Journal Entry #7

Journal - Session 7

Having explored the ruins of the Temple of the Red Crescent, an abandoned and crumbling ruin of ancient origin erected on the site of an older, pre-human settlement (and infested with lizardfolk), a party of six bold adventurers – Barrack, a plain-spoken dwarven Fighter, powerful wielder of the hammers favored by that strong and dour race; Marik, a reptilian dragonborn Warlock, heir to an ancient and proud lineage, but inescapably bound to a pact granting him supernatural powers; Jaeran, an elven Cleric upon whom the gods have granted a measure of divine power as a reward for his faith; Luke, a cloaked half-elf Wizard of mysterious origin and arcane might; Syxia, a tiefling Rogue, dark daughter of a cursed bloodline, her ancestors given to the infernal worship of fiends; and Ur-Kadar, dragonborn Paladin of Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, a holy warrior dedicated to upholding the tenets of his faith and protecting the weak with his battle axe – returned to the town of Folkestone, their temporary base of operations, to rest, relax and prepare for their next quest.

Concerned about a possible ambush laid by those pursuing Syxia and bent on her abduction, Luke performed an arcane ritual and sent an animal messenger (a small sparrow) to the Wizard Neltharian, and asked if there was anyone either new in town or asking about Syxia or her whereabouts. Several hours later, an owl appeared with a reply from the Wizard: “Her guests have yet to arrive.” Encouraged by this information, the party entered the town through the eastern gate. They were headed to The Crested Cock, the inn and tavern that has served as their base of operations in Folkestone, when Jaeran noticed two men leaving Neltharian’s shop. One put up a cowl and hood before heading to the back of the shop, disappearing out of sight. The other went behind the building, but later emerged and headed for the town market, where he was able to seamlessly blend into the large crowd milling about the town square, making an effort to follow him all but impossible.

The party went inside Neltharian’s shop and asked him about these two men. Neltharian stated that they were merely looking for alchemical components. Never one to mince words, Barrack asked about Neltharian’s progress with the book that the party had previously retrieved for him from a Wizard’s tower, A Complete Guide to Gates and the Planes. Neltharian said that since he was focusing on learning more about closing planar gates, he had no new information concerning the whereabouts of the Lost Temple of Shar-Ngrond. Neltharian did ask them if they found what they were looking for at the Temple of the Red Crescent. Barrack replied that they did not. The party then told Neltharian that they would soon depart for the Crypt of Marzoth and Lucritica.

Ur-Kadar and Barrack went to check on the progress of the Shrine of Bahamut, and found that it was going quite well. Most of the party had already returned to The Crested Cock, but Syxia went to visit both the tailor and the leatherworker, where she placed orders for two custom corsets (a white satin one from the tailor, with pink garter tabs, laces and straps, and a midnight blue leather one from the leatherworker, with black tabs, laces and straps; matching panties were also ordered for both from the tailor) – which cost a small fortune – before she returned to the inn and immediately went to her room and took a long, hot bath and washed her long, dark blue hair before climbing into bed, exhausted.

After his visit to the shrine, rather than returning for ale at the inn, Barrack went to see Greven the Magistrate, who told him that there had been no signs of undead activity in or around Folkestone. Greven then asked the dwarf about where the party had been. Barrack told him that the party had assaulted the ruins of the Temple of Red Crescent. Greven demanded to know what the party found there and, in his usual manner, Barrack told him: “Dead lizardmen, although they weren’t like that when we arrived.” Barrack asked if there might be anything that the heroes could do for him or Lord Jessup, the ruler of Folkestone. In reply, Greven revealed that while trade with Dunwin and Carrowheel had opened up, there was a lack of goods coming from the infamous port of Inequity. He had dispatched two of his best scouts to investigate the trail, but he was open to the notion of getting back to the party should their assistance be required. Barrack then returned to the inn, where the innkeeper, Meldrick, stated that he would really like a giant crocodile to compliment the drake that was now proudly displayed over his mantle (having obviously heard that the party had slain a visejaw crocodile during the final battle against the lizardfolk chieftain). The minstrel Pendingle had many questions for the heroes and proudly announced that his work on their ballad continues.

The party slept in late the following morning. There was fierce debate about getting horses, but the group ultimately decided against it (in any event, only half of the party could even ride regular horses; the dwarf would need a pony, and the hulking dragonborn would need massive draft horses). On foot, the party set off. They travelled on the road for three days in the hope of seeing the scouts from Folkestone that Greven had told Barrack about, before deciding to cut back overland for the next two days. On the fifth day out from Folkestone, Jaeran spotted smoke in the distance, which he estimated to be perhaps three hours journey away. As the party carefully moved closer, the smoke eventually disappeared. Jaeran determined that they were very close to the source of the smoke, however.

