The Intrepid Heroes
Llieron;
Elven Rgr6
played by rod
Llieron has
ventured forth to learn about the world beyond his forest home.
Uncomfortable among humans, he prefers quiet, natural places, as well as the
companionship of his demi-human friends.
Gehko Bindus;
Hafling Rog5
played by izzy
Gehko shares many qualities characteristic of his race. Resourceful and
inquisitive, Gehko keeps a keen eye peeled for any opportunity to make a
profit.
Kherrick Feyn;
Human Ftr5
played by j
After recently seeing
a close companion and friend betray him, Kherrick Feyn struggles to overcome
the sense of treachery he endured along with the constant ghosts of his past
and the true lack of direction in his heart. His skill with weapons has
grown, as has his callous indifference to bloodshed, making him a dangerous
opponent, yet he is currently lost. Never finding true attunement to any
deity, Kherrick’s current spiritual crisis of inner faith puts him
precariously on the edge between salvation and despair.
Paren;
Human Wiz6
played by ari
Like so many wizards
before him, Paren has decided to leave the safety of his master's tower in
search of adventure. Paren understands that the path before him is perilous,
but he has prepared well and is confident that he will be successful.
Rethas;
Human Clr5
played by scott
Inspired by the
goodness and purity of Pelor, Brother Rethas is committed to helping others.
Retired, Slain or Captured Characters...
Vaidno;
1/2 Elf Brd3
played by andy
Forget about a
dandy clad in silk, strumming a lute. Vaidno is a warrior poet. Carrying a
sword - and with a bow at the ready - Vaidno would rather sing of his
own heroic exploits than recount the deeds of others.
Vaidno was felled by a fireball cast by a drow wizard.
Quest of the Sorcerer King
a campaign for d&d
3.5
Welcome to the online home of our Quest of the Sorcerer King campaign.
How it began...
The Sorcerer King has grown
weary of looking after his domain. The domain is a collection of eight planar
and Prime Material locations, each connected by a portal. A special, gem
tipped key, is required to open each gate. The Sorcerer King wishes to
abdicate his throne and explore other dimensions. He has no successor, but
realizes it is his duty to pick one. To this end, he has designed a grand
quest. The person who completes it will have acquired the wisdom and skills
necessary to rule the dominion.
The quest will span a variety of planes, pocket dimensions and other magical
places. There will be many dangerous foes to fight, traps to avoid and
puzzles to solve. The quest is open to anyone, so beggars and the elite alike
will be seeking their fortune. Questors are allowed - and even encouraged - to pool
their resources.
There is no guarantee of survival. Those who have successfully completed the
quest will be judged by the Sorcerer King himself.
SEASON II
Session 14; November 16, 2008
The party arrived back in Bourne in time to see the Iron Crusade
go up in flames. The undead lashed to its hull writhed and moaned as the
liberated slaves danced with glee. Free from their bonds, the rioting slaves
asked for safe haven in Bourne. Their request was granted and many joined the
effort to built Sister Meredith’s temple to Pelor. In light of all the recent
mayhem, it was decided to expand the church to include a safe haven, like a
tower or something.
Paren retreated to the seclusion of Claire’s cottage and
resumed his reading of the books there. While reading, he found a passage
that hinted at a secret cache that lay beyond the pearl gate. The party knew
that the pearl gate led to Carceri, so it was a journey not to be undertaken
lightly. In the end, the party decided the risk was worth it. Kherrick
would remain on the Bourne side to keep the gate open. Gheko had since
traveled on to
Lamberkin Heights, so he would not be available for this mission.
On the other side of the gate, Paren, Rethas and Llieron were immediately attacked by two Abyssal Maws. The Maws were slain and the party soon faced two mysteries. They located a previously-unknown diamond gate (they thought there was only one) and they also found the secret cache. Rather, they found the empty cache! They scouted the area and soon found a trail of blood that lead outside. The party exited the small complex and found themselves under an alien sky.
The sky above was red, with titanic red orbs stretching out into the void above them. Paren realized from the orbs and the rocky, treacherous landscape that they were on Colothys, one of the levels of Carceri. The group pressed on and found a group of humanoids in a cave. The humanoids taunted the party, calling them liars and cheats. Rethas took the worst of it and endured shouts of, “Your god is a god of lies!” The humanoids (assholes!) were slaughtered and the party pressed on.
In another chamber they met a crazed killer who bragged of his exploits. The party soon realized that the entire plane was inhabited by thieves and maniacal killers and were understandably cautious. They interrogated the thief and soon discovered that he was hiding a spellbook he stole from the missing cache. With prize in hand, the party stepped through the diamond game and soon found themselves fighting for their lives.
On the other side of the diamond gate, the party encountered a flesh golem. The beast hammered the party into submission. Rethas and Paren were driven away, while Llieron covered their escape. All alone, the golem pounded him without mercy and he soon fell to the ground near death. The golem retreated and Llieron’s wolf attempted to drag his body to safety. Llieron was eventually rescued and the party rested.
The next day they renewed their assault and were successful in killing the golem. They pressed on, finding themselves in a large tomb. A series of traps depleted their resource, so anther rest was in order.
