evarl and the elven woman, now known to be Delshandra Laetanlhûn, or “Shandy” (as both Evarl and Nell had nick-named her), trading verbal blows. Delshandra accepted the letter from Armonia which explained what was required. Delshandra accepted considering that the invitation was from her half sister. She further suggested that they utilise the assistance of a young man who had only arrived in Tamran that afternoon from Kassen, and had been asking questions about the group. Delshandra then went and fetched Zevan, who had travelled cross country after delivering the Wizard Aroth Mentinjek to Holgast in Kassen.
The heroes greet their long missed friend with open arms and quickly shared their experiences since they parted at Morrie’s Farm. As the afternoon began to turn towards night, Kal and Delshandra bid the others farewell, allowing Evarl, Nell, Sam and Zevan to make their way back to the Ranger’s Lament. The plan was that Kal and Delshandra would watch and await their signal.
Upon arrival, the group notice that the Ranger’s Lament was empty, save for Rolen Oggersmith who appeared to be cleaning the bar in preparation for some event, the smell of fine food hanging in the air. The group are greeted by the burly bartender, and are advised to take a seat and the ceremony will take place soon. Nell asks after Rolen’s offer of employment from the previous day, to which he replies in the affirmative, stating that she could start the following Moonday if she so desired.
As the late afternoon turned to dusk, several other people attended the Ranger’s Lament, including several villagers, a guardsman and a young disheveled man. Sam approached this young man, and casually asked him a number of questions. The man was rude, and clearly mentally disturbed. Sam left him to his own devices, and casually watched him from across the room.
Eve had planted herself in a corner of the room to get a better vantage point as had Zevan but in the opposing corner, to keep a watchful eye on the door coming in and out of the back of the Ranger’s Lament. Nell remained with Sam, keeping note of the people who were arriving.
As night fell, Rolen closed the front door, latched it from the inside and begun setting the stage for the ceremony. Drapes were pulled, and several of the torches were snuffed out. A short time later, Evarl heard a knock on a door from somewhere in the back room, and Rolen quickly moved to the back to attend to whichever visitor had arrived. Whispering of voices could be heard from the rear, and Evarl caught a glimpse of some robed individuals standing around the kitchen area through the gap in the door as Rolen exited to continue his preparations.
As night-time engulfed Tamran, the group heard the chiming sounds of ceremonial cymbals. With that, the door to the rear room opened and several white robed acolytes entered the room spraying what appeared to be holy water and incense around the room in an attempt, Nell presumed, to ward of evil spirits and cleanse the room.
The Acolytes were shortly after followed by 2 grey robed priests who chanted a prayer in an ancient tongue unrecognisable to the others. Finally, a black robed priest entered the room in complete silence, and moved towards the podium at the front of the inn. The acolytes helped the priest to the stage. The group noted that the acolytes and priests appeared to have all of the exits covered, and that it would be difficult to escape. Suddenly, there was an overwhelming silence.
After stepping up onto the stage, the figure in the black robes turns to the audience, his face hidden behind an iron mask. With a strong voice, he calls out, “You have come here to seek the power and glory of Razmir, and I am here to tell you that he has found you worthy!”
At that, all of the other priests chant in one voice, “All praise the Living God!”
“He is proud of you,” the black-robed figure continues, “for taking this, the first of 31 steps to enlightenment, the path of righteousness, the stairs to power and glory. Razmir is the one true god. What other god so richly rewards those who follow him? What other god lives among his people, guiding them with his wisdom and his might? What other god can lead you to true salvation? None of them! Only Razmir can offer you the power, the fortune, and the glory that you desire. Will you join him?”
The black robed priest then folded his arms and waited for an answer. Many in the room yelled praises or affirmed their willingness to give themselves to Razmir. Nell, Sam and Zevan all pledged themselves, whilst Evarl was more reluctant. The lead priest then publicly questioned the young elf further until she at least agreed to hear what the priest had to say.
The priest then continued a sermon, preaching to the people in attendance, and finally offering food and drink to solidify Razmir’s offering of charity to the people of Tamran. With that, Rolen and another of the priests appeared from the rear room. Eve however noted that by her count, there was one larger priest who had not yet appeared. This made her more wary.
Eventually all patrons were served food, and all of the heroes bar Evarl and Nell appeared to take part. Evarl refused to eat completely, whilst Nell pretended to consume, moving much of the food that was on her plate to Sam’s who she believed would be less affected if the food was poisoned.
It was not long before the effects of the food took hold. Several of the villagers were the first to collapse, followed soon after by the young disturbed man, then Sam and Zevan. Nell faked her collapse, hoping that she would be able to remain conscious and see what they would do with them. Evarl defied the request for the priest to eat. Evarl noted all the people asleep and then confronted the lead priest. Evarl thought trickery would be the best employ, and so stated that he was interested in the “tricks” that the “church” was employing, and wanted to join for that reason, not a sense of honour to Razmir. It was clear that the priest would be unable to convince the elf, so instead he threatened the life of his friend Nell, in an attempt to force him to eat. The elf refused, telling the priest to kill the red haired woman as she meant nothing to him. Evarl was clearly hoping that the bluff would work against the clearly more experienced priest. Nell felt the blade at the base of her skull, but remained still. Evarl could not bear to be responsible for his friend’s death – it was going to be a battle of wills – and battle that Evarl was sure to lose. Evarl raised his hands, allowing the priest this victory. Evarl then saw some of the priests moving the unconscious bodies into the back room. No wishing to be knocked unconscious, Evarl convinced the priest to hoodwink him instead. With that, the large burly priest exited from the back of the inn, and placed a sack over Evarl’s head.
The patrons, including Evarl, Nell, Sam and Zevan were taken down into an underground tunnel and placed in a group of underground cells. Where they were, was anyone’s guess, but Nell, who was still successfully faking being unconscious, believed them to be directly under the Temple of Razmir…
PREVIOUSLY: The heroes arrived in Tamran and after meeting with a shady elvish assassin, they obtained lodgings at the riverside inn of Gar’s Last Meal. The following day, the heroes made their way to the Tamran Council to deliver the letter their had received from Mayor Uptal in Kassen seeking assistance from the council. There, the heroes met with Speaker of the Leaves Speaker Mayslen Torgun. The heroes also asked to speak with the Speaker of the Heart, to which they were then introduced to Speaker Aromina Yasgon. The heroes presented their plights, and their adventures thus far, including their run in with the Molthuni Privateers. The heroes were rewarded for their deeds, and advised that their response would be provided the following day. In the meantime, the heroes then ventured to a placed called the Rangers Lament, a place eluded to in a note the heroes had found in Kassen’s Crypt. Before entering the tavern, the heroes happened across a sermon being conducted on the steps of the Church of Razmir, located directly across the road from the tavern. Interested in what they had to say, Sam moved in for closer observation, whilst Evarl worked the crowd. Nell and Kal however remained behind the crowd to observe the happenings for a discrete distance. Evarl spotted one of the priests, who was moving through the crowd, steal from Sam. Evarl accused the man of theft, and the lead priest started making his way towards the commotion…
EVENTS:
Surrounded by a somewhat bewildered crowd of onlookers, Evarl stood ready to battle, as Sam had a hold of the young Priest whom has supposedly stolen from him. The Senior Priest of the Razmirian Church had by this stage made his way through the crowd and had stopped in front of Evarl. Meanwhile four of the city guards moved into the crowd in order to dismantle the situation, whilst Kal and Nell, still situated on the outskirts, prepared for a battle. The Senior Priest called to the crowd for calm, and spoke directly with the younger Priest.
The Senior Priest asked his younger clergyman to empty his pockets. Evarl called for others in the crowd to checks theirs as well and was surprised that many did as she asked. The younger priest reached into his pocket and revealed a small pouch originally in Sam‘s possession. Several members of the crowd also claimed that they had been stolen from. The Priest handed the pouch to the Lead Priest, along with several; other items of value, holding his head in shame as he did so. The Senior Priest turned to the crowd stating that even members of his own church were not immune to the meddling ways of the other false gods. He posed a series of questions for the crowd to contemplate after which he turned his attention to Evarl. He touched the young elf on the shoulder while motioning for the younger acolytes to take the thieving priest into custody. The Senior Priest apologized to the young elf for the misunderstanding and for his clergyman’s behaviour. He also directed his apology to Sam and returned the pouch containing approximately 80gp. The Lead Priest encouraged both Evarl and Sam to visit their next sermon at the square, and not be swayed from the teachings of Razmir because of one confused man’s intent. The Lead Priest then bowed, and promptly left with the acolytes in tow. As the Lead Priest and the other younger priest who had also been working the crowd reached the top of the stairs, Kal stepped forward giving praise to Erastil, and shed holy warmth across the crowd (burst). Some members of the crowd turned their attentions to Kal, asking for forgiveness, whilst others seemed even more bewildered. The younger priest pointed out Kal to the Lead Priest, at which time the Lead Priest bowed in Kal‘s direction before turning his back and walking inside the temple.
With the Razmiran Priests back in their temple, and the crowd dispersing, the heroes regroup to discuss their next move. After a brief discussion, the heroes decide to venture into the Ranger’s Lament to continue their investigation. Evarl, in the meantime suggests she check out the back and scope out the surrounds.
Kal, Nell and Sam entered the tavern which appears to be somewhat slow for this time of day. Kal took a seat at a nearby table to distance himself from the other two, while Nell and Sam went to the bar to speak with the barkeeper. There they meet with a somewhat placid but friendly man named Rolen Oggersmith. He explains that things were going well for the bar. With that, he openly charged the heroes at least double the price for ale. Nell continued speaking with Rolen, offering several more gold pieces than were necessary in an attempt to loosen his lips. The tactic failed, but appeared to make an impression as at one stage Rolen offered Nell a job due to her skills that she learned behind the bar at Kassen. Sam downed several drinks but managed to remain sober for the time being.
Meanwhile Evarl made her way around the building and was confronted by two guards who recognised her from the altercation with the priests earlier. Evarl explained that it was a misunderstanding and sweet-talked one of the guards to join her for a drink. The guard and Evarl then made their way to the front of the Ranger’s Lament. Once inside, the young elf assisted the guard to get drunk, which unfortunately revealed little other than he claimed that the businesses in the area paid the guards well to keep an eye on things.
Kal and the others attempted to find out further information about recent jobs on offer that were being advertised at the tavern, in particular the job offers which lead the mercenaries to venture to Kassen’s Crypt. The guard and the the barkeeper both remain silent but did mention a Kobold issue in the outskirts of town, which they think may somehow involve a Dragon. The heroes then notice a flyer near the front door asking for assistance with a neighbouring dragon with a reward of 1gp per Kobold killed.
As the afternoon progressed, Kal learned from a local fisherman that he recalled a job being called for a couple of months back. He claimed it was seeking the assistance of more mercenary types for a job up north. He claimed that he thought he saw several of them return a little over a week ago, and each one appeared a lot worse for ware. The fisherman explained that he knew little else and soon after left. The heroes also notice during this time that the bar is emptying as the afternoon progresses, rather than getting busier, which would be the norm for a tavern of this type. As darkness approached, Rolen calls last drinks and ushers the heroes outside, along with the remaining patrons. As they leave, he offers Nell a more full time position if she was interested. Nell says she will consider the offer.
Once outside, the heroes again discuss their next plan. Evarl suggests that she monitor the tavern from the roof top of a nearby business whilst the Kal, Nell, and Sam remain nearby in case the plan is foiled or if Evarl is spotted. Sam suggests they wait at a small tavern nearby that he spotted on the way to the Ranger’s Lament, which appeared much busier and would make a good place to remain inconspicuous. The group agree and set up for the night.
During the evening, Evarl noticed that at about 8 o’clock, Rolen closes all the shutters in the tavern, but remained working inside for a time. About 2 hours later, she notices Rolen exited the tavern and lock up for the night. Evarl observes nothing else until she realise the tavern was also being kept under surveillance by another person who appeared to be hiding behind a chimney a little down the street. Evarl attempted to quietly spring from the roof to get a better look at the person.
Meanwhile, Sam, who was enjoying taking turns monitoring Evarl‘s position, observed a flash of someone running across the road, and yelled out, “Eve?” Sam’s somewhat loud whisper gave away Evarl‘s position, and the person who Evarl was trying to intercept, fled the scene. As Evarl increased her pace, with Sam not far behind, she came face to face with a group of street thugs in a back alley – all of whom were clearly waiting for trouble. Sam in the meantime had called out to Kal and Nell, both of whom discarded their drinks and attempted to join the chase.
The gang dropped what they were doing and immediately threatened Evarl. Evarl, wanting to continue the chase rather than be dealing with a bunch of misguided miscreants, tried to claim that she was chasing someone who had over a 100 of her gold, and they could have some of it if they caught him. Clearly Evarl was less than convincing, even after Sam barreled around the corner in hot pursuit. It was a stand off, until Nell and Kal arrived. Using her seductive charm, Nell explained that she and her friends were part of their crew, and that they best let them through. The gang allowed the heroes through, although what “crew” Nell was speaking of seemed to be a mystery. Either that, or the thugs were somehow bewildered with Nell’s beauty.
As the four hastily ran down the alleyway, they came to a pathway which was blocked but recently disturbed. Evarl was the first to bound over the blocked pathway, closely followed by the others.
Further around another bend, the heroes were confronted with a tall fence with barbed wire at the top. Evarl and Nell seemed to climb the fence without difficulty in order to continue the chase, however Sam and Kal had more issues with transversing the obstacle. Eventually, Kal boosted Sam over the fence to continue the pursuit.
Meanwhile, Evarl and Nell got sight of their target after making their way through a construction site as the cloaked figure made his way into a slum area. Unfortunately this was the last they saw of their quarry. Kal and Sam soon joined their search, but were unable to locate the shadowy spy. Kal then observed the thugs they had encountered earlier who were making their way towards the heroes. It was quickly decided it best they return to Gar’s Last Meal to rest for the evening.