The next day the group returned. Rethas was first through the gate and walked into a lightning bolt. Standing in the hall was an undead creature. It was covered in blood and it appeared that new flesh was growing in patches. From images they had seen on books and murals, they party realized they were standing before the Sorcerer King himself! Alas, the undead villain could stand before the party’s might. No less than three(!) celestial bison savaged him. Trampled underfoot, the sorcerer king died and with it, his magic.
The complex began to break apart and the party fled. When they emerged in Bourne, they saw lights in the sky, like shooting stars. They realized that the complex they were in was deep within the bowls of the asteroid home. The asteroid disintegrated, destroying with it the magic that fueled that magic gates.
The party had inadvertently destroyed the magic gates, but the Mosswood and the elves would be free.
Session 13; November 2, 2008
Play began with the party
reconnoitering the village of Bourne. While hunkered down, they were joined by
Sheriff Patrel Gimmoway of Lamberkin Heights. Patrel was a childhood friend of
Gheko’s, so it was a pleasant, although unorthodox, reunion. Patrel brought
tribute and news of a young red dragon feasting on cattle. The dragon was
unleashed from its lair in the same way that the dire bear and undead were freed
from their bonds. Truly, the Sorcerer King's curse runs deep. Patrel praised the
party for their decision not to remain neutral in the conflict with the Hextors.
He was going to share the story of how neutrality resulted in the Sorcerer
King's bitter feud with the elves, but the party had other business to tend to.
Bidding Patrel a good day,
the party launched a bold rescue of Sister Meredith. An invisible Kherrick
flew over to Meredith (he had borrowed Paren’s winged boots) and untied her.
He cut her bonds and soon the pair were
airborne. The warriors of Hextor were in hot pursuit until a Fireball from
Paren immolated 17 of them.
The group retreated to the tower north of Bourne and waited their assault. In a few days, 40 fanatical followers of Hextor and their leader, a battle cleric named Augus Storn, attacked. The characters used their superior position to repel the foot soldiers. In fact, all 40 warriors were slain without gaining access to the tower.
August, however, was able to batter down the door. He engaged in melee with the party, but was soon overcome. Victory! At the end of the battle, the brave adventurers had slain nearly 60 warriors and a high level cleric in just two days.
Session 12; October 19, 2008
After leaving the ghouls and mummy smoldering in their tomb, the party pressed
on to the tower near Bourne. When they arrived, they found Kherrick waiting for
them. The stern warrior had been absent, but not idle. He had been investigating
the Hextor menace and had learned the following: The Hextor worshippers sail the
skies in their galleon, the Iron Crusade. Lashed to its hull are the tortured,
undead victims who fell to them in battle. The Hextors number 60 slaves, 100
warriors, several clerics and are led in combat by a ferocious battle priest
named Augus Storn. “You keep what you kill!”
Setting that aside, the group traveled to the Mosswood. Aerith was in need
of help, being pinned down by a ferocious dire bear with an insatiable
appetite. Out of a sense of duty, the group tracked the beast. They had no
great love of the elves, but appreciated the gifts that had been given to
them in the past. The
party found the great bear in a cave and soon coaxed the beast out with a
summoned monkey of all things.
The bear charged out, then promptly slipped and fell due to a Grease spell. The battle was pretty much over at that point. A summoned Bison, a wolf, Llieron, Kherrick and Gheko surrounded the beast. When the bear attempted to regain its footing, the ensuing AOOs meant its doom. Fight over!
The party returned to the tower near Bourne, but found themselves in quite a spot. A manticore cleric of Hextor (Hulgrim the Fierce; see Iridia 81) had landed at the tower’s door and was intent on killing everyone within. Surprisingly, the beast was amazing in battle. Its wicked tail spikes deterred the party from peppering it with arrows, despite the +8 cover bonus to AC the arrow slits provided. The beast attempted to batter the door, but found the going too tough. It landed on the roof and began tearing through the wooden planks.
Paren let loose a Fireball and a few Magic Missiles that
damaged the manticore, but it still persisted. Between the creature’s claws
and fire from the Fireball, the roof gave way. The manticore let
loose a punishing volley of spikes that caused the party to flee. Insane
with fury, the manticore dropped into the tower and savaged a variety of
summoned creatures. Splattered with blood and hungry for man flesh, the
manticore stepped through the portal the party had opened in order to
retreat to the Mosswood. It stepped through the portal and was promptly
beheaded by Kherrick on a critical AOO. Fatality!
Where had the beast come from and how did it find them? Suspecting the worst, the party returned to the village of Bourne. Scouting the village from a safe distance, they saw that the forces of Hextor had indeed made landfall. They had occupied the village and were up to Pelor knows what. They had lashed Sister Meredith to a tree and appeared to be repairing their vessel, which had sustained combat damage. The party retreated to scheme and plot…
Session 11; October 5, 2008
When the party arrived back in Bourne, they noted that Kherrick was missing. Not
missing in any sinister sense of the word – he simply wasn’t at the tavern. The
innkeeper explained that Kherrick had said, “I’ve got something I need to take
care of.” Then he walked out of the inn.
Waiting for them instead was a young cleric of Pelor named Rethas. Rethas had been dispatched by his church to aid Sister Meredith. Perhaps it would now be the time to deal with the followers of Hextor on the hill outside of town.
They didn’t have to wait long. The followers of Hextor – 8 warriors and the
cleric Aven Mallory – stormed Claire Larchwood’s home in the middle of the
night.
Paren and Rethas were sleeping inside and the assassins hoped to dispatch
them quickly.
The battle that ensued was truly unusual. Paren, calling upon all of his powers of summoning, conjured a bison in the loft! The bison stood at the stairs, savaging enemies. The bison was soon followed by a bear. Later there would even be a fireball that claimed several enemies as well as a third of the home. At the end of the battle, the Hextors all lay dead, while the party was in relatively good shape.
The next bit of housekeeping was to dispatch a note to Thrax Forestwalker, the ranger/druid from the nearby woods. The party hoped that he would be willing to reforest Alexander’s asteroid home. While waiting for Thrax’s response, the party decided to deal with the ghouls that were lurking in the area.
En route to the ghouls’ lair, a large eagle bearing a message landed before the party. Attached to one of its legs was a message. The news was sad indeed. Saeros – one of the elves of the Mosswood – had been killed by a massive, rampaging bear. Aerith was asking for help and wanted the party to come quickly.
Before helping the elves, the group first had to slay the ghouls. Standing
outside their cave, an obelisk read, “The seals have been broken. The death
of my last
living heir heralds my coming vengeance. The elves shall be destroyed once
and for all. I shall preside over the destruction myself. I shall return.”
Concerned the party pressed on.
Rethas annihilated the ghouls within. The glory of Pelor blew them apart. What the party did not expect to find was Gaius Kale, the mummified bodyguard of Alexander the Elder, the true Sorcerer King. Wielding a +l longsword, elf bane, the mummy nearly slew Llieron. Fortunately, the mummy was shredded by a summoned bison and a fireball.
Fatigued, the party rested and wondered what other horrors Alexander the Elder had unleashed upon the land. They could only assume that a lich would soon arrive to claim them all.
Session 10; September 21, 2008
The party - sans Kherrick - sat down in the tavern to get caught up with
Duncan the Tavernkeep. They were told that nine followers of Hextor, lead by
Sister Aven Mallory, had arrived in town a few weeks ago. They hired - then
exploited - a group of local laborers to begin construction on a sturdy stone
building. The villagers lacked sufficient prowess in battle to drive them off,
so perhaps the arrival of the party would change all that.
Next, the group checked in with Mog's and Claire's cottages, which had been
cleaned and gifted to the party. While doing so they were approached by Stewart
and Marie, a kindly old couple. Stewart and Marie offered their services as
caretakers of the tower up north and the party accepted. The next stop was
Claire's cottage where Paren found something rather intriguing.
While looking through some of Claire's papers, he found a map of Alexander's
asteroid home. The map indicated a secret chamber that the Sorcerer King had
failed to disclose. Bastard! Before that issue could be addressed, the group
wanted to speak with Thrax Forestwalker about the followers of Hextor. (Thrax is
the half-orc druid/ranger who protects the local forests.)
When the party eventually located Thrax, he said that the mysterious treant in
the woods needed their help. Intrigued, the party followed him. Soon they stood
before the mighty presence of
Gauntwillow. (See Iridia 21) Gauntwillow
was in a great deal of discomfort. Alexander had forced the treant to carry a
cache of magic items in a rather unconventional way. Basically, a locked chest
had been grafted into his trunk! Sap oozed around the box and the treant was in
great pain.
Gheko picked the lock and a cache of items was found within! The party collected
a magic short bow, some bracers and a pair of winged boots. Gheko also noticed
that Gauntwillow was
carrying a book in a large hollow and an owl was perched on his shoulder. The
treant revealed that he was - in fact - an aspiring wizard and had been studying
one of Alexander's old books for a few decades now. The owl was his familiar and
both were grateful to the party for their service.
After helping Gauntwillow,
Thrax told the group that small packs of ghouls had
been seen on the plains around the forest. A small fissure had opened in the
earth around the time Alexander was killed. The ghouls had come from it, with a
small group heading toward the tower where the bodies of the slain Moghs lay
rotting. This concerned the party because Marie and Stewart - the tower's new
caretakers - were en route.
The party rushed to the tower to find that the couple were trapped upstairs by
three ghouls. The group rushed in and made short work of them. Pressed for time,
the party had no opportunity to explore the mysterious fissure.
Back in Bourne it was off to explore the mysterious secret chamber in
Alexander's home. The party activated the gate key, then set off to find the
room. They came across the body of a slain human warrior (hacked apart by the
bronze golem) and wondered where he had come from. While walking down the deep
tunnels in the heart of the rock, they were beset by a large, tentacled thing.
(Yet another detail overlooked by Alexander) Despite the creature's massive
size, Llieron shot an arrow through its head (30 points of damage on a crit) and
Paren finished it off with a fireball.
Beyond, the party found the secret chamber. Inside the room were floating,
melon-sized orbs of marble, each covered with delicate runes and a large gem
placed within. Beams of faint light connected them to the others in a perfect
map of Alexander's gate
structure. The workshop revealed an unfinished orb, as
well as materials for three others. A massive tome detailed the construction of
new portals. Paren figured he would need to be at least 15th level to figure it
all out. The equipment and room were very dusty. The party could only assume
that Alexander never worked here, since he never approached his grandfather's
talent. For all his posturing, the Sorcerer King was nothing but a hack living
off the glory of his forefathers.
Curious as to where the slain man had come from, the party pressed on. Much to
their amazement, they emerged on the other side of the asteroid and found a
large skyship hovering above. It was shaped like a massive hammerhead and
bristled with catapults and a ballista. The captain of the vessel agreed to
parley and met with the group.