The heroes return to Gar’s Last Meal and upon rising the following morning, late due to the heroes activities the previous evening, the heroes are greeted with a fine meal cooked by Puglas himself. The meal was presented by his daughter Melanie whom Sam had been admiring since their arrival in Tamran. Melanie presented the heroes with a letter, sealed with the symbol of the Tamran Council. Kal opened the letter, and read that they were to meet Speaker Aromina Yasgon at the Forest Bounty on the outskirts of town where she would be able to deliver the news of the council’s decision at midday.
The heroes prepare and obtain directions from Puglas before heading out into Tamran. After an hour, or so, the heroes arrive at the [[The Forest Bounty | Forest Bounty] and find a large feast hall, bustling with activity. They are approached by a tall man who Evarl recognises as the man they were chasing the previous evening. He introduces himself as Reginar Lacklan, aide to Speaker Yasgon and escorts them to where Speaker Yasgon was seated.
Firstly Aromina delivers the devastating news – the Mayor Uptal’s requests for assistance had been denied by the council. However, Aromina suggests another course of action which may lead the council to change their minds.
Aromina explains that she is just as concerned about the Razmirans in Tamran as the heroes are with the Razmiran’s involvement in what occurred in the crypt. Aromina claims that she has been building a case for some time against the Razmirans, but that every time she has attempted to get to the bottom of their scheme, she comes to a dead end. She admits that the brutal nature of the Razmiran ways has either seen her agents disappear having infiltrated the Razmiran’s compound, or that they have been found floating face down a few days later at the mouth of the Marideth River. Most of the deaths have been blamed on Molthuni spies, and Aromina has struggled to keep a lid on her investigation, in particular since she believes that Razmiran’s may be making an attempt to influence the Tamran Council itself, especially as her investigation seems to lead to Speaker Mayslen Torgun.
Aromina says that the “cult” of Razmir first appeared in Tamran about 2 years ago, as a small band of missionaries. They soon raised the funds to build a temple, which was constructed over a year ago. Their power and influence in the city have grown ever since, and the local guards seem to give them no heed, even going so far as to dismiss any reports of their foul practices. Aromina suspects through corruption that the city guards help protect the temple, watching out for thieves and intruders.
Kal then explained that they learned from a fisherman that a group of mercenaries were employed by someone to head up north a few months ago and returned just over a week ago minus a few of their number.
Reginar confirms this and adds that he had observed that when the group arrived, they hurried back to the temple all under the cover of darkness. Less than two days later another group, this one led by a female cultist in blue robes, left the temple and boarded a boat. He thinks this might be the temple’s leader, but he cannot be sure. Evarl asked for a description of the woman to which Reginar obliged. Based on the description, Evarl suggests that it sounds like Iramine.
Her findings were such that members of the cult go out frequently to aid the poor and proselytize, however she suspects this is just a cover for their more illegal activities, such as thievery, blackmail, and extortion. She claims that her agents have seen the Razmiran Priests beat a man to within an inch of his life, claiming the humble cobbler stole from the temple, while the city guards merely watched the event and took no action. The heroes confirm these claims, stating that they had seen some of those things the previous day whilst watching the temple, and its neighbour, The Rangers Lament.
Reginar adds that from his observations, members of the faith heavily guard the temple itself day and night. He claims that the priests hold no public services, other than the ones held on the front steps of the temple, so the only real way in is to join their religion. Aromina adds that her agents have established that the Razmirans interview applicants at the Ranger’s Lament every Fireday.
As a result, Aromina implores them to help her with an investigation into the church’s doings by infiltrating the church, going so far as to offer her own gold to fund an expedition to Kassen. Kal bluntly refuses to assist, claiming that pretending to be a priest of another church, little less an evil one, would be against his beliefs. Kal however does encourage the others to try. Evarl, Nell and Sam agree. Aromina says that she may be able to find another recruit to assist which may require some more delicate negotiations…
PREVIOUSLY: The heroes continued their investigation into the substances located under the ancient Dryad tree which revealed little other than the culprit was a pale skinned gnome. From the descriptions provided by the magic shop owner however, the gnome was suffering from the bleaching. During the investigation, the heroes’ investigations flushed out a Molthune spy who they apprehended and brought before the authorities. The heroes were rewarded for their good deeds, and soon after left Three Pines Ford behind. As their journey continued, the heroes along with the crew of the Black Mist were forced to deal with a ferocious storm. Having survived the ordeal, the heroes continued onto the last leg of their journey to Tamran. Shortly before arriving in the city, the Black Mist was set upon by Molthuni Privateers. The heroes fought bravely, and thwarted the Molthuni plan. Now armed with the heads of several of the Molthuni sailors, the captured letter of marquee and several documents detailing Molthuni attack plans, the heroes make their way into the Tamran Harbour to continue their quest to seek aide for their hometown of Kassen…
EVENTS:
The heroes arrive under the cover of darkness, and moor the Black Mist on one of the many jetties which dot the harbour. Captain Walren thanks the heroes for their assistance and recommends that they visit the council chambers in the morning with the informant they obtained from the Molthuni Privateer vessel. The captain also recommends they stay at an inn called Gar’s Last Meal and provides them with directions. The heroes farewell Captain Walren but not before he lets them know that should they need his services, he owes them a debt of gratitude.
The heroes then make their way to the inn. Cautiously, the four make a plan to enter the inn. Evarl states that she will move to the rear of the establishment and scope for any unusual behaviour, whilst the the other three enter via the front door.
Inside, the heroes find nothing but pleasant talk and run-of-the-mill sailors telling tall tales, including that of the inn-keep who regales a story to a bunch of younger fisherman about how he managed to lose his arm to the giant sizes Gar Fish who’s stuffed remains rest quietly about the bar. The heroes separate and start conversing with the locals. Nell, in particular, grabs the attention of some of the fishermen about her and her friend’s exploits with vanquishing a crew of Molthuni Privateers. Her stories, and her appearance, eventually grab the attention of most onlookers in the bar. This leaves Evarl with little to do other than keep a watchful eye on people coming and going from the bar. Meanwhile Sam and Kal scope out the bar and listen to the inn-keeper’s story. Eventually, after learning very little other than the people in the tavern appear to be happy fisherman and sailors, and little more, Nell negotiates with the inn-keeper, Puglas Tamall for food and lodgings. The group make themselves comfortable and quench their thirst and hunger in a nearby booth, whilst Evarl continues to keep a watchful eye on the door from nearby.
During supper, Evarl observes a female elf dressed in dark leather clothing with 2 blades across her back enter the front door and make her way upstairs. Evarl excuses herself and moves through the crowd to follow the stranger. As she begins to make her way up the stairs, she is knocked out of the way by a heavy-set half-orc carrying what appears to be two jars of a bubbling liquid. The half orc barreled down the stairs and through the main doors, before a flash can be seen in the main street. Kal sees the half orc, and asks one of the waitresses who that was. The barkeep overhears the question and say that it was Mila, a female half-orc that has been told one too many times not to mess around with her experiments in her room.
Meanwhile Evarl continued her ascent up the stairs. The distraction however was enough for her to loose track of the elf. Slowly, Evarl made her way up the corridor of the lodgings, in an attempt to find the mysterious elf. As she came to the second last door, by chance, Evarl spotted a shadow from under the door. As a result, Evarl was not caught off guard, as the door burst open, a knife wielding elf standing in its archway. Evarl first attempted to trip the elf, but the elf was quicker and slashed out with her knife. The knife cut Evarl on the thigh, the pain searing through her leg. The clearly more experienced elf moved quickly, and before Evarl knew what was happening, she was on the ground, the elven female on top of her, a dagger leveled at her throat. Evarl attempted to parley with her clearly more experienced kin, but it was a useless gesture. Evarl felt the cold blade against her skin, a small trickle of blood morning its way down the side of her neck. The elf leaned in, and whispered in the the younger elf’s ear. It was a warning, to stay out of the elf’s way. Evarl agreed as the older elf stepped back and slammed the door of her room behind her.
Evarl, somewhat shaken, and furious that she had been bested, returned to the tavern to tell her friends what had occurred. Kal quickly healed Evarl of her injuries, and suggested that she do as the elf suggested, and stay away. After dinner, the four walk up to the beds, and enjoy their evening’s rest.
The heroes rise at dawn and venture downstairs for breakfast. Puglas prepares their breakfast which allows the heroes to ask a few questions. Puglas explains that there is very little going on in Tamran at the moment, other than the ongoing war with the Mothuni. When asked about the council, Puglas explains that given it was Oathday, the timing was perfect for the heroes to present their findings to the council. Puglas also offers directions to the Rangers Lament although mentions that it is not as nice an establishment as his own. Evarl also asks Puglas about the elf, to which Puglas becomes grim, stating that her name was Enar, and that the group give her a wide birth. Kal reiterates Puglas’ warning and suggests that they make their way to the council chambers. Puglas further explains that the council are hopeless at making decisions, and that Forest Marshal Gavirk has become nothing more than a figurehead and bureaucrat. Puglas then leaves allowing the heroes to their meal. A short time later, the heroes leave and venture into the city.
The city of Tamran is a busy place indeed, and Kal mentions that he is overwhelmed given that Tamran appeared to be over 10 times the size of their small home town of Kassen. Upon arrival at the council chambers, the heroes join a line of what appear to be a mix of adventurers, fishermen, sailors and other townsfolk, all keen on gaining some favour with the council.
After many hours waiting, the heroes are ushered into a room where they meet with Speaker Mayslen Torgun, the Speaker of the Leaves. Kal mentions that they have brought word from Mayor Uptal in Kassen in the form of a letter, asking for assistance. Kal also says that their orders were to ask for Speaker Aromina Yasgon. Kal then hands over the note to the speaker. Speaker Torgun reads the message, and tells the heroes to remain in the room whilst he fetched Speaker Yasgon. A few minutes later, Speaker Torgun returns to the room, with Speaker Yasgon in tow. Speaker Yasgon then reads the letter. The heroes then present the story of their victory with the Molthuni Privateers and present the papers and evidence of their victory. Speaker Torgun becomes very interested in their story, but shows little interest when they then explain the reason for their arrival in Tamran, in particular their belief of the involvement of Razmiran followers with the theft of the amulets from the crypt, which they further believe has caused the undead uprising in an around Kassen.
After speaking at length about both events, Evarl and Nell both sense that Speaker Torgun was more interested in the Molthuni papers and the threat that posed, whilst Speaker Yasgon showed great interest in the Razmiran involvement. However, both speakers note that no decision could be made until the council met later that day. The heroes advised where they were staying and were told that a decision would be made regarding Kassen‘s fate by tomorrow. Speaker Torgun further offers a reward of 500 gold for their information about the Molthuni Privateers and offers his thanks for the bravery the heroes had shown.
The heroes then leave the council chambers and ponder their next move. After a short discussion, it is decided that the heroes make their way to the Ranger’s Lament. After travelling on foot across various bridges and walkways, they arrive at the location of where Puglas had indicated twhere the inn was. The heroes are concerned however when they seen an assembly of people outside of a large Razmiran church, situated across the road from the Ranger’s Lament. The heroes observe a masked dark cloaked Priest sprouting the virtues of Razmir to the crowd from the top stair of the temple, the assembled villagers listening intently to his preachings. The heroes’ listen for a short time, and observe four white robed masked priests standing between the crowd and the head priest, positioned in such a way to be standing on the first step of the temple. The heroes also observed two masked, grey robed priests moving through the crowd, asking for donations.
Sam, who had always shown little interest in religious teachings, was enthralled at what he heard the priest tout, which resulted in Sam moving further into the crowd to get a better look. Evarl however, was suspicious, and began making her way through the crowd as well, but more to keep an eye on the priests. Nell and Kal remained at the rear. During the sermon, Evarl noticed one of the priest’s pick several townsfolk’s pockets, including that of Sam‘s. Evarl immediately moved towards the priest and attempted to pick the item back that Sam had “lost”. Unfortunately, the priest obviously had a keen eye and was able to spot the elf’s advance. The priest pointed the tithing-box at the elf as he reached arms length away from the priest. The Priest then asked the young elf for a donation. Evarl was outraged, and accused the priest of stealing from his friend. The priest claimed it to be a false accusation, and accused Evarl of being a sinner and stealing the item himself. The head priest, from his position at the top of the stairs, further accused Evarl of misdoings, claiming that he was one of the many reason that Razmir had come to Tamran. Sam could not believe what he was hearing, and moved quickly to the priest who Evarl accused of stealing from him, with the intent of upturning the priest until his supposedly stolen property fell out. The head priest started to make his way through the crowd, his intention, to put a stop to this nonsense…
PREVIOUSLY: The heroes arrive in Three Pines Ford. After meeting with a shady elven inn-keeper, known by Evarl to be a retired assassin, the heroes come across a call for help from a druid who is keen to learn why one of the ancient three Dyrad Trees, after which the town is named, has begun to die. The druid provides a guide in the form of a fighter named Voldar Riffolk, who agrees to assist the heroes. Shortly after accepting the druid’s call for assistance, the heroes stumble across a tunnel under one of the trees. Upon investigating further, the heroes learn that the trees are being somehow magically poisoned with ritualistic necromancy, but not before being set upon by several tainted fey. After defeating the creatures, the heroes return to the druid who confirms their theory, but explains she would need to examine the site further. In the meantime, the druid suggests the heroes visit the magic shop called the Ageng and Elyelen’s Vault where some of the supplies for the evil ritual may have been purchased from…
EVENTS:
As night fell, the heroes bid their fare-well to the druid and her assistant Voldar Riffolk, and made their way back to the Black Mist. Given the late hour, the four aimed to return to their investigations in the morning at the alchemist shop. During the evening, Evarl and Nell noticed that the ship was under surveillance by a cloaked individual. Rather than starting an incident, the heroes kept the man under close watch, but by the end of first watch, the man had disappeared.
As dawn broke, those heroes who were not on watch were awoken to the sounds and smells of cooking bacon and eggs, courtesy of the Black Mist‘s first mate, Ewem. After breakfast, the heroes made their way through the busy morning markets to the alchemists store, known as Ageng and Elyelen’s Vault. There, they met an aging female dwarf shop keeper named Ageng after whom the shop was named. Kal and Sam engaged the shopkeeper in conversation whilst Evarl and Nell looked about the store. Eve noticed that the store was well stocked, but was dusty in some areas. In a corner, in a particularly dusty section, both she and Nell noticed a rectangular shaped print indicating that something had been there recently. Meanwhile, during the discussion with the shop keeper, Kal discovered that the powder was definitely sold at the store, and that powder and wax of the kind that was found at the tree would be contained in an alchemist kit. When Kal asked if one had been sold recently, the shopkeeper became tight lipped, claiming that she may know more if a purchase of some goods was had. After sampling the store’s wares, Kal made a purchase of some Oil of Bless Weapon for 50gp, after which the the shopkeeper became more loose lipped.
The aging dwarf revealed that a pale skinned gnome had attended her shop just over a day ago, and had made a purchase of a portable alchemists kit, and points to where Evarl and Nell were examining. She further explained that the gnome said little, paid extra for the purchase of the kits, and left. Nothing else was purchased.
During the conversation with the shopkeeper, a man enters the store, remaining near the front door and examining books. Evarl noticed the man to be similar shape and build to the humanoid who had been watching the Black Mist the previous evening. Evarl slipped up next to the man without him noticing, and carefully watched his movements. Suddenly the man turned his head towards the young elf, nodded, and then bolted for the front door, dropping the book as he ran.
The man dashed across the road, with Evarl in hot pursuit. Nell and Sam following closely behind. Evarl caught the man slipping into a general store across the road, and followed. As she approached however, she heard commotion from within. As Evarl darted into the store, she noticed the shopkeeper assaulting the would-be-spy with a broom, and a tray of eggs smashed on the floor beside them. The woman was yelling for the man to get out. Evarl took advantage of the situation, and grabbed a hessian bag from the counter. Whilst the man was otherwise occupied, Evarl forced the bag over the man’s head in an attempt to drag him to the ground. The shopkeeper, an elderly woman, went to threaten Evarl, thinking that she was about to be robbed, but through fast talking, Evarl convinced the woman her that she was there to apprehend the would-be criminal.
Nell remained on the roadway, as Sam dashed across the road to join Evarl in the store. Kal and the dwarven store owner joined Nell on the street to see what was going on. Suddenly from around the corner, three guards barreling towards the direction of the disturbance. Nell engaged the guards in conversation, claiming that it was only her Uncle that was have a reaction of some bad stew. The guards, somewhat bedazzled by the red-haired sorcerer’s words, held their ground, seeming to believe her.
Meanwhile inside the store, the man had escaped by cutting open the bag with a concealed knife. The man spun to face his attackers, and the old shopkeeper backed away. Evarl drew her sword, and threatened the man to surrender. At that moment, Sam burst through the front door, his intimidating prowess convincing the man that surrender was a good option. Evarl quickly questioned the man, but he was more that tight lipped that the dwarven shop-keeper. With a few jarring blows from Sam‘s fists, and the fact that he saw the guards awaiting him outside, the would-be spy loosened his tongue. The man, named Ewis Arrerk, spilled the story, stating that he worked for an accountant named Andre Colton who was a spy for the Molthune Government. The man claimed that he was regularly paid by Andre to keep a watchful eye on the new-comers to the town, and report back any unusual activities. He claimed he had been tracking the heroes since they arrived, but did not expect them to be as resourceful and perceptive as they had been. When asked about the gnome, the man knew nothing, although had heard them talking about it in the magic shop.
With this confession, Evarl and Sam took the man outside and handed him over to the authorities. Nell, not wnating to be accusing of lying to the guards, and perhaps thereafter being dragged away, slunk back into the magic store until they had left. Meanwhile Evarl, Kal and Sam followed the guards back to the Three Pines Ford Keep and spoke with the Captain of the Guard. The heroes told them of the story and what the man had confessed. The heroes were commended for their efforts, and awarded 400gp as a reward for apprehending a Molthune spy.
Meanwhile Nell commenced her return to the Black Mist. Whilst making her way through the docks, Nell overheard a group of sailors claiming that they were from a ship called the Grinning Parrot and that had come from up river a few days earlier. She further heard that some were claiming that they had be haunted during their trip by what they identified as a ghouling halfling with pale skin and eyes. Nell deduced that this was a similar description of the gnome the magic shop owner had seen previously. Nell then returned to the boat and was later joined by the other three heroes. After sharing the reward for the capture of the spy, the heroes and Captain Walren’s crew prepared to set sail. Shortly before leaving, the heroes learned that the Molthune spy, who had been acting as an accountant had got wind of the situation, and had fled the town. The crew then fare-welled the town, and the Black Mist then headed off down the Tourondel River to continue its journey to Tamran.
Th third day was relatively uneventful, as the crew made their way through the mouth of the river an into Lake Encarthen. As night fell, the eerie light show of bright green and blue flashes on the horizon from the direction of what was known as the Isle of Terror haunted the heroes. This prompted Kal to seek guidance from Erastil, after which he cast a divine spell which provided him with the fore-sight to predict the oncoming weather.
The evening of the forth day saw a violent store reek havoc on the ship. Crewman Anthond Bowe was injured during the storm, and was taken below decks to rest and recover. The rest of the crew handled themselves remarkably well, gaining the praises of Captain Walren.
On the evening of the last day, approximately 2 hours out from Tamran, a mist had formed, which Kal had also predicted, which blocked the way into Tamran‘s bay. Captain Waldren was wary, and readied everyone, except crewman Bowe who was still unwell, for battle. Evarl was the first to spot the ambush, a cutter vessel flying a Molthune Privateer flag came into view.
Evarl warned the crew, and Nell yelled out, claiming that the Black Mist was a plague ship, and not to come closer. Evarl could clearly see the crew of the incoming vessel, who comprised of seven soldiers, and a Captain. Evarl confirmed that Nell’s plan appeared to have worked, as most of the men aboard the vessel appeared uneasy. However, instead of the ship moving away, the Molthuni Captain yelled for his men to burn the boat. With that, two alchemist’s fires were thrown at the ship. Evarl and Sam were quick enough to move to a position where the containers would land. Evarl caught the first, but Sam was not nimble enough, the flask slipping through his fingers, and the contents smashing on the ground under him. The explosion engulfed the young warrior, however the discharge was not as bad as he first though although he was now covered in partially flaming goo.
However, Nell‘s distraction was enough to allow her to unleash a burning hands spell, across the middle section of the Molthuni ship, which caused the deaths of several of the Molthuni crewmen. Ewem flung a spear in the direction of another crewman, which collected the sailor in the chest, sending him skittering across the deck. Several of the sailors attempted to swing across to the Black Mist, with two reaching their intended target, and another making it only to the side rail. Evarl took it upon herself to deal with this poor sap, while Nell stepped back to again flame the advancing sailors. Meanwhile, the Molthuni Captain had swung across the stern of the ship to engage Captain Walren himself in combat. The two traded blows, but clearly the aged dwarven captain was no match for the much younger Molthuni. Kal quickly cast a spell on Sam to further protect him in the fight, as Sam raced to protect Captain Waldren. Several of the sailors continued their advance, with Ewen receiving several severe wounds from Molthuni blades. But the attacks were not enough to sway the Kellid’s respove to protect his ship, and with the assistance of Kal, and Nell‘s magic missile spells from her wand, two of the would be pirates fell. Sam bravely defended Captain Walren, and soon after beheaded the Molthuni Captain. Having seen his captain beheaded, the last surviving privateer jumped into the shadowy depths of Lake Encarthen.
The heroes initially considered taking possession of the Molthuni ship, but upon further inspection found that it was heavily damaged, and not just from the fire caused by Nell’s spell, but because it had been neglected and severely damaged through attacks from other vessels. The heroes, after some suggestions from Captain Walren, cleared the ship of its cargo and supplies, and sent the boat to the depths of Lake Encarthen.
During the search, a locked safe was located, the contents of which were a small treasure of coins, a magical feather token, and a letter of marquee from the Molthuni Government. Also found board were supplies, and a series of military orders pertaining to ship movements in the area. Captain Walren informed the heroes that this would be an advantage as they would be able to claim several rewards for the recovery of those documents, and for the heads of the Mothuni Privateers from the Tamran council.
With that, the heroes and the crew of the Black Mist continued on their journey, and soon after arrived at Tamran…
PREVIOUSLY: The heroes race into the forest near Morrie’s Farm in an attempt to track down the remaining orcs and their possible leader, a young mage named Aroth Mentinjek. It is not long that they discover the camp and set about to attack. After a harrowing battle, the orc leader, Zulgha Bloodbone lay dead at Sam‘s feat, while Evarl grappled the young mage to the ground to answer for his crimes. As the dust settled, the mage explained the misunderstanding, all caused by him using a charm spell on the unsuspecting orc leader. This lead to a chain of events whereby the orc leader thought the young mage wanted the owner of Morrie’s Farm’s daughter, Jessika as his bride. The heroes soon after returned to the farm, and after a short rest over-night, continued their journey down the river towards their final destination of Tamran…
EVENTS:
The heroes arrive in Three Pines Ford. Captain Walren advises them to follow his lead as he introduces them to harbour master Braffolk Gysby. The talk slender gentleman is quick to explain the need for calm in the town and although stern is pleasant to the heroes, encouraging them to stay.
As dusk was well underway, Sam was the first to mention his thirst and asked the others where the closest pub was. Evarl, who had formerly travelled the area, mentioned the Sly Harlequin, an inn nearby to the docks which, although somewhat unsavoury, could be a good place to learn more information and gain an ale. Before leaving, Kal asks the harbourmaster whom should the heroes should tell about an orc attack they witnessed recently. The harbourmaster thanks them for the information, but states it would be better delivered to Lieutenant Boarhelm in The Keep. Eve volunteers to do that, after she guides the heroes to the inn.
Whilst making their way there, Evarl explains that he plans to introduce the rest of the party to the elven proprietor named La’Slaan, whom he explains is a retired assassin, and then afterwards will go to the keep to offer information about the orcs that attacked Morrie’s Farm. The others agree, and they soon arrive.
The Inn is in full swing, with many of the dock workers and proprietors finished for the day. It is not long after the heroes enter that they greeted by the softly spoken and far from talkative La’Slaan. Evarl explains to La’Slaan about what had happened in Kassen, and why they were in Three Pines Ford. It is not long before Evarl realises that without speaking a word, he had perhaps revealed too much. La’Slaan thanks them for stopping by, and offers them a free ale, after which she disappears to mingle with the crowd. As the drinks arrived, Evarl checks to ensure the drinks were not poisoned, to which they were not.
Whilst drinking the somewhat putrid brew, Sam spots a sign asking for assistance. The signs was completed by a local druid, who is offering a substantial amount of gold for further assistance. Knowing that any leads at the inn may have dried up, the heroes grab the flyer and make their was to the Herbalist’s shop called Wolfmourne’s Elixirs & Herbs.
Upon arrival they are greeted by it proprietor, a middle-aged half-elven woman named An’lau Wolfmourne. An’lau explained that she had recently discovered that one of the ancient Dryad trees was dying and that she could not explain why. She states that she was in the middle of concocting an Elixir to use on the trees, but would like assistance with identifying the cause. The heroes accept her call for assistance, to which she then offers the guide of her employee Voldar Riffolk.
Voldar looked clearly out of place pruning flowers and the like for An’lau. En-route to the Dryad Grove, he explained that he had lost a couple of gambling debts and was faced with having to sell his precious swords to make ends meet. Voldar explained that An’lau was nice enough to take him on, but it was the swing of his sword that he missed most.
As the heroes arrived, they examined the area. Sam took to making an attempt to talk to the trees, at one stage stabbing the ground beneath the tree. This action produced a thick foul smelling oil like substance coming from the ground, like the ground was somehow bleeding. Kal and Nell examined the magic properties of the area and the trees, establishing that the trees had somehow been magically affected with some type of necromantic effect and also poisoned. Nell suggested that it was cursed perhaps similar to the trees in Southern Fangwood, but could not back up her theory. The two also learned that the trees were free from disease, proving that it was not a naturally occurring effect. Evarl and Voldar looked around the area and found a depression in the ground approximately 50 feet from the tree itself. A closer examination showed that it was perhaps a sinkhole of some kind, caused by something burying under the ground.
The heroes moved to examine Evarl‘s find. Sam searched the area for a fallen branch in order to prod the hole to see if it would collapse. Soon after, the hole collapsed revealing a sink-hole leading some 20 feet beneath the surface. One by one, the heroes disappeared down the hole, with Sam lowing each down, before lowering himself.
Inside the tunnel, the heroes discovered that its creation was only recent but was completed by unknown means. Evarl identified that was last used only recently. Upon moving down further, Kal and Evarl discovered that at the end of a tunnel lead directly towards the tree, and ended in what appeared to be a small room. The tunnel and room were somewhat cramped, but Evarl spotted tiny footprints similar to that of a small humanoid such as a halfling, goblin or gnome. It was Voldar who correctly identified the tracks as that belonging to a gnome.
Kal meanwhile discovered what appeared to be a makeshift alter standing close the the tree root system. The alter appeared to have been recently used and had remnants of a red powder and a purple wax.
As the heroes examine the room, five creatures emerge from the brambles. Having been under the employ of An’lau, Voldar had learned a thing or two about Fey creatures and quickly identified the larger creatures as a Debased Dryad and the smaller ones as Twig Blights.