He introduced himself as Captain Beairdnau and was joined by Lt. Storich and Mr.
Willum. Their vessel was called the Shrike and they were a small company of
mercenaries, some 35 in number. From Beairdnau the party learned that
Alexander's home was a frequent stop by spelljamming vessels making their way to
other ports. They refreshed their air, sold goods and exchanged information at
the tavern. Many in this corner of Wildspace were aware of Alexander's quest,
but really didn't want to get involved. (Who cares about a bunch of groundlings,
anyway?)
Captain Beairdnau suggested that party plants some trees and repair the ruined
buildings. Doing so would entice merchant vessels to return. Also, quite a bit
of money could be made ferrying valuable goods down to the surface if the party
so desired. He offered his crew's services as guards, then bid the party
farewell. With that, the group repaired to Bourne.
Session 9; September 7, 2008
As the party stepped through the portal, they came under a hail or arrow
fire that fortunately fell short. Much to their delight, there were no further
volleys. Rather, a pair of familiar faces emerged from cover - Lenwe and Aerith.
(The two elves were first met near the Mosswood.) As the party looked around,
they discovered that they were in quite a unique situation.
The Sorcerer King's home was built upon a massive rock, some 100 yards long and
50 yards wide. Enter Spelljammer! The rock drifted quietly through space,
magically placed in orbit above the characters' home world. The surface of the
rock was a blasted wasteland. As Lenwe and Aerith would explain, a fleet of
elven skyships
had destroyed it. The warships - part of the formidable Elven
Armada - had finally arrived after being summoned many years before. (Wildspace
is vast and it takes a considerable amount of time for spelljamming vessels to
cross it.)
Worried that the drow matron Lady Craenith would possess the entire collection
of gate keys, the elves Lenwe and Aerith had remained behind to watch the gate.
Content that the keys were safe with the party, Aerith and Lenwe
departed.
After exploring the rock, the party explored some chambers beneath the ruins of
the SK's manor home. They had found evidence indicating that Alexander (the SK)
had survived the firebombing. Eventually, they did find Alexander in a miserable
state. Sick, emaciated and near death, Alexander revealed himself to be a cruel
and capricious old cur.
He mocked the party's suffering, boasted of plundering elven secrets and even at
the end he tormented the party by dangling the promise of secret knowledge
before them. The party decided to play along, and agreed to take Alexander back
to Bourne, where he wished to expire. Before leaving for Bourne, Alexander
showed them some hidden chambers within the rock and even hinted at a docked
Spelljamming vessel beneath the island.
Upon arrival in Bourne - or the tower near it, to be precise - the party found
themselves face to face with the Mogh family. The Moghs had decided to squat in
the tower and drooled at the thought of getting their hands on
Alexander. Fed up
with being manipulated and threatened, Kherrick went on a killing spree.
While backed up by his comrades, Kherrick sliced and diced his way through the
family.
Frustrated and tired, Llieron lost his patience when Alexander once again began
mocking the party. He pulled out a dagger and plunged it through Alexander
desiccated, black heart. By doing so, the elves were liberated from a long line
of cruel wizards, who had tormented and stole from them.
The party arrived in Bourne to see quite a bit of construction going on. During
Alexander's long decline, Bourne was no longer kept isolated and was enjoying a
renaissance. Sister Meredith greeted the party and proudly showed them the new
church of Pelor that was being built. With sadness, she pointed to a distant
hill where another construction project was taking place. A flag bearing
Hextor's symbol was flying, which foreshadowed coming conflict...
SEASON I
Session 8; July 6, 2008
After nursing their wounds in Bourne, the party forged ahead. Their goal was
the diamond portal in Launewt. To get there, they first had to pass through the
portals in Graywall.
Upon arrival in Graywall, they
were beset by Abyssal Skulkers. After slaying five of the beasts, the group
explored the complex and found numerous human casualties. Among the severely
wounded was Sister
Meredith, the cleric of Pelor they had met weeks
previous. The party could only assume that Graywall had succumbed to abyssal
forces and that Meredith led the party here for safety. The party bound
Meredith’s wounds, then evacuated her to Bourne for recovery.
When the group finally arrived in Launewt, they were in for the fight of their lives. All of the goblins and human warriors slain in the previous session had been raised as zombies! Mog the Ogre, too! Claire Larchwood was also present. Near death, she had been brutally tortured and lashed to a pillar with wire that cut deep into her skin. Delirious, all she could do was murmur, “The mistress is coming, the mistress is coming…”The party figured that Claire was referring to the dark elven matron, who lived deep within the forest of Launewt.
Back to the business at hand, the party set about cleaving through the zombies. The party, Kherrick in particular, were slowly chipped down in hit points. Near the end of the battle, a door in the far end of the room opened. A Lightning Bolt was soon fired from the darkness beyond and struck Kherrick! Evidently, the mistress had arrived!
With a new
sense of urgency, the party fought their way toward the diamond gate. As
they did so, the drow
lurking in the dark hallway beyond were
concerned that the group might slip away. A Fireball was sent into the room
next! The blast dropped Vaidno (slain) and Paren (unconscious). As the two men fell, the rest of
the party opened the diamond gate and fled.
Beyond was the homeland of Alexander the Sorcerer King. Much to their dismay, the party saw nothing but fire-blackened stones. The Sorcerer King’s body lay in the middle of the destroyed throne room, his body riddled with arrows – elven arrows. The elves had finally taken their vengeance. Bits of Alexander’s spellbooks, secret notes and lore of the gate slowly drifted down like snow.
Full of anguish and confusion, the party looked skyward for answers and the scene faded to black. What next? Stay tuned for season two of Quest of the Sorcerer King!
Session 7; June 22, 2008
After the battle with the swamp beast (a catoplebas), the party lingered to
save Huri and Madeline's lives. While dressing the wounds of the rival party, a
humanoid figure was seen in the distance. It picked up one of the dead sheep and
carried it into the marsh. Llieron followed and observed the figure giving the
animal to the swamp creature. Evidently, the mysterious figure had an excellent
rapport with the beast. The figure then took the diamond gate key from around
the beast's neck and wandered off. Llieron, with Gheko accompanying him, finally
steeled their nerve and approached the stranger.
Much to their relief, the mysterious individual was rather decent. His name was Thrax Forestwalker and he turned out to be a rather accomplished Barbarian/Druid. As a self-proclaimed protector of the forest and swamp, he was willing to pass the diamond key to the party provided they pledge to not despoil the lands around Bourne. The party agreed and returned to Bourne.
In Bourne, Kherrick meted out a
harsh justice to Madeline. He hung her from a tree and proclaimed her a traitor.
Huri was treated much more kindly and was set free. The little dwarf was allowed
to be free and pledged to never again cross paths with the group. After the
hanging and the battle with the displaced villagers from Launewt, the group was
given the cold shoulder by the villagers. The party chose correctly not to enter
the gate to Carceri, which lay in Claire's cellar. Had they done so, the
villagers would have burned the house down, trapping the party forever on the
prison plane.
The party then left for Tyrion, looking to explore the hall where an elven prince once rallied his war bands. Before Tyrion, the group would first have to pass through Launewt. When the party arrived, they were ambushed by goblins. The goblins were in a filthy state, having been trapped in the gate room. (Cause to be revealed later.) They had been sent by their dark elven mistress to learn more about the gates, but like all goblins, they were terribly unskilled and doomed to failure. The party slaughtered the goblins, then set off for Tyrion.
In Tyrion the party faced six human warriors and their cleric leader. (see Iridia 72) All displayed the holy symbols of Hextor and were most likely related to the followers of Hextor the group previously encountered. (see Iridia 68) Hoping to restore order to the growing chaos brought on by the Sorcerer King's gambit, the followers of Hextor were desperate to control the gate keys.
The party retreated from Tyrion and
drew the followers of Hextor into Launewt's gate complex. The fight was
one-sided as the party hacked the warriors down. As the last warrior fell, the
group was attacked! Mog Half-Ogre and Claire
Larchwood (see Iridia 69) had been waiting in
Launewt for some time. Since Launewt held the gate that lead to the Sorcerer
King's home, they knew that eventually a party with the diamond gate key would
come through. Having grown weary of serving as the Sorcerer King's lackeys and
desiring to rule the land for themselves, they decided to go on the offensive.
During the battle, Kherrick was struck to negative hit points by the massive half-ogre. Claire used her Fireball and Magic Missiles to great effect before fleeing. Sadly for Mog, he wasn't so lucky. Play ended with the group retreating to heal. With all of the gate keys secured and perhaps one or two foes alive in Tyrion, the group is poised to travel to the home of the Sorcerer King!
Session 6; June 8, 2008
The party returned to Bourne, with Huri Keyfate, Madeline Ginnever, Colin
Crabbe and Jasper Genz in tow. The rival party wished to join forces with the
adventurers or at least trade with them. The adventurers were not having any
part of it. So began the endgame between the rival groups...
In Bourne, the rival group broke into Claire Larchwood's home. In the basement
they found a gate key, but were repelled by some beastie beyond. The party, not
wanting to be outdone, pinned Madeline's group down in the
basement. A brief
spell battle began, but nothing came of it.
The party left to see what could be learned from Hilda Mogh, a wretched crone
who lives with her three sons. (See
Iridia 58) The boys make a living from training guard dogs, while Hilda
dabbles in the brewing of potions and poisons. Hilda revealed that while
Alexander (the Sorcerer King) is a formidable wizard, the keys and secret ways
of his realm were given to him by his grandfather. Alexander's grandfather was a
legendary trickster and charlatan, who acquired much of his power by stealing it
from the elves.
The party acquired some potent toxins and three guard dogs from her at a
discount. The discount required Vaidno the Bard to make a rather significant
sacrifice as Hilda's slobbering sons looked on.
Back in Bourne, the adventurers discovered that Madeline's group had gathered a
group of archers to attack the beast in the marsh. Supposedly, the creature had
the diamond gate key (which leads to the sorcerer king's home) hanging around
its neck. The party planned to lag behind Madeline's group, the attack them
after they had slain the beast. When the battle was joined, Madeline's
group instead turned and attack the party.
While Colin initially proved to be a challenging opponent, he and the others all
fell. The party's three hounds and Paren's summoned creatures really helped to
turn the tide. Meanwhile, the massive swamp beast, began cutting down foes with
its death ray. Yes, I said death ray. The terrifying beast had a bloated, furry
body, four stumpy legs, a long tail with a chitinous knob at the end and an ugly
head at the end of a long, thin neck. Gheko had agitated the beast by flinging
stones at it, then hiding. The creature, growing angry, started burning holes
into any target in range.