The fey creatures caught all by Evarl by surprise, the Debased Dryad ensnaring them all in an entangle spell. The heroes fought valiantly, and eventually eliminated the threat. At the end of the battle, Kal was the worst for ware, having been poisoned by the scratches from the Twig Blights.
Upon closer examination of the area, Evarl discovered that the red powder and wax were placed specifically in a pattern of some sort. Kal identified its placement as some type of religious ritual. The exact purpose remained a mystery to the heroes, and after taking some sample, they returned to report their findings to the the druid An’lau.
The heroes arrived back at the town at night and took up with An’lau in her shop as she was packing up for the night. The heroes provided An’lau with the samples they had found, and she identified them as being spell components of a type of ritual. She would examine what the heroes had found later the following morning, but stated that the only place items like the powder and wax could only be sold at Ageng and Elyelen’s Vault, a magic shop in the middle of town.
An’lau explained that the store was named after Ageng and Elyelen Dankwater, after two elderly dwarves, one of which, the dwarven man named Elyelen, had died some years back, but that Ageng his female companion, had continued on at the shop. The heroes agree that they would follow that lead and report back to her in the morning. An’lau thanked them against for their assistance, and soon after the heroes made their way back towards the harbour…
PREVIOUSLY: The heroes begin their journey down the Tourondel River on their way to Tamran. Along the way the heroes discover that orcs have moved into the Fangwood forest, and later their discoveries became more real when they realised that the outpost they were due to collect supplies from had been attacked by those same orcs. Things become more strange when the heroes learn that the orcs are being commanded by a young Mage who had only visited the outpost hours earlier…
EVENTS:
Having healed from the wounds inflicted by the orcs, Zevan and Kal make their intents clear in that wish to move into the forest to hunt the orcs back to their camp before night falls. The rest of the group agree, whilst Captain Walren decided to remain at the farm to protect Morrie and his daughter.
Zevan leads the group into the forest, following the still quite visible orc tracks. Zevan notices that the orcs are using an established path which is unusual for them as they would normally move through the undergrowth to hide their numbers and their approach. After a hour, as the last of the light disappears through the trees, the heroes come across an encampment nearby to the ruins of an old cabin in the woods.
Zevan and Evarl both notice a number of orcs hidden in the ruins, and Evarl attempts to climb the tree to get a better look. Although she managed to keep herself hidden, a sudden noise from Evarl trying to climb the tree, alerted the orcs to something in the forest. Suddenly, a large orc steps out of the tent, and three orcs step out using the ruins and undergrowth as cover.
Evarl, Nell and Zevan open the attack with missile fire, both by arrows and Nell‘s newly found wand of magic missiles. The chieftain, Zulgha Bloodbone, quickly retreats into the tent. With that, Kal sees an opportunity, as several more orcs spring up within the confines of the ruins. Kal then yells out, in Orc tongue, that the Orc Leader had fled the battlefield like a coward and that he would soon be felled in great combat. Sam took queue of Kal’s words, at least to his level of understanding, and ran down the path in order to reach the orc chieftain’s tent. Whilst still attempting to climb a tree, Evarl heard a high pitched voice yell the words, “No!”, coming from the direction of the tent. A moment later, the orc leader appeared and bellowed his war horn. More orcs appeared, with Evarl and Zevan counting at least 8 in total.
Meanwhile, Evarl managed to make her way into the tree, and whilst assisting Nell and Zevan by keeping a watchful eye for further orcs appearing from the ruins, she spotted someone else inside the tent. Could this be the mage Jessika and Morrie were talking about?
Nell and Zevan continued keeping any orcs advancing through the forest at bay, while Sam continued his advance towards the tent. Eventually, the young warrior arrived, and sized up to the huge orc chieftain. The orc chieftain raises his menacing great-axe and bellowed at Sam and to his orc horde, in an attempt to intimidate the young warrior, and rally his troops who by this stage were somewhat confused, as Kal continued to embellish the exploits of what he hopes Sam would do. Unfortunately, after a few blows, it quickly became clear to Kal, that Sam may have met his match.
Kal cast a divine spell to shield his friend from injury, transferring any blows against Sam to Kal instead. It did not take long for this to become a reality, with 2 further blows landing solidly against Sam‘s body, both of which caused not even a scratch on the young warrior. However as the spell was meant to work, wounds suddenly opened on Kal’s hardened skin, almost bringing the young Cleric to his knees. Kal realised that he was meant for this task as his Orc blood kept him awake throughout the ordeal.
Nell, continued firing her wand against those orcs who were yet to believe Kal‘s words, and Zevan continued firing arrows in support. Evarl, now in the treetops, made her way across to the clearing where the orc was fighting with Sam. Evarl let off a couple of arrows to assist the young warrior. Seeing that it would take more than a few to fell the mighty orc, Evarl thought it best to try a different approach, and ran behind the tent, to get a better look inside.
As Evarl moved under the lip of the tent, she was surprised to see a young man dressed in traveling robes, and glasses seated on a small makeshift chair. The young man was as surprised as Evarl, and said, “Help me!”. Evarl, not trusting the man, after all, she had built a distrust of mages over the years since witnessing her parent’s death at the hands of Iramine. No wanting to kill the man, nor allow him to be casting spells, she quickly tackled the man to the ground. The man let out a squeal, and attempted to cast a spell at Evarl, but without success. Evarlquickly pinned him to the ground. There was to be no further attempts to cast a spell this time.
Meanwhile, outside, with several solid hits, Sam eventually brought the orc chieftain to the ground, with the final blow removing the orc’s head from its shoulders. With their chieftain dead, and many of their numbers lost, the remaining few orcs fled into the forest.
Evarl in the meantime brought the mage out from the tent to be interrogated by the group. The man, clearly a bit distraught, saw the dead orc chieftain, and thanked the heroes for their efforts. He introduced himself as Aroth Mentinjek, a mage who was travelling from Tamran to a small town called Kassen where he hoped to meet with a wizard. He explained the story that he was travelling along the river and came across Morrie’s Farm. He further explained that he was greeted by their hospitality and met Morrie and his daughter. He and Jessika immediately became friends, and he felt they could be more romantically between them. So after dinner, he made his move. Unfortunately, when she rejected him, he took off, ashamed and embarrassed, and ran into the forest. By the time, he realised what he had done, he was well and truly lost. Whilst searching for a way back, he was set upon by the orcs and their leader. He only did what he thought was his best chance of survival, and attempted to charm the orc chieftain. He did not realise however that his actions would cause the orc leader to treat him as his best friend. The young man spoke no orc-tongue and he believes that whilst trying to convince the orcs to let him escape, he somehow gave them the impression that they should attack the farm and bring Jessika to him. By the time, he realised what was going on, 5 of the orcs had headed off down towards the east, and the orc chieftain brought him to his tent.
Aroth apologised for his actions, and asked for the heroes to take him back to the farm so that he may apologise to them as well.
The heroes then made their way back to the farm, and allowed Aroth to speak with Morrie and his daughter. Aroth was shocked with what had occurred, and offered to help in any way he could. After a long discussion into the night, the heroes, Aroth, Captain Walren, Jessika and Morrie got some sleep. At dawn, Zevan spoke with the rest of the heroes, and let them know that he would escort the young mage to Kassen, and that if he was able, would catch up with them later. With that, Evarl, Kal, Nell and Sam departed Morrie’s Farm with Captain Walren and his crew to continue their journey along the Tourondel River to their final destination of Tamran…
PREVIOUSLY: The heroes investigate the history behind the two pieces of the amulet stolen from Kassen’s crypt along with rumours of undead walking the Kassen graveyard at night. Whilst staking out the graveyard, numerous zombies scramble from the graves of recently deceased townsfolk, including those who died in the lumber mill accident. After banishing a number of zombies, and then fleeing back to the town, the heroes give warning to the village elders and the city watch. A battle occurs outside the town walls with the zombies, throughout the evening. The next morning the mayor pleads with the heroes to travel to Tamran to seek aid from the Forest Marshal to which they agree. The following morning, the heroes prepare to leave for their long journey to Tamran.
EVENTS:
The heroes assemble at the docks and are greeted by the Mayor. Soon after, he introduces them to owner of the vessel they would be travelling on in order to reach Tamran, namely the Black Mist. The ship’s owner, Captain Walren, a surly dwarf with an eye patch, and peg leg; a mysterious Kellid man named Ewem; and their man-at-arms Anthond Bowe. Before they set sail, the Captain put his new seamen through their paces. Zevan and Evarl are found to be excellent all rounders, but their keen eye-sight makes them perfect for work in the crows nest. The others however are given positions as deck hands.
The Captain explains that the trip will take approximately 7 days to reach Tamran, and their first stop will be at a farm and reply station called Morrie’s Farm, almost two days travel from Kassen. From there, they would travel and do a short stop off at Three Pines Ford, before continuing along the Nirmathas coast until they reach Tamran.
In the morning of the first day, the heroes, attempt a spot of fishing, with all by Nell and Sam catching at least one fish. Around lunch time, several of the heroes spot a group of large crocodiles, lying motionless on the shores of the river. As the ship passes, the crocodiles head into the water, but cause little hindrance to the heroes. On the afternoon of the second day, Nell spots 5 canoes hidden in the bushes and reeds along the edge of the river. When pointed out, Zevan identifies the canoes as being of Orc design and requests a closer look. The heroes bring the ship to a halt and head along the shoreline to examine the canoes more closely. Evarl heads to the trees in order to keep a watchful eye out for an ambush, while Zevan leads the others to the canoes.
Closer inspection of the canoes show that they are designed to hold a maximum of 3 orcs each, and Zevan confirms tracks indicating that approximately 15 orcs headed from that location into the forest a mere day earlier. Kal asks how many settlements are around the immediate vicinity, to which Zevan states that there is only one, that being Morrie’s Farm.
The heroes return to the Black Mist, and soon after continue their trek down river. At dusk on day 2, the heroes arrive at Morrie’s Farm. As they round a bend in the river, they notice smoke coming from what appears to be the location of the farm. The heroes dock with the short jetty, and along with Walren, carefully make their way to towards the homestead.
Zevan and Evarl stealthily make their way through the crops, while Nell, Kal, Sam, and the Captain walk up the roadway to the farm. Zevan is the first to hear the sounds of Orc, identifying two in the adjacent barn. Nell, attempting to move quietly, gave Zevan‘s position away, and a short fight ensued, with Zevan felling one, and injuring the other, whilst Nell fired off two bolts from her wand, which appeared to annoy the beast more than injure him. The second orc however was determined to rid the world of the human and advanced hastily towards the young ranger. Evarl in the meantime watched two orcs in the main bedroom, ransacking clothes and various items within. Evarl spotted the orcs as they rushed Zevan’s position, and so moved briskly to a position where she could not be seen. Through the undergrowth, Evarl unleashed an arrow into the last of the two surviving orcs, firmly placing the arrow where the orc’s brain should be. The body of the orc, in turn, fell quickly at Zevan‘s feet.
Meanwhile Kal and the others move towards the house, with Kal banging his shield loudly in an attempt to gain the attention of the orcs. Evarl moves back to her position, and again sees the orcs, completely oblivious to Kal’s disturbance.
Zevan, Nell and Evarl hear the distant sound of a scream, and make their way around the homestead to find the front of the house on fire. Between the forest line and the homestead Zevan spots an orc carrying a young woman who is screaming. While Nell attempts to dowse the flames with a nearby pail, Zevan and Evarl set upon the fleeing orc, and rescue the girl. Kal, Sam and the Captain make their way to the rear of the homestead. Sam, who by this stage is keen for a fight, leaps through the bedroom window and attacks the orcs. A short battle ensues, and as the dust clears, two headless orc corpses lie motionless on the bedroom floor.
Sam enters the main area of the home and locates an unconscious older man, and 3 dead bodies. Whilst Zevan comforts the woman, Evarl and Nell head into the house and meet up with Kal, Sam and the Captain. Walren identifies the older man as Moritz “Morrie” Woldeng, and the young woman as Morrie’s daughter Jessika. Kal lends some divine magic to revive Morrie and heal his more serious wounds.
After a short time, the heroes ensure the premises is secure, and soon after Kal gathers the group and the survivors in order to heal their remaining wounds in particular those of Morrie, Jessika and Sam. Morrie and Jessika meanwhile explain that as they were sitting down for supper, 6 orcs barged through the front door demanding that they hand over Jessika as she belonged to Aroth. Morrie further explains that Aroth is name of a young Wizard who arrived the previous night, stating that he was traveling to Kassen in search of a wizard named Holgast. During dinner, he and Jessika appeared to be bonding but later, when the young man made romantic motions towards the young woman, she explained that she was already betrothed. The young man, who was obviously devastated, fled into the forest. Jessika, who is clearly confused at what the orcs had demanded, pleaded with the heroes to find Aroth, and attempt to explain why he has sided with the Orcs. The heroes help clean the homestead whilst pondering their next move…
PREVIOUSLY: The heroes begun their journey back to Kassen, a two day travel over ever so familiar ground. Whilst travelling, Kal became ill and diagnosed that he was infected with the plague from the rotted zombies. Kal soldiered on, and the heroes soon arrived at Kassen to a heroes’ welcome. Celebration turned to sorrow as the heroes revealed that many of the townsfolk were attacked by ruthless undead. As the festivities dwindled, the heroes returned to their homes to speak with their mentors and families. The heroes purchased new equipment and resupplied their used resources. During that time, it was found that strange happenings were occurring around the village. Sightings of ghosts and skeletal forms moving through the night were coming to the notice of the town hall. Meanwhile, Zevan and Asina Silvers begun sharing more time together, something that Kal has not taken kindly to…
EVENTS:
The following morning the heroes meet up at the riverbank as they have done for many years. They decide that they should start an investigation into the stolen amulets. Kal notes that there are several other things which have been going on around Kassen such as the diseased brownies and their connection to the Fey Queen that they claim is returning, and the poisoned honey.