In time, the party hid and the angry beast wandered back into the swamp. Having
been attacked as it fed near the edge of the marsh, the beast will not be so
easily led into an ambush again, preferring to stay deep in the fen.
After looting the dead and dying, the party spared Madeline's life and returned
to Bourne.
Session 5; June 1, 2008
En route to Bourne with a group of refugees in tow, the party stopped
briefly in Mosswood to reunite with companions previously left behind. Rather
than escort the refuges personally, the group decided to send them ahead on
their own. This caused Dylan, to leader of the rag tag band of commoners, no end
of stress. To entice the party to not abandon he and his fellow villagers, Dylan
revealed that the sole copy of the diamond key could be found in the marsh near
Bourne. The diamond key is invaluable because it leads directly to the Sorcerer
King’s home. Does this mean that it would be unnecessary to gather the other
keys? Hmm…
While negotiating with the
villagers, the party encountered a healed Huri Keyfate and Madeline
Ginnever. Huri bore the party no ill will regarding their looting of his
unconscious body. He was simply happy to be alive. The pair were looking for
a sturdy warrior to help them find a way to complete the Sorcerer King’s
quest. Not wanting too much competition, the party gave Madeline and Huri
some erroneous information that would occupy their time. Before Huri and
Madeline left, the party noticed that Huri seemed to be able to pick the
locks that opened
portals between the dimensional spaces.
The party decided to use their quartz key to open the gate to Yeth, a domain where gnolls and their ravenous packs of hyenas rule. In short order the party found itself locked in battle with the humanoids. Their first battle (EL 2) went well, but the next encounters were much more challenging. (EL 5 & 6) The gnolls and hyenas set an ambush for the heroes and actually gained a (very brief) foothold into the Mosswood. With the gnolls and hyenas in the vicinity all slain, the party was able to explore the surrounding area.
The adventurers continued to employ excellent tactics. They managed to draw the gnolls into areas that provoked AOOs, while using the wizard’s summoned fire beetles to block enemy movement. If the party has a weakness, it’s a lack of divine healing that forces them to retreat after most battles to heal.
They found an expansive plain
covered in low grass and small trees. In the distance a small village could
be seen. Protected by a berm and palisade, the village was besieged by at
least 100 gnolls and perhaps 20 snarling hyenas. The group discussed ways to
bring aid and comfort to the villagers, but doing so would be nearly
impossible without significant magic.
The party retreated to Mosswood to try and appeal to the elves for aid. Saeros, the elven envoy in the area, refused to help. He explained that the gnolls were never a problem until the ridiculous human wizard Alexander (the Sorcerer King) opened the gate to their realm. He revealed that plans were already in the work to have the gate complex sealed. Noting that the party was very upset at his refusal to help, he gave them his longsword as a token of good will. Having already given his elven cloak to the party’s ranger, Saeros did so to signify that his people would not be participating in any costly war and that he was stripping himself of all martial accoutrements.
Play ended with the party worrying that the besieged humans would eventually be overrun and devoured.
Session 4; May 18, 2008
That party stayed in Mosswood for a few days to heal their wounds. While
recovering, Saeros (the leader of the elven warriors) gave Llieron a token of is
appreciation - a highly-prized elven cloak. Saeros also informed the party that
the wounded dwarf - Huri Keyfate - had survived being mauled by the gnolls'
hyenas. Relieved, Madeline Ginnever decided to see to her companion. (See
Iridia 68 for Huri's stat block and
Iridia 67 for Madeline's
stat block.)
Kherrick, Paren and Llieron used their recently acquired aquamarine key to open a new portal. (Vaidno and Gehko remained in the Mosswood to explore the forest.) Arriving in a dimly lit chamber, the explorers were soon confronted by three goblin warriors. (EL1) They were easily dispatched, so the party pressed on. In another chamber they met and slew an additional three gobbos. (EL 1) The arms and armor of the humanoids was in good shape. All were stamped with elven runes that read, "House Crayneth." One of the goblins also had a roughly carved wooden idol that depicted a spider with a female elven head. The chamber the party arrived in also held two other gates. One was noteworthy because it was decorated with a number of gemstones similar to those that appointed the gate keys.
As the party investigated the
corpses, they were ambushed by a human warrior and his human cleric
companion.
Proudly
displaying the holy symbol of Hextor, both men shouted , "Hextor shall claim
your wretched souls!" Kherrick overcame his shaken condition (the result of
a successfully cast Doom) and charged the cleric, nearly slaying him in
one blow. The next round Kherrick was sent running, however, the victim of
Cause Fear. (Damn that low Fighter Will save!) Llieron was hacked at by the
warrior, but then the tide changed. The cleric was quickly dispatched, as was
his human companion. (EL 3) (See
Iridia 68 for
Justin's stat block)
As the party explored further, they found quite a few dead bodies belonging to goblins and humans. Apparently, the two sides had fought bitterly over the gate complex. Eventually, the party found a locked door. The dead goblin in front of it (a poisoned dart sticking in his eye) let the party know the door was now safe. They battered their way in and found a few scrolls, as well as a mithral shirt!
After some searching, the party made
their way to the surface. They found a small hamlet that had been ravaged by
fighting. A few dozen goblin corpses lay scattered abou
t,
as well as 8-10 humans. Most all of the houses had been burned to the ground.
Several goblins lurked in the ruins and chased the party back into the dungeon.
The party held their ground and soon destroyed the 7 goblins. (EL 3)
The party emerged from the dungeon and eventually met the village's refugees. From the villagers the party learned a number of interesting facts: 1) The goblins are lackeys of the "dark skinned elves," who live deep in the tangled forest north of the village. 2) The village and its peninsula is called Launewt. 3) The gate appointed with gems leads to the Sorcerer King's home. 4) The Sorcerer King is ill and returned to his home to convalesce, but no one has heard from him in months. 5) The followers of Hextor arrived in Launewt with an emerald gate key that was now in the possession of an ogre, who came out of the woods to loot the dead.
Using very clever tactics, the party coaxed the ogre out of his cave. The beast never got a chance to attack with his club. Two arrows from Llieron, a crossbow bolt from Paren and a sword to the kidney from Kherrick ended it all very, very quickly. Seriously, they whipped his ASS!
Play ended with the group escorting the refugees through the gates to Bourne.
Session 3; May 4, 2008
Lingering in
Graywall to heal their wounds, the party was
approached by Colin Crabbe, a young but experienced mercenary. In need of a
wizard to guide him through the portals, he offered to buy Jasper Genz's
freedom. The party agreed - for a steep 500 gp. Leaving Graywall, the party
encountered a pack of Abyssal Skulkers that were chasing two humans. The party
quickly recognized the men and as two of the vagabonds that had attacked them
some weeks previous in Bourne. Mog Half-ogre, constable of Bourne, must have
exiled the men by sending them to this miserable place. The party slew the
Skulkers (EL 5), then proceeded onward.
From the portal complex the party used the Onyx key to travel to their next destination. The party soon arrived in a small complex. The party quickly sensed that they were not alone, as evidenced by the sounds of hyenas echoing through the halls. Very soon, the party found themselves assaulted by three hyenas and a gnoll. (EL 4) The hyenas savaged poor Kherrick, but the beasts were eventually dispatched.
The party soon discovered a female
captive in one of the rooms. She introduced herself as Madeline. In fact, she had
been a former
companion of Kherrick. There was some history between the two that was very
complicated... Madeline was a wizard by training and informed the party that more gnolls were about, in addition to a dwarf named Huri Keyfate. Huri was in
possession of two gate keys, so finding him was very important. At some point,
Vaidno had threatened to bind Madeline because he didn't trust her. This led to a
brief inter-party debate. A wounded gnoll was also found in the complex. His
wounds were bound in the hopes of interrogating him later. The gnoll did not
survive. One of
the party members secretly dispatched the beast and never confessed to the deed.
The party ventured outside the complex to look for the dwarf and soon met an elf - Saeros - who was terribly concerned about the number of people passing through the forest. From Saeros the party learned that the Wizard King's true name was Alexander. Again, the party learned that the Wizard King had been absent for many months and that not everyone was pleased with his quest. By seeding the gate keys throughout the realm, he had created quite a bit of chaos. The gnolls, for example, had long been confined to their own realm. The placement of a gate key in their domain had allowed them to escape.
Eventually, the party met two gnolls and their three hyena pets in battle (EL 5). The party utilized effective combat tactics and overcame the threat. Huri was eventually found, but it was too late. The dwarf had expired. Searching his body, the party found a few items of value. Play ended with Madeline thanking the party for their help. While Madeline may have been a potential enemy, the group's kindness turned her into a valuable ally.
Session 2; April 20, 2008
The characters stepped
through the portal, arriving in a 15' x 15' chamber. In addition to the gateway
the party had just stepped through, two other portals were also in the chamber.
In addition, four bodies lay on the floor, all quite dead and wearing the livery
of the Sorcerer King. Standing over the bodies, but denying any responsibility,
was a large warrior. He later introduced himself as Kherrick and soon joined the
adventuring party. As the heroes were talking with Kherrick and investigating
the dead bodies, they heard screaming from another room.
The party rushed
in to see a pale, greasy fellow being menaced by a bizarre creature. Looking
like a hairless primate, with an elongated snout and wicked claws, the
beastie
attempted to savage the stranger before running off. After some
interrogation, the party realized that the stranger must be the wizard who
subdued and robbed them. They bound the man, whose name was Jasper Genz, and
marched off. (See Iridia 64 for more information on Jasper Genz)
They found themselves on a blasted plain. The ground was black and ashen. Stark gray stones dotted the landscape. A dreary sky was overhead and a cold wind blew in gusts. Jasper, who had read about this wretched place, told the party that the only settlement around was a village called Graywall. As the party discussed this new information, they were suddenly attacked by two creatures (Abyssal Skulkers - EL 3) similar to the one that had threatened Jasper. The party quickly dispatched the threat and continued on to Graywall.
Graywall was a sad, crumbling affair, full of hopeless people. Everything, including the inhabitants, was covered in black dust. The party soon met the village's benefactor, a weary cleric of Pelor named Sister Meredith. Sister Meredith had taken pity on the village's inhabitants and did her best to care for them. Sadly, the village had recently attracted a surly degenerate named Kanan Half-man. (CR1) Kanan was ousted from Bourne by Mog and eventually found his way here. He had been rumbling about taking over the village and this caused Meredith a great deal of concern. The party offered to speak to Kanan on her behalf.