The heroes split up and start their investigations. Evarl says he will keep an ear out as to what is going on at the bar; Nell says she will ask her father what he knows about the amulets; Kal agrees to speak with Father Prasst; and Sam agrees to find out what he can about the Browie situation.
Sam finds little to nothing about the current situation with the happenings in the woods, other than the logging operation is still in shut-down much to the dismay of Colbin Vetnar.
Kal speaks with his mentor Father Prasst and establishes that he knows little to nothing about the undead rising other than to confirm Kal‘s suspicions that it would have possibly something to do with stolen amulets. Kal questions Father Prasst about Tamran, specifically about the Ranger’s Lament, querying the fact that the priest had spent some time there. Father Prasst, somewhat dismayed about this line of questioning, claims to never have heard of the Rangers Lament and suggests that Kal continue with his studies instead of worrying about what goes on in the capital.
Meanwhile Nell returned home, and spoke at length with her father, Moltus Vargidan about the history of the area, specifically that of the amulets. Moltus explained that years ago, before the town of Kassen existed, three heroes – an elven sorceress, a great and mighty warrior and a holy knight by the name of Kassen found an amulet in an ancient dwarven crypt, in the distant Mindspin Mountains to the west. The heroes were able to establish that the key was to a treasure beyond their wildest dreams, however its location was a mystery. Moltus continued that before the three could find out where the treasure was, the three had a falling out. The three split the treasure they had accumulated over their time together evenly, including the key. As fortune would have it, the key split into three parts, and each of the three gained a piece so that none of the three would ever be able to gain access to the treasure without the other’s knowledge. And so, time passed, and Kassen founded a new home on the side of the Tourondel River, which eventually became the town which bore his name.
Moltus continued, stating that what was not readily known was that Kassen’s former friend Asar had become a warlord of sorts, accumulating a loyal army of followers. Asar’s yearning for power and wealth took new meaning as he turned his sights on Kassen, for in his mind, Kassen would never leave his new home to seek out the riches the key would unlock. Instead Asar chose to take Kassen’s piece by force, which resulted in the deaths of many villagers, Asar’s forces, Asar himself and of course Kassen.
When asked, Moltus told his daughter that he did not know the whereabouts of Iramine nor the location of the treasure that the key unlocks.
Evarl meanwhile delved further into his subconscious in an attempt to recall the events of his parents death and that of Iramine. Coming up with a black, other than Iramine was definitely responsible, but not in the way he first though. Evarl learns that Iramine was after him and when his parents refused, that was the reason she killed them. Evarl also learned, that due to spending some time tending bar, that a number of farmers, hoping to quench their thirst over lunch, were speaking of rumours concerning undead walking the Kassen graveyard at night.
Later that afternoon, the heroes, less Zevan who was spending even more time with Asina, returned to their secret rendezvous point on the riverbank of the Tourondel River a short distance out of town, and shared what they had found. It became apparent that the most pressing matter was that of the undead.
Later that night, the heroes, again less Zevan, staked out the graveyard. Evarl kept first watch, whilst the others rested. It was not long before Evarl woke his friends regarding the numerous zombies that were scrambling from the graves of recently deceased townsfolk, including those who died in the lumber mill accident.
The fight was swift, with only Nell suffering severe cuts from a ravenous zombie. With more zombies than the heroes could handle, the group fled back to the city to warm the city watch.
During the evening, several battles occur outside the town walls with the zombies, and skeletons of even older corpses through to the early hours of the morning. By daylight, numerous bodies lay at the gates to the village.
The next morning the mayor pleads with the heroes to travel to Tamran to seek aid from the Forest Marshal in order to deal with the potential unrising of undead. The heroes agree and so later that afternoon, the heroes prepare to leave for their long journey to Tamran…
PREVIOUSLY: The heroes, having narrowly avoided the trap set to protect Kassen’s final resting place, have come face to face with Kassen’s enemy, the Mighty Asar and a small army of skeletal warriors. The battle was fierce and bloody, with some of the heroes falling with near fatal wounds, but eventually Asar, and his minions were laid low. As the heroes recover, and light the lantern with the Everflame, the spirit of Kassen appeared with a warning that his and Asar’s amulets had been stolen, and that their removal had created a tear between the plane of negative energy and the mortal world. He explained that the only way to reverse the tears effects, and seal the rift, was to return the amulets to the crypt. With this information, and a small reward of treasure from Kassen in their possession, the heroes begin their journey home.
EVENTS:
The heroes begun their journey back to Kassen, a two day travel over ever so familiar ground. Whilst travelling, Kal became ill and diagnosed that he was infected with the plague from the bite of one of the rotted zombies. Kal soldiered on, and the heroes soon arrived at Kassen to a heroes’ welcome. Celebration turned to sorrow as the heroes revealed that prior to their arrival at the crypt, that many of the townsfolk had been attacked by ruthless undead. As the festivities dwindled, the heroes returned to their homes to speak with their mentors and families.
The heroes purchased new equipment and resupplied their used resources. During that time, it was found that strange happenings were occurring around the village. Sightings of ghosts and skeletal forms moving through the night were coming to the notice of the town hall, happenings that the heroes felt were best dealt with by them…
PREVIOUSLY: After dealing with three large carnivorous frogs, the heroes pushed on through knee high water in an attempt to find what they believed to be a wheel which would help them raise the gate preventing access to Kassen’s Tomb. They soon discovered the room, but not before disturbing eight angry skeletons, hell bent on preventing them from reaching their goal. The heroes were successful and successful raised the gate, but now only destiny can tell what fate lies beyond…
EVENTS:
The heroes, enter a long room with deep pits on either side. Two statues stand idol on the other side of a narrow bridge, both seeming poised in protection of it. Sam is the first to step across the bridge, but not before one of the statues races forward pushing the young warrior back.
Clearing another test or trap set to protect Kassen’s final resting place, the heroes manage to work around the trap by dexterously avoiding it, and using rope to swing across the chasm. Two large brass doors greeted the heroes at the other end of the room, their markings showing that this was a door of great importance. Sam, again, was the first to push them aside o reveal the heroes worst nightmare.
Now in undead form, Kassen’s mortal enemy, the Mighty Asar reveals himself to the heroes, leading a gang of skeletons against them. The battle was fierce and bloody, with some of the heroes falling with near fatal wounds. Eventually Asar was laid to rest permanently, and the heroes were victorious. As the heroes paused to count their losses, Zevan lent forward to light the lantern with the Everflame and an apparition of Kassen appeared before them.
Kassen explained that many years ago there was a battle that he and his fellow villagers fought against the Might Asar and his legion of men. Kassen knew that Asar was not satisfied with the arrangement that had been made between himself, our companion Iramine and Kassen himself regarding the search for the treasure they had worked so hard to find. All that he wanted was Kassen’s part of the key to seek the treasure for himself. This hatred and yearning for wealth was his undoing. Eventually both he and Asar, along with many men and women fell in the battle for defence of the village. This crypt, an ancient, long abandoned and unused dwarven burial crypt had been used by Asar as a launching point for raids on Kassen’s village. It seemed apt that the crypt be the place where all of the dead be laid to rest.
Kassen further explains that some of the bandits who were slain by the raised Asar took both Kassen and Asar’s amulets, but nothing more. Kassen warns that the raising of The Mighty Asar is not the only thing that has been released with the removing of the amulets, and he hopes that the heroes can find them, and return them to re-seal the link between the world of undeath and the mortal world. The heroes agree.
The heroes are presented with part of Kassen’s burial gifts, and Kassen provides a final warning that the raising of The Mighty Asar is not the only thing that has been released with the removing of the amulets…
PREVIOUSLY: Upon dealing with festering zombies, and discovering that some of the bodies were the same as the body they found near the Lake whilst heading towards the crypt, the heroes moved further into the dungeon only to have Eve confront her greatest fear – the fear of aging and turning on her friends. As Kal attempted to calm her down, Nell disturbed a nest of bats who promptly attacked them. With only minor injuries sustained, the heroes leaned that a portcullis blocked their advance, and so consulted the riddle stone at the cross roads to the level. Realising that the opposite direction lead to a wheel of sorts, the heroes moved down the water logged corridor and discovered a room filled with an azure coloured fungus. Zevan explained that the fungus had, as part of its properties, the ability to let of a static charge if disturbed. Hoping to avoid the fungus, the group made their way into another room with doors that were water-logged and closed shut. Inside however, the group were attacked by a giant frog. Nell was swallowed whole in the melee but not before being rescued by Sam’s deathly blows to the frog. As Sam quickly knelt down to check upon Nell’s welfare, two more frogs, appeared on the scene…
EVENTS:
After dealing with three large carnivorous frogs, the heroes pushed on through knee high water in an attempt to find what they believed to be a wheel which would help them raise the gate preventing access to Kassen’s Tomb. They soon discovered the room, but not before disturbing eight angry skeletons, hell bent on preventing them from reaching their goal. The heroes were successful and successful raised the gate, but now only destiny can tell what fate lies beyond…
PREVIOUSLY: The heroes came face to face with more of the Undead horde which had somehow risen to take over Kassen’s tomb. They quickly dealt with the menace, and although battered and bruised, pressed on further into the tomb now is search of Zeven’s sister, a minor Cleric of Erastil, and friend of Kal. As the heroes descended into the bowls of the crypt, they found old text which lead them to an ancient magic fountain, blessed by the gods with healing powers. After a short rest, the heroes pushed on into a room smelling of death. Here, the heroes were set upon by ravenous zombies which exploded upon their destruction. Having dealt with this further menace, it was further discovered that the crypt appeared to have been at least visited by mercenaries as well as the villagers. For what purpose was unknown and perhaps there was more going on, that initially first thought. For now though, it was time to rescue the kidnapped Cleric…
EVENTS:
Having cleaned themselves as best they could after dealing with the risen mercenaries, the heroes opened another door which lead south. Inside the room was a elongated pool filled with what appeared to be fetid water. Eve was the first to enter the room along with Zevan. Bother Zevna dna Eve felt almost compelled to look in the water, and although Zevan resisted, Eve could not. As she looked into the pool, she was confronted with a haunting vision of her aging and all of her friends dying around her as she gradually turned against them. This realisation hit Eve to the core, and the elf fled the room screaming.
Kal followed after her in order to calm her down.Nell and Sam meanwhile entered the room to follow Zevan. Both Sam and Nell also felt compelled to look into the water, however apart from feeling uneasy, they were no worse for ware. At the end of the room, a heavy steel portcullis blocked their entry to the next room. Nell peered through, using her staff as a light source to get a better look. The next room appeared to be similar to that of the room to the north where they had encountered zombies. The room was also the nesting place for a colony of bats. The bats immediately flew into a rage and attacked the heroes by swooping in and out of the room.
Zevan and Sam took cover under their cloaks which appeared to protect they, whilst Nell was exposed to the bats fury which in turn caused severe scratches and distracted her ability to cast spells for a short time. Eventually, Nell was able to get into a position where she could cast her burning hands spell which quickly eliminated the threat.
With only minor injuries sustained, the heroes learned that the portcullis could not be lifted and so blocked their advance. The heroes then returned to to the riddle stone at the cross roads they encountered earlier, only to find a now calm Eve speaking with Kal. Upon examination, it was found to say:
To the south you might take your ease,
To rest and reflect on Kassen’s deeds.
To the east lies the wheel, to open the gate.
To the west is the Hero of Fangwood’s resting place.
Realising that the opposite direction lead to a wheel of sorts, the heroes moved down the water logged corridor and discovered a room filled with an azure coloured fungus. Zevan explained that the fungus had, as part of its properties, the ability to let off a static charge if disturbed. Hoping to avoid the fungus, the group made their way into another room with doors that were water-logged and closed shut.
Inside however, the group were attacked by a giant frog. Nell was the first at he door, and therefore the first on the frog’s menu. During the battle, Nell was swallowed whole. Sam quickly moved forward, and with a few deathly blows, the frog lay dead, and Nell was able to be rescued. As Sam quickly knelt down to check upon Nell’s welfare, two more frogs, appeared out of the undergrowth, hunger clearly in their eyes…
PREVIOUSLY: The heroes continued their journey of discovery as they moved deeper into the crypt, in search of the cause of the restless undead. During their journey, a mystery is presented in the form of an ancient mural depicting Kassen and the battle with the mercenary army. Meanwhile a new threat looms as the heroes come face to face with more minions who have risen from death…
EVENTS:
The heroes enter the room having dealt with the spinning arrow trap. Sam is first into the room while the wiser Kal cautions the others to wait for a signal. Eve peered through the darkness and saw what Sam had come face to face with – skeletons covered in sickly, thick blood.
The skeletons soon after charged the young warrior, however he was ready. Positioning himself, Sam quickly commenced dispatching the foul beings. Nell sent forth several magic missiles to soften the creatures up, whilst Zevan and Eve fired arrows, both failing the see the blunted arrows surrounding them on the floor from the arrow trap. Zevan soon realised the folly of his bow, and charged in, his newly acquired magic sword at the ready. Sam collapsed from the wounds suffered, however Kal was about to provide a much needed spell to bring him back from the brink of death once more.
It was not long before all 5 of the creatures were vanquished, with only few party members suffering minor wounds. Kal identified the creatures as having a stronger connection with their undeath, explaining to the others that if they were not dealt with, they would soon rise to seek further revenge. Kal trusted in Erastil’s wisdom, and a burst of positive energy shot forth, turning the skeletons to dust. The heroes examined the room and found further carvings on the walls depicting a great battle, and further down, mourners who appear to be weeping for the loss of their Hero Kassen.