A fight eventually ensured. Beforehand, Kherrick attempted to parlay, even going so far as to offer Jasper to Kanan in exchange for a bottle of rum. Jasper whimpered and whined before Kherrick knocked him senseless. Poor Jasper was beginning to become a sort of punching bag for the meaty fighter. Kanan, sensing that he was being set up, grabbed his two-handed club and began savaging the party. Vaidno quickly fell to negative hit points and even Kherrick was wounded before Kanan finally fell.
From Sister Meredith the party learned that the Sorcerer King maintained a small keep a few miles from the village. Jasper, hoping to secure his freedom in exchange for valuable information, confirmed this. He added that a key to one of the portals the party earlier saw might be found there. Jasper received another slap for this and said nothing further. The party made the trek to the keep and found it to be deserted - at least it looked that way. (See Iridia 64) Gheko peered inside the gates, but felt ill at ease. He thought he could hear a bow being pulled taught from within the darkness and quickly retreated. With the aid of a rope and hook, Gheko instead investigated the keep from the roof down. Eventually, he found a hall where the animated skeletons of the keep's previous inhabitants stood guard. At this point, the party began to wonder about the alignment of the Sorcerer King.
After several skirmishes with groups of skeletons (ELs 1, 1, and 2), the party prevailed. They found a key with an onyx in the base and assumed it opened one of the portals in the chamber where they had originally entered. They also found the body of a tiefling rogue. They had heard about this rogue while they were in Bourne, but could not find the heavily armed warrior she was supposedly traveling with.
Play ended when the characters returned to Graywall. Because the party still held Jasper as a captive and had not treated him well, Sister Meredith refused to heal the party, but did allow them to stay within the village's walls.
Session 1; April 6, 2008
Arriving in the village of Bourne aboard the Maiden of
the Mist, a ship that can travel through the Ethereal, Gehko, Llieron and Vaidno set about learning as much about the area as
they could. They met with Mog, the village's half-ogre constable, as well
as Claire Larchwood, a former
apprentice of the Sorcerer King. From Mog and Claire they learned a few of
the village's laws. Namely, the wooded areas north of the village are off
limits. The party was also advised against exploring the nearby marsh.
The party soon traveled north, since they were told by villagers that a tower beyond the woods contained a portal to another domain. En route, they encountered four vagabonds. (EL 1) The vagabonds attempted to rob the party, but they were easily defeated. Gehko proved to be rather accurate with his crossbow and Vaidno managed to grapple two of the brigands into submission! The surviving brigands were delivered to Mog. Out of gratitude, Claire Larchwood told the party that they would need to explore some caves to the east. To do so would be vital to their quest.
Within the caves, the party
encountered a few traps. (2 x CR 1) They sensed that the traps
were set by some mischievous creature, which dogged their steps and mocked their
progress. Eventually, they reached the bowels of the cave complex and battled an
Abyssal Maw. (CR 2) The Maw succumbed to multiple arrow wounds and regurgitated
the key needed to open the portal in the tower. In fact, the Maw's gullet held
two copies of the key, evidence that the Sorcerer King had spread multiple
copies of the gate key about his realm.
The party's next stop was the tower. They entered and soon found the portal. As they opened the gateway, however, they fell victim to a magical attack launched by an invisible assailant. Earlier, the party had been told of a greasy, scrawny wizard lurking about. They could only assume he was their attacker. The unseen villain stole one of their copies of the key, but fortunately they were left with the other. The session closed with the party opening the gate for a second time, then stepping through.
This session was discussed beforehand in Iridia 61, as well as in the supporting podcast.
Maps and Other Campaign Resources
The Village of
Bourne
A Map of the Realms Explored by the PCs
Map Of The Islands Housing The Gates
Experience
Session 1; April 6, 2008
500 xp each to Llieron, Gehko and Vaidno.
Session 2; April 20, 2008
525 xp each to Llieron, Vaidno, Gehko and Kherrick.
Session 3; May 4, 2008
910 xp each to Llieron, Vaidno, Gehko, Kherrick and Paren.
Session 4; May 18, 2008
1,100 xp each to Llieron, Kherrick and Paren.
Session 5; June 1, 2008
1,220 xp each to Llieron, Kherrick, Gheko, Vaidno and Paren.
Session 6; June 8, 2008
760 xp each to Llieron, Vaidno, Kherrick, Paren and Gheko.
Session 7; June 22, 2008
1,570 xp each to Llieron, Kherrick, Paren and Gheko.
Session 8; July 6, 2008
2,200 xp each to Kherrick, Llieron, Paren and Gheko.
Session 9; Sept 7, 2008
800 xp each to Kherrick, Llieron, Paren and Gheko.
Session 10; Sept 21, 2008
856 xp each to Llieron, Paren and Gheko.
Session 11; October 5, 2008
1,563 xp each to Llieron, Paren, Rethas and Gheko.
Session 12; October 19, 2008
1,200 xp each to Llieron, Paren, Rethas, Kherrick and Gheko.
Session 13; November 2, 2008
2,400 xp each to Llieron, Paren, Rethas, Kherrick and Gheko.
Session 14; November 16, 2008
2,300 xp each to Llieron, Paren and Rethas.