The party, slightly battered, and running low on spells, considered their options. Kal and Zevan pointed out that Zevan’s sister was still missing, and that they must press on. The party quietly moved down the set of stairs at the end of the room, its decent protected by a pair of statues standing solemn on either side. The stairs lead to a circular room with three passageways veering off in easterly, southerly, and westerly directions. From the east, the sound of running water could be heard along with a musty swell of mildew covered furnishing. From the south, a soft bubbling sound along with a softer light. To the west, there was no mistaking the foul smell of death and decay.
Also in the centre of the circular room stood a pedestal, surrounded on the floor by a verse covered in dust and blood. The heroes examined the carvings and found them to be in common. The inscriptions said, “To the south you might take your ease, to rest and reflect on Kassen’s deeds. To the east lies the wheel, to open the gate. To the west is the resting place of Kassen, hero of the Fangwood.”
It was decided to take heed of the wording presented and the heroes nervously made their way down the southern corridor. It was here that they located a fountain of sorts. Inscribed above it were the words, “Kassen’s legacy lives on with his people. Drink and be refreshed.” Sam was the first to try, and the wounds that he had suffered healed, and the debilitating loss of strength he suffered at the hands of the shadow, swept away. Each of the heroes took turn to cleanse from the fountain. Kal soon detected that the fountain was a holy sight. Eve confirmed that she had heard of this small temple dedicated to Kassen and of its healing powers. Kal further discovered that the magical energy was such that they could rest for a short period which would allow them a full night’s rest in only a short period.
With that, the heroes rested quietly contemplating what they had learned since arriving at the crypt.
A couple of hours later, the heroes, now refreshed continued their search. They made their way towards what they felt was the way to the main burial place of Kassen. The room they entered was not what they expected – a vast room of winding catacombs, each crypt space filled with the remains of what was once a noble warrior in the service of Kassen. However something else lurked in the shadows.
As the heroes entered the room, and begun making their way through, horrific undead humans, with bloated and diseased flesh stumbled from the darkness. The heroes barely managed to escape however Kal, with the assistance of Sam and Eve, battled through, and eliminated the zombie threat. Unfortunately it was too late to realise what sort of threat was being seen. As the zombies were dispatched, each exploded covering those around it in diseased filth and flesh. Sam managed to be covered in the goop, but was otherwise unaffected. Kal however was not so lucky, and started feeling the effects of the disease.
With the room cleared, the heroes were able to more closely examine the area. Each of the zombies were found to be wearing similar clothes to those worn by the body found days before near the lake, and each was also possession of small bags with the same embroidered masked face. Eve and Zevan pocketed the pouches which contained a handful of silver coins each. Nell however located the remains of a human torso, still carrying a backpack. Upon examination, Nell discovered it contained rotten rations, a map detailing the area surrounding Kassen’s Crypt as well as pointing out the entrance to the crypt, a potion labeled cure moderate wounds, a pouch with 13 gold pieces, and a small handbill of a type typically found posted in taverns. Although faded, the handbill clearly reads as a notice of employment, telling all those interested to meet at “The Ranger’s Lament”, a name which seemed unfamiliar to everyone. The heroes also discovered a closed door seemingly leading further into the crypt, and perhaps Kassen’s final resting place…
PREVIOUSLY: The heroes moved further into the crypt and discovered a survivor, Roldare Rodnal, a cobbler from Kassen. In a maddened state, he explained how the others were murdered by evil creatures who walked in the bones of ancient men, and who were lead by a creature who looked like a skeleton, with blue glowing eyes and a raspy voice. The heroes locked Roldare into the storeroom and moved further into the crypt, but not before Roldare explained that Zevan’s sister had been taken by an undead warrior. The heroes continued only to discover a dead end in one corridor, and a large collapsed stairwell in another. The stairwell had become a home of a large fire beetle, which was quickly dispatched, and another doorway lead further in. As the door was opened, the heroes discovered a room filled with not only smoke, but that of a shadowy ghost-like creature which was found to be the tortured spirit. After dealing with the creature, the heroes found the remains of a number of humans, a scorched and tarnished key lying by a fire-pit, and a sword which was clearly not from Kassen. Who else had come to the crypt, and why had the undead risen with such ferocity?
EVENTS:
The heroes return to the room in which they first entered. Evarl tried the key that he had obtained earlier in the maze room, which surprisingly unlocked the previously secure western door. The heroes entered and found a room which had a still, but quite clear pool and two doors exiting the room to the south. Kal peered into the pool and observed a large number of keys resting at the bottom. Written in dwarven above the pool were the words: “Magic is the key."
Nell took this to mean that the something in the pool was magical, and immediately cast a detection spell. Unfortunately, the water blocked the nature of her detection. Meanwhile, Evarl tried the second key that he had found in the fire pit which unlocked the south-eastern door.
After checking the room thoroughly for further clues, the heroes entered the south-eastern door and found a room with a small stone bench at its centre. On the far wall, a faded mural depicting the hero Kassen himself was displayed showing him defeating the mercenaries at the entrance to the crypt, with his blade piercing the chest of the mercenary leader. These figures stand alone in the center of a scene of carnage, with dead villagers and mercenaries all around them. Sam was the first to sit at the seat and observe the mural which to him appears to move. Sam’s attention was drawn to a gold medallion of sorts hanging around the necks of both Kassan and the other leader. Sam points this out to the others, and it is Evarl who recognises them as being similar to that of a painting she had seen in the town hall recently. The painting, he claimed, depicted three people namely Kassen and two of his former companions, a man and an elven woman. Evarl went further stating that he also recognised the elf, but could recall where from.
The corridor continued south and after a bend, ended in a solid wooden door. The heroes carefully enter the room beyond and found a circular chamber, with a pit in the centre and two other doors on the western and southern walls. In the centre of the room was a pillar with multiple holes across its surface. A small bridge could also be seen leading from the south to to the pole.
As Evarl took the first step in, he failed to notice a pressure plate which activated a trap in the form of a round pole in the centre of the room. Suddenly, the pole starts firing arrows in every which direction around the room. Evarl took the brunt of the bolts, and dove to the floor in an attempt to avoid the arrows. In his eagerness to escape the missiles, Evarl mis-timed the jump, and was promptly hit by several arrows. Zevan leaped inside hoping to deactivate the pole. After a few harrowing moments, and much courage from the young elf, Evarl managed to deactivate the spinning pole, kicking it off its mounting, but not before falling victim to another arrow.
Bleeding from his own wounds, Zevan ran across the room to Evarl in order to stop the bleeding. The others soon after joined them and Kal used divine magic to cure Evarl’s wounds. After resting for a short time, the heroes examined the door to the south which they found to be unlocked. Sam stated that he would be the first through the door this time, and so proceeded within. As Sam took his first steps within the much larger room, he heard the familiar sound that he and his companions had heard earlier when they first arrived at the crypt – SKELETONS!
PREVIOUSLY: The heroes discovered a maze, filled with perilous traps, and an uncanny puzzle. It was discovered that the traps had been set for them as part of the initiation, however things had clearly not yet been finished. Their solving of the puzzle led them to a further corridor, and discovery of the waling moan they had heard earlier. Their curiosity lead them to find three doors at the end of each of three passages, the moaning coming from the most southern. The heroes soon learned that something lay in hiding as they attempted to enter the southern door, as the sound of a firing crossbow echoed through the halls…
EVENTS:
The heroes moved further into the crypt and discovered a survivor, Roldare Rodnal, a cobbler from Kassen. In a maddened state, he explained how the “others” were murdered by evil creatures who walked in the bones of ancient men, and who were lead by a creature who looked like a skeleton, with blue glowing eyes and a raspy voice. The heroes locked Roldare into the storeroom and moved further in, but not before Roldare was able to explain that Zevan’s sister had been taken – alive!
The heroes continued back to where they initially came in through the stone doorway in order to go in the other direction. There, after several turns, they discovered a dead end, blocked by another stone door. The heroes then back tracked and followed the next unexplored passageway and came to an unlocked door.
Beyond the door was a larger room with two exits, the first of which appeared to be a large collapsed stairwell, whilst the other was a doorway the area of which smelt of smoke. As the heroes explored the room, they were set upon by a large fire beetle which had made the collapsed passageway its home. Zevan and Sam were the first of its targets, but the creature was quickly dispatched.
After finishing exploring the room, including establishing the fact that the collapsed passageway appeared to be a stairway of sorts which was impossible to navigate, the heroes opened the door to discovered a room filled with not only smoke. As they entered, they found a large fire-pit with the smell of charred bodies and leather goods heavy in the air. At this point, a shadowy ghost-like creature which was found to be the tortured spirit of one of the fallen Kassen townsfolk, attacked.
Unable to deal promptly with the incorporeal creature, it was Eve who caught site of a weapon in the fire. Eve moved around the pit, and grabbed the short sword with a cloth. As she attacked the creature with the weapon, she found that the sword somehow affected the creature. Zevan followed Evarl to get to a better position and discovered a burned key on the edge of the pit. As he grabbed the key, the creature turned its attention to him. Shortly after, with the assistance of Kal’s divine magic, the unholy creature was laid low.
After airing the room, the heroes found the remains of a number of humans. The key Evarl found was scorched and tarnished but clearly of the same design as the other key that they had found in one of the maze pits. The sword pulled from the fire by Zevan was identified by Kal as not being from Kassen and that its properties were magical. The heroes returned to Roldare, and then moved to the main room where they had first entered the crypt in order to contemplate their next move…
PREVIOUSLY: Having continued their journey through the Fangwood, the party happened upon the remains of a dead human, bitten by a serpent in a mysterious lake. The only clue to his identity was a pouch of Tamran coins, and a strange emblem sewn onto the pouch similar to that of the living god, Razmir. With yet another mystery to solve, the heroes continued further towards the crypt, where they were faced with the arduous task of scaling the cliffs of Serpent’s Gorge, only to then be forced to cross the river bearing the gorge’s name, in order to reach their destination – Kassen’s crypt. The heroes soon learned that something had gone wrong when the bodies of several horses were found dead outside of the crypt, and two villagers slain inside. As the heroes investigated, they were set upon by a gang of skeletons, with 4 of the 5 heroes falling in battle. As the last of the heroes was about to fall, a spirit, who appeared as a likeness of Kassen himself, and sent forth a wave of holy energy which destroyed the remaining undead. As the heroes recovered and rested for the night, a distant howl could be heard coming from deeper within the crypt…
EVENTS:
After resting for the night, the heroes heal up thanks to Kal’s knowledge of divine magic and natural healing remedies. The heroes found 2 doors, one being to the west which was secured with a lock even too difficult for Evarl to pick, and another door to the east which was found to be unlocked. The door, once the bodies were removed, opened into a corridor of sorts with several passageways going off in different directions. Evarl was the first to enter to corridor, followed closely by Zevan. Just inside the entrance, the heroes found several brooms and a pile of empty saddlebags which appeared to have been left there by the townsfolk. Zevan recognised the leather-working of the local tanner on one of the bags, which confirmed this fact. Still in the distance, the heroes could hear a disembodied moaning.
Evarl decided to take the left passageway, whilst Zevan took the right in order to cover more ground. Evarl found a similar corridor leading to the east, with more corridors off of either side. Zevan discovered the same. Upon examination, Zevan discovered clawed and bloody tracks which appears to be coming backwards and forwards across the floor. Possibly distracted by the markings, Zevan failed to notice the trap door which activated as soon as he placed his boot firmly against the pressure plate. With quick reflexes, Zevan was able to grab a hold of the edge of the pit before plummeting to his death. Evarl quickly made her way to his position and as she reached out to grab his hand to help him up, she smirked. Due to the darkness Zevan could not see, but Evarl, with his elven vision was able to see that at the bottom of the pit, a series of pillows laid out at the bottom that would have broken his fall. Zevan, somewhat embarrassed by his panic, refused to be helped up, and instead made his own way back up to the dungeon floor. Evarl meanwhile advised the others of the trap, just as Kal located a lever on the wall of a side passageway. The activation of such, he decided, was best left with more “skilled” hands than his own.
After a careful examination of the area, with the use of Nell’s light spell, it was discovered that that the area was that of a maze, and that some of the floors were possibly trapped. This was later confirmed by Sam who was not quick enough and fell into a bed of pillows even after using the broom handled that the heroes found at the front door. At the bottom however, he found a small coin pouch with a single platinum piece, a key and a note. The note claimed:
Three to open, but be quick, for the door will only open for those who work together.
h6. The heroes deduce that the area must have a puzzle of sorts associated with it, and was part of the initiation. Evarl carefully activated the lever only to hear a distant clicking sound as though part of a mechanism has been triggered.
The heroes decided that the best course of action would be to identify the traps, as where there was two, there would be others. Whilst looking for traps, the heroes discover several traps and a total of three levers. Nell discovered a solid stone door in a southern alcove without any type of lock or handle. The group deduce that the levers may activate the door and so set about to plan a way through the traps to allow each person to be able to make their way to the door before it shut.
The plan was executed, and Sam used one of the broom handles to wedge open the door just as it was about to close, leaving a small gap for anyone to fit through. After running through the door however, the heroes were confronted with a further choice – a T-junction. Checking for the tracks, Zevan noticed that the clawed tracks continued in both direction, the most recent towards the East. This was also the direction of the moaning which abruptly stopped when the heroes began making their way down the corridor. Soon after, the moaning was replaced by whispering.
Another corridor led off to the west, whilst the corridor the heroes were on continued down to a closed door – a room where the whispering appeared to be emanating from. Whilst the other heroes prepared for what was in the room from a distance, Evarl stealthily made his way to the door. Closer examination showed signs of dried blood and claw marks. The door was solid, and appeared to be bulging as though something was behind it, forcing it closed.
Evarl tried the handle and found the door was not locked, and its mechanism recently damaged. As he prepared to open the door however, Evarl, and the other heroes, were surprised as the sound of a firing crossbow echoed through the halls…
PREVIOUSLY: Having discovered a further mystery involving the poisoning of honey samples, the heroes have now been chosen to retrieve the Everflame from Kassen’s Crypt, located deep in the forest. A chance encounter with a group of savage, yet illusory, Orcs confirmed the heroes’ beliefs that this trip was to be a test. It was not until an encounter in the middle of the night with a party of diseased wolves that the heroes soon learned that not everything they shall encounter will be as imaginary as the orcs…
EVENTS:
Having rested for the night, the heroes set off in order to continue their journey towards Kassen’s Crypt. Storm clouds appeared on the horizon as they arrived in a large clearing while Zevan identified it as the Grey Lake. Several of the group noticed large ripples coming from the centre of the lake. The lake centre however was shrouded in a strange fog preventing them seeing what was on the other side. On the shore, Evarl, Nell and Zevan noticed a dark shape near the water’s edge. Thinking that perhaps it was a trap of some kind, they looked for a volunteer to snag whatever it was and drag it to them.
Sam was the most likely candidate given his skill in the use of the grappling hook. Sam approached and could see that it was in fact a humanoid body. He threw the grappling hook after attaching it to rope and connected with the shape on the first throw. Sam dragged the body closer, and as the others prepared for the worst, in that whatever was using the body as bait might come hurtling out of the water in order to kill them. Their concern however was in vein, as nothing appeared to attack them.
The body was identified by Kal as being human, but not a person from these parts. A search of the body’s belongings showed that it was in possession of a few coins containing in a well crafted pouch with a strange mask-like symbol. Evarl recognised the symbol, but could not place where she had see it previously. Kal however claimed that it was a stylised version of Razmir’s holy symbol. The coins were found to be Nirmathas minted gold, numbering 89 in total. Kal also identified that the body had large bite marks across its back. Zevan however was unable to identify the type of creature other than a serpent of some kind. Kal also identified that the body had been there for near 2 months, but the body for some reason was not as decayed as perhaps it should have been.
Kal determined that the individual should be laid to rest, and so rested the party to seek rocks in order to create a small burial mound. Evarl ventured closer to the edge and found a finely crafted short-sword near to where the body initially lay. Zevan however happened across what was left of a camp. Zevan deduced that the camp was for approximately 10 individuals and that they were all human due to the type of food and what remained of their tracks.
Kal conducted a small burial ceremony, after which, the group continued on with their journey.
A few hours later, it became clear that they had lost some time earlier after leaving Kassen, and by mid afternoon they had arrived at Serpent Gorge. Rain began to fall heavily as the light storm broke. The entrance to the Crypt was close-by, however the party was required to navigate the treacherous gorge to the river below. The party made their way down the gorge, after tying themselves together to prefer falling. Unfortunate, Kal lost his grip twice, and on each occasion caught he leg. On the initial fall, Kal became seriously injured, however was able to heal himself through the powers blessed to him by Erastil. The second time required only a minor spell to heal a torn ligament. After a few harrowing hours, the party made it to the bottom of the gorge, and soon after made their way carefully across the river. After a short rest, the party continued their journey up shore to the crypt, arriving in the early afternoon.
As the party approached the crypt, a number of large unmoving shapes could be seen near the front of the entrance. As they neared, Evarl and Zevan saw that the shapes were in actual fact 2 horses and 3 ponies. Upon inspection, each was found to be branded with the Mayor’s symbol indicating that the animals were indeed from Kassen. The bodies of the horses were still tied to their positions on posts which many years ago had been placed there to allow travellers to tie their horses up whilst they gave homage to the fallen hero Kassen. Kal found that each horse suffered horrendous injuries from either very old jagged swords, or perhaps claw marks of some sort. Under one of the horses, Zevan found a skeletal arm. Kal deduced that decomposition could not have caused this, and suspected that perhaps Undead were responsible. The party drew their weapons and discussed tactics.
The doors to the crypt were slightly ajar, although not enough for any of the party to slip through. It was therefore decided that Sam would pull open the doors with the help of Nell. The doors creaked open, and Evarl, who was the more stealthy of the party, slipped through the opening to peer inside.
Evarl could smell the reek of dust, mold and blood. The room was elongated with stairs leading up on either side to platforms which ran the length of the room. At the end, a large mural depicted a regal man who Evarl recognised as the pictures of Kassen he had seen hanging in the inn. Evarl stealthily made his way into the room noting the various piles of skeletal remains similar to those they found under the horse outside. Evarl also observed two bodies piled in the centre of the room. Further examination showed that the two men were wearing what appeared to be tool belts of some sort. Evarl also caught the distant sound of a haunted howl coming from what appeared to be the south-western door. This provided an eerie presence, placing the elf on guard.
Evarl was shortly followed by Kal who also noted the skeletal piles. Kal also identified the two men namely the carpenter and his apprentice that they he had only been looking for days earlier in Kassen. Kal approached and noted that their injuries were similar to those of the horses. Zevan was next in the room, and made his way to the eastern side of the room. Nell and Sam were last, and only had the chance to step into the room before seven of the skeletal piles animated revealing them to be undead. Each skeleton rose from its slumber, their emotionless features still portraying a sense of dread and fear, as they hurriedly made their way towards the party.
The battle was furious, and the skeletons soon overwhelmed the inexperienced youngsters. First, Evarl fell to the skeleton’s claws, then Kal, then Sam and finally Nell. The skeletons numbered only 2 by this stage, and all that stood in the way of the complete destruction of the youngsters was Zevan, who held his position in the north-eastern corner. Zevan knew that without a weapon that could damage the skeletons, such as a club or mace, that he was all but another victim to the skeleton’s wrath. Zevan braced himself for his life to fade away when a glow came from the far end of the room. A spiritual being which appeared similar to that of Kassen, the might hero that their home town had revered for so long, rose from the floor. Suddenly, the apparition spoke:
“With my last ounce of strength, I banish these evil creatures to the afterlife to be no more!”
With that, a burst of blue energy shot across the room, shattering the remaining skeletons, their bones instantly turning to ash. Zevan, bleeding from claw marks shielded his eyes from the dust which coated the room in a fine ash-like powder. When Zevan looked up, the spirit was gone, and the skeletons were no more.
Zevan, without concern for himself, made his way to Evarl who was the first to fall. He quickly stabilised her wounds. Zevan obtained the healing potion Evarl had been given prior to leaving for their journey here to the crypt, and made his way to Kal, who was also seriously injured. Zevan poured the potion into the half-orc’s mouth, and with a sputter, he regained consciousness. Zevan watched the cleric’s wounds heal, just before Kal gave a prayer to Erastil, and a similar energy burst forth from the young half-orc. The energy felt good, and Zevan realised that his friends had been healed. As the party regained consciousness, they decided to rest in the room overnight. Each party member helped move two of the bodies of the ponies and placed them against the two doors which lead from the chamber.
Zevan agreed to stay on watch for most of the evening, allowing the spell casters to rest. However as the party commenced their rest, they soon realised that it would be a difficult rest as the distant haunted howling still came from the door to the south-west…
PREVIOUSLY: A group of youngsters have discovered that a town logging operation is somehow connected to a curse which has befallen the surrounding forest. Hoping to prove themselves so they may be chosen in a forthcoming coming-of-age ceremony, the youngsters begin their investigation only to discover more questions than answers…
EVENTS:
Having completed their daily chores and training, the group again meet up at a local watering hole on the banks of the Tourondel River. The group contemplate their next move and decided to go and investigate the logging camp. Whilst heading out of town towards the logging camp, just outside the gates, the group walked past what appeared to be a makeshift stall of sorts. Two men in formal clothes were examining bottles of a brown substance, their owners standing on the other side of the tables. The four individuals were made up of an elf that Zevan recognised as Elyin Ursage, a local bee-keeper; a man, an older woman and a halfling, all of whom were from out of town. Behind them stood a series of apiaries, and it soon became evident that the townsfolk were taking part in the initial stages of a honey judging ceremony.
The group overheard one judge mention to the other that the last sample they tasted was not as good as the last batch of honey produced by Tenzekil Braybittle. Eve recognised the name as that of a gnome beekeeper that had disappeared 2 years ago after losing the competition to Ursage. Some say that the gnome had a breakdown and fled into the forest, while others said he died of the ‘whitening’. The group stopped to ask what was going on, however they were soon asked to move on as this was serious business and not a place for youngsters.
The group continued on their way, and soon after moved into the forest to avoid detection as they approached the camp. As they began sneaking in, Sam, who was clearly new to the idea of remaining quiet, gave their position away. The group then saw Colbin, his major domo Grimscar, and a couple of other loggers, heading in their direction. Knowing their position was compromised, the group moved out of the forest and onto the roadway in order to confront the men. Eve was the most vocal, claiming that Colbin and his operation were destroying the village and we’re bringing forth a curse upon Kassen. Colbin laughed off the accusation, stating that the only proof they had was from a bunch of “brownies”, and a cluster of dying trees which was too far away from their logging operation to be their concern. Colbin, with the assistance of Grimscar, threatened the group and ordered them off his land. Colbin and his men brushed past the group as they headed into town.
The group discussed their options, and although Eve was clearly interested in sabotaging the logging operations, it was Kal who suggested a better course of action was to investigate further and gather more evidence. With that, the group headed back into town.
After entering through Kassen’s western gate, the group happened upon Mayor Uptal who was in deep conversation with Arnama. The group stopped and spoke with both of the village councillors, informing them of their encounter with the brownies and that the logging operation was, according to the brownies, the cause. The Mayor assured the group that he was doing all he could, and given the delicate nature of the situation, he requested that the elders handle the matter. With that, Arnama took Zevan aside and asked him to come with her. The group went back to their respective houses but not before planning to take matters into their own hands. Eve and Nell suggested getting all of the loggers drunk so that they couldn’t work in the morning. It was a short term solution, and Sam, and Kal dismissed the idea, claiming that their actions were likely to get them in trouble. By late afternoon, Sam made his way to the town gate tower for his shift, and Kal returned to the chapel for afternoon prayers. Eve and Nell however still thought that their plan had merit, and discussed their best option.
Their first, and final idea, was to steal some of the honey they saw earlier, and to use the most potent of it in a large barrel of mead. Their plan was to get the barrel back to the inn, hand it to the loggers as a peace offering, and then sitting back to watch the result.
With the plan hatched, Nell went off to buy the ale, whilst Eve spoke with Asina about what they wanted to do. As night fell, both Eve and Nell stealthily left the town through the front gate where Kir and Sam were stationed, gradually making their way to the bee apiaries they had seen earlier.
Upon arrival, Eve and Nell found that the tables and honey jars were covered. Upon inspection, Nell noticed that one of the jars was magical, and that it was jar belonging to Elyin Ursage. Nell grabbed the jar, broke the seal to taste it. It was highly bitter, and almost caused her stomach to turn. Nell instructed Eve to get an empty bottle, open one of the aviaries, and fill the jar with honey. That way they could swap the magical jar with the new one. Eve, clearly only knowing a little about the nature of bees, reached into the aviary to scoop the honey into the jar. Unfortunately her actions disturbed the bees, and she was swarmed by them. Eve ran from the scene screaming, and headed towards the river. Eventually, whilst being stung, she quickly jumped headfirst into the river, its cool water temporarily soothing the burning stings across her body. Sam and Kir heard the commotion, and yelled out if all was well. Nell responded that it was just her and Eve, and to go back to their duties. Nell quickly finished the job with the honey, replaced the lids, and ran back towards the town in possession of the honey.
Later, Eve arrived at the doorstep of the chapel, soaked from diving into the river, and with bee stings covering her arms and face. Kal answered the door, shook his head, and administered some divine healing to the injured elf.
Meanwhile Nell returned home with the bottle and asked her father to take a look. He said he would do so overnight and told her to quickly finish her chores and be off to bed. As she was preparing for bed, Moltus Vargidan, her adopted father, entered the room with the jar. Her father described in detail that the jar of honey was laced with a powerful magic poison, and explained that one dose would have been enough to kill several men.
During the night, each of the five friends received letters of invitation from the Kassen Council to be the one of the chosen to recover the Everflame from the Crypt of Kassen as part of the Coming of Winter Celebrations.
The group completed their daily chores, and at midday made their way, as instructed on the invitation, to the town square. All of the elder townsfolk were assembled upon their arrival, all dressed in ceremonial black garbs, as were many of the villagers who by this stage had filled the square. The Mayor introduced the five and handed each of them a backpack full of supplies, along with a series of additional equipment including the sacred lamp that would be used to bring a spark of the Everflame back to Kassen. After the ritual was read by the Mayor, the group was sent off, and soon after exited the southern gate towards the Crypt.
Around mid-afternoon, the group stopped to examine their belongings and their backpacks. In each backpack was a series of supplies including a map showing the direction to the Crypt of the Everflame. The group assembled the map, and plotted their course.
The journey was coming close to nightfall, when they came across a fallen log across a path. As they prepared to go over the log, they observed five orcs jump up from behind the log, and start charging towards the group. Sam was the first to fall, however it was not long before Eve realised that the orcs were illusions. It was difficult to convince the rest, but eventually everyone came to realise the folly of their ways. Eve heard a laugh in the distance, and noticed that it quickly moved away from their position. Kal also heard it and identified it as Holgast, the local Sage and Wizard. Clearly all of these would be tests of their mettle.
The group set up camp on a ridge, and organised watch for the night. During the evening, hungry and diseased wolves stalked the group from the safety of the shadows. Around midnight, they struck. The wolves however were quickly dispatched. Zevan identified that the wolves appeared malnourished and slighted affected by what appeared to be the same disease that was affecting the brownies. Eventually, everyone returned to sleep.
The rest of the night passed without incident, and although they started late, by mid-morning, the group returned to their journey toward the crypt…
PREVIOUSLY: Something is afoot in the Kassen logging camp. The heroes arrive to find a number of logs had broken free and toppled down onto the unexpected workers below. The heroes begin an investigation whilst helping the injured workers…
EVENTS: Kal and Sam made their way to the collapsed cabin and found that three workers were trapped underneath. Sam and Kal attempted to move a number of the logs, initially without success. As the workers screamed out for help, Sam managed to find the right position to lift two of the logs, whilst Kal recovered the men and set them aside after stabilizing their wounds.
Meanwhile Zevan and Nell made their way to where the logs had broken free from. There, Zevan began looking for tracks whilst Nell checked for any sign of magical tampering. Both found no signs of what they were looking for, with Zevan and Nell both discovering that the chains had broken through chemical means, although the chains themselves were weathered and clearly in need of repair.
From the tree tops, Content Not Found: evelyn-lanthaldar_ checked the surrounding area with her keen elven senses. It was then that she observed movement coming from the underbrush, as though something was moving through the trees away from the logged clearing. Content Not Found: evelyn-lanthaldar_ yelled out to Zevan, however Zevan could not see anything from his vantage point. Content Not Found: evelyn-lanthaldar_ also noticed that a fire was brewing at the bottom of the hill near where a pack of chemicals had been smashed open. Content Not Found: evelyn-lanthaldar_ quickly jumped down to alert the others, but fell clumsily upon her decent. Not something a rogue would have been proud of doing. Content Not Found: evelyn-lanthaldar_ limped towards Kal and Sam to advise them of what she had seen.
Kal and Sam in the meantime had pulled all of the three of the workers out of the collapsed cabin. As _Content Not Found: evelyn-lanthaldar approached, Kal noticed the young elf’s limp. Content Not Found: evelyn-lanthaldar brushed it off as nothing more than a sprained ankle, but Kal knew better. Kal channeled his divine energy and healed the injured elf along with the men they had just rescued.
Meanwhile, Nell and Zevan went into the undergrowth in search of what Content Not Found: evelyn-lanthaldar had seen. Their search however was fruitless, and whatever had fled the camp was well and truly gone. Nell also detected residual magic nearby, but could not identify its source. With little else to look for, Nell and Zevan made their way to the encampment where the remaining workers were hurriedly making repairs, and the Logging Guild leader, Colbin Vetnar, was barking orders.
Nell and Zevan were the first at the fire. Nell tried ordering the men to help put out the fire, but it was clear they fears Colbin more than they did her. Zevan instinctively grabbed a bucket and scooped water from a nearby trough. Zevan attempted to extinguish the flame alone, but without success. Nell tried again but was shouted down by Colbin, who ordered her off site.
Once the men were comfortable, Eve, Kal and Sam also made their way to the tent encampment where the fire was starting to spread. Sam assisted Zevan with the bucketing, whilst Eve, Nell and Kal attempted to reason with the Logging Guild Leader. It was clear that Colbin was not interested in what they had to say. Nell then created a flame in her hand and threatened some of the workers. This was enough to sway a couple of the men to assist. Colbin in the meantime appeared more worried about the loss of income, more than he was with the well-being of his men.
It was not long before the fire was put out. Meanwhile the Mayor and Zevan’s mentor Arnama Lastrid, a ranger of some renown, arrived at the scene along with a number of the town’s guard including the Captain of the Guard, Gregor Wisslo.
Zevan approached Arnama and explained what had occurred, and showed Arnama the broken chains. Arnama was quick to identify tracks, but could not readily identify what they were. She was able to determine that the tracks went south, further into the forest, although disappeared after about 50 feet. Arnama asked Zevan to head in that direction, and report back anything that they found.
Nell, Eve and Zevan then disappeared into the undergrowth. Kal, who explained the situation to the mayor, observed the three disappear and called for Sam to accompany him into the forest and allow the councilmen to conduct their investigation.
The group followed the direction of the tracks for a good half mile before they entered a clearing. The clearing was filled will felled trees, which did not appear to have been logged, but that the trees had withered and died. The heroes entered the clearing, and as they did so, Eve and Zevan spotted movement from behind bushes. What was moving was unknown, and the group readied their weapons. Eve called out, stating that they meant no harm, claiming they only wanted to talk. With that, a single brownie staggered from behind a stump. Its skin was pale green, with veins cascading across its skin. The Brownie explained that it was suffering a curse, caused by the logging of the trees. A curse brought down on the forest by the Dark Queen. The Brownie gave the group a week to stop the logging, or that there would be consequences for their town. The group agreed, and the brownies disappeared.
The group made their way back to town. They had many questions, but night was fast approaching. Who was the Dark Queen? Why did she curse the brownies and the forest? What did the loggers do to cause this in the first place? Nell decided to converse with her father as he had been in Kassen for many years. Zevan made his way back to Arnama to question what she might know, and Sam was called for duty at the gate tower. Eve and Kal however decided to conduct their own investigations with the town sage, Holgast.
Zevan questioned Arnama into the night, but Arnama was just as puzzled about what Zevan had seen and heard.
Nell went to question her father and after being told he knew nothing, told the girl to do her chores. Wanting to join her friends she declined. Her father however cast a spell, and Nell later woke fulfilled as she had done her father’s bidding.
Meanwhile, as businesses were packing up for the evening, Eve and Kal went about the town asking questions, only to find that a number of key members in the town were missing or unavailable, including the Mayor. They did however speak with one of the baker’s apprentices who they convinced to explain what was going on. The apprentice said that it was part of the ritual. He could not elaborate other than a number of the towns folk were involved and had headed out the day before. Kal realised that his fellow acolyte Dimira Nashare had also not been seen for a day or so. The two realised that the Cobbler, a carpenter and his apprentice, along with 5 other townsfolk were missing. Kal and Eve soon went to Holgast’s tower and found him unavailable. His apprentice, a young man named Moto advised that he was away for a few days, and would return later.
Eve, Kal, Nell and Zevan then went off to the inn to discuss their findings. Whilst at the inn, Kal started making small talk with Asina Silvers, the inn keeper’s daughter. Asina was pleasant; however her mind appeared to be elsewhere. Nell and Zevan watched from a corner booth and found that a fight was brewing between some of the townsfolk and the loggers, in particular the wife of one of the loggers who was injured. A fight broke out, and the town guard was called.
Sam and his friend and fellow guardsman Golfond Kir were first at the scene, having heard the shouts for help from the gate tower. Sam and Kir quickly dealt with the revelers. Meanwhile, Eve, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation between Asina and Kal, learned that Asina’s father was under the weather. She offered to help behind the bar and during the fight slipped upstairs to Asina’s and her father’s quarters. There Eve found Trelvar Silvers sobbing with what appeared to be a drawing of him and his wife in one hand, and a bottle of rum in another. Eve attempted to counsel the man, however he was clearly upset, and at one stage suggested that Eve reminded him of his wife. Eve, somewhat, taken aback by his advances, withdrew and returned to the inn below.
Having dealt with the revelers, Sam and Kir imposed themselves on Asina for free ale. Asina, agreed, and as the two took their first swig, the Captain of the Guard, Gregor Wisslo arrived. The two were openly chastised and ordered back to the gate. The Captain suggested that the inn finish up for the night and the various groups dispersed. Eve returned upstairs and spoke at length with Jimes “Short Change” Iggins, her friends and mentor. Jimes had nothing to offer, other than a few more suggestions for fleecing drunken woodcutters of their coins.
The others returned to their homes, vowing to continue their investigations in the morning…
EVENTS:
Whilst the heroes of our story rest on the banks of the Tourondel River, training and sharing tall stories of their exploits, an alarm sounds not far from where they were resting. The heroes rush through the forest in order to lend aid. They soon find themselves in a large clearing where the Kassen Woodcutters Guild had gouged out a part of the forest as part of their lumber operations.
In the clearing they find that the encampment is built on a slight slope, with piles of logs at the top of the rise ready to be transported to the river. Normally held down with large chains, the heroes are confronted by a scene of devastation where a number of the larger logs had broken free, and tumbled down the hill. The logs took no mercy, and crushed everything in their path including the operations cabin situated in the centre of the camp, a number of tents belonging to the workers, and a supply of reagents used in breaking down lumber. The later of which had started to smoulder and was in danger of catching fire.
The heroes immediately split up. Kal and Sam ran to the crushed cabin and found a number of injured workers trapped under the debris. Nell and Zevan moved to the remaining logs to ensure they were secure and to see if there was any evidence of tampering. Meanwhile Evarl climbed a nearby tree in order to better assess the situation.
What happened to cause this incident? And why was Guild Master Colbin Vetnar more concerned with getting the area cleared up, and the men back to work than saving the lives of his injured workers?
PREVIOUSLY: In a small village in northern Nirmathas, strange happenings are afoot. Who of its citizens will step forward to help, and who will be propelled towards riches beyond their wildest dreams…
EVENTS: Ekat Kassen was a crusader and fortune seeker who came to serve Lastwall in the year 4515 AR. While he fought with distinction, he soon realized that he wanted more from life and left the Lastwall military to find his fortune elsewhere. His travels took him all over the region around Lake Encarthan, and he decided to settle down in 4522 AR after a very profitable adventure.
Using a sizable portion of his fortune, he set out to tame a small area of the Fangwood on the banks of the Tourondel River, making it a natural stop-over for those traveling up and down the river to Skelt. For the next 10 years, the town, which was then known as Kassen’s Hold, grew and prospered.
All that changed when Asar Vergas came to Kassen’s Hold with a host of mercenaries under his command. Asar was an old companion of Ekat, and the two had traveled together for some time before splitting up after their last adventure. Over the years, Asar became sure that Ekat had cheated him after that adventure. Promising great wealth to his mercenaries, Asar raided the town relentlessly for 2 months. Finally, the townsfolk managed to locate Asar’s camp in an ancient crypt deep in the forest, and Ekat himself went out to deal with his old companion.
The battle was terribly bloody, with only a few townsfolk coming back to tell the tale. In the end, Asar was slain and his mercenaries scattered, but Ekat suffered a mortal wound. He died 2 days later, on the 11th day of Neth, 4535.
In honor of their beloved founder, the townsfolk buried Kassen in the ancient crypt, interring his bones in a place of honor, above the simple sarcophagi used to inter Asar, his mercenaries, and the townsfolk that lost their lives in the bitter struggle. They placed an eternal flame above Kassen’s final resting place, so that all who visited might find warmth in the wilderness.
After the defeat of Asar Vergas and the death of Ekat Kassen, the surviving townsfolk drew closer together in mourning – and in pride at what they had come together to accomplish. Old feuds were forgotten for a time, and the traditional Nirmathi independence of spirit bent to an appreciation of what the community as a whole could do. As the generation that had fought alongside the paladin aged, however, they were unhappy to see their children and grandchildren falling back into old habits, holding grudges that drew lines of division in the town, now simply called Kassen, and disregarding the hard lessons of community that their forebears had paid for in blood. The town elders came together to devise a way to convince the youngsters of the benefits of working together, and so the Quest for the Everflame was born.
Once in each generation, generally every five to seven years, the young adults of the town participate in a coming-of-age ritual that recreates the quest of Ekat Kassen and his followers into the wilderness. On the late autumn day that marks the anniversary of the day Kassen set out on his last march, the chosen young townsfolk gather in the square and are solemnly sent off with a lantern from the Greathall, to light it at the eternal flame in the crypt of the fallen paladin and bring it back to town to be preserved through the cold winter, a symbol of the town’s history and resilience. What happens while the fledgling adventurers are away is a secret closely guarded from the younger residents, but when they return a few days later, the town holds a great celebration in their honor, using the fruits of the year’s final harvest. Those who return with the lantern are hailed as the heroes of Kassen and are henceforth viewed as fully-grown citizens, marking the end of any apprenticeships. The Quest of the Everflame celebration, therefore, is often the background for engagements and weddings, as well as land and business transactions as the heroes prepare to enter adult life.
Although most of the inhabitants of Kassen have gone through the Quest for the Everflame, all seem to have taken an oath not to tell anyone uninitiated what exactly is involved in the ritual. Most adults only smile secretively when asked by a child. If approached during the Quest of the Everflame celebration, returning heroes are equally non-forthcoming; some will rumple the children’s hair and tell them not to worry about it, while those more fond of the limelight will spin wild tales about wrestling trolls or defeating squadrons of orcs from Belkzen. Every child in Kassen seems to know of a vague and distant relation some generations ago who died during the quest, but as their own time approaches, the adolescents grow more dismissive of the dangers, rolling their eyes and declaring it’s only some lame trick of their parents that couldn’t possibly be all that interesting. After that, most young people are too busy in apprenticeships and jobs and courtships to give much thought to the ritual.
The year is now 4709 AR, 174 years after the death of the town’s namesake, and the town’s Mayor has decreed that a group of youngsters will again make the pilgrimage this year. There are still a few days until a decision is made of who will be bestowed this great honour.
Our story begins on the banks of the Tourondel River a mile or so out of town, where a group of young friends enjoy some down time, each one pondering their chances of earning their place in Kassen’s history…
The Acolytes were shortly after followed by 2 grey robed priests who chanted a prayer in an ancient tongue unrecognisable to the others. Finally, a black robed priest entered the room in complete silence, and moved towards the podium at the front of the inn. The acolytes helped the priest to the stage. The group noted that the acolytes and priests appeared to have all of the exits covered, and that it would be difficult to escape. Suddenly, there was an overwhelming silence.
The patrons, including 
Firstly 
Inside, the heroes find nothing but pleasant talk and run-of-the-mill sailors telling tall tales, including that of the inn-keep who regales a story to a bunch of younger fisherman about how he managed to lose his arm to the giant sizes Gar Fish who’s stuffed remains rest quietly about the bar. The heroes separate and start conversing with the locals. 
Meanwhile 
The battle was furious, and the skeletons soon overwhelmed the inexperienced youngsters. First, 