Carefully scouting ahead, Syxia snuck up to the area and saw a mausoleum, as well as a small hobgoblin camp around the area. The party decided to attack with surprise. Syxia and Ur-Kadar went around one side of the building, while the others proceeded around the other side. As usual, Syxia (unable to restrain herself, as always) pressed forward, but did not realize that she was somehow heard by the hobgoblins. As she turned the corner of the mausoleum, she gave a yelp of surprise as she found herself face-to-face with two hobgoblin soldiers; a bugbear warrior also jumped out of the underbrush behind her. Syxia once again found herself in trouble, so Ur-Kadar rushed forth to hold off the hobgoblins while she focused on the bugbear, unleashing a blinding barrage of daggers to devastating effect.

Meanwhile, the other group members had also moved forward. Luke busied himself hurling scorching bursts; Marik’s halberd sliced through the air, landing crippling blows on his cursed enemies; Barrack’s hammer rung in rhythm; and Jaeran’s holy words carried through the air. The group quickly dispatched four goblin runners and multiple hobgoblin grunts. With those enemies eliminated, Luke rushed over to help Syxia in her battle against the bugbear.

In uncharacteristic fashion, Jaeran raced forward and around the corner of the mausoleum, only to be attacked by a bugbear strangler who had been lying in wait; the stealthy brute quickly grabbed him with a garrote and began strangling him. Barrack charged the bugbear and attacked, but the crafty goblinoid used Jaeran as a human shield, and Barrack’s war hammer slammed hard into Jaeran. Jaeran spent several rounds desperately trying to free himself from the bugbear’s grasp while slowly being strangled. He was finally able to use his divine power to command the bugbear to the ground; the monster released the Cleric from his grasp, and Jaeran staggered away, falling on his hands and knees and gasping for air. The hobgoblin commander and warcaster then charged into action. The warcaster used magical force attacks to push several party members about the battlefield while also attacking with his electrified quarterstaff. Marik teleported onto the top of the mausoleum, and brought his mighty halberd to bear upon the bugbear strangler, killing it before switching to his dreaded eldritch powers.

On the other side of the mausoleum, Ur-Kadar finished off two hobgoblin soldiers as the commander charged forth to attack him. The party members quickly found that the heavily-armored hobgoblins were certainly better trained and capable warriors than their goblin cousins; the hobgoblins also fought very well in pairs, owing to their martial discipline. Syxia, with help from Luke, finally finished off the bugbear that had attacked her; she then joined Ur-Kadar. While the hobgoblins made difficult enemies, they proved to be no match for the mighty Paladin and they were eventually bested, falling beneath his axe; the Paladin took a moment to catch his breath, wiping the black, ichor-like blood of the hobgoblins from his surcoat. While the party was obviously a bit rusty, and was clearly caught off-guard, they eventually won the battle and finished off the remaining hobgoblins. The party was exhausted from the lengthy combat, but decided to search the hobgoblin camp and the mausoleum before making a decision about where to camp for the night. A quick search of the area around the camp led the adventurers to believe that this group of goblins must simply have been a traveling warband. It also appeared as though the monsters were using the mausoleum as a place of storage, without knowing what was below. After a closer look at the floor of the mausoleum, the party discovered a large stone lid set into the floor that appeared to be held fast by a powerful arcane lock. The lock was intact, so the party decided to rest for the evening in order to regroup and refresh before venturing into the crypt.

The evening passed uneventfully and after the group awakened the next morning, they returned to the mausoleum. Luke studied the arcane lock, and came to the conclusion that while difficult, he thought that he could break it. With the help of Marik and Jaeran, he succeeded. The group lowered themselves down 30’ to a room that was 40’ by 40’ with doors on the north, east and south walls. The 20’ by 20’ area that they descend upon had a fiery eye emblazoned on the floor. An inscription was carved into the west wall:

Some try to hide, some try to cheat,
But time will show, we always will meet.
Try as you might, to guess my name.
I promise you'll know, when you I do claim.

The group pondered the riddle and quickly came up with the answer – Death. However, they were unsure if this was simply a warning or if it might be a key to be used later. Syxia searched for traps outside the 20’ x 20’ area the party was in and found nothing on the floors or walls. It was decided that the party would try the eastern door first. Syxia checked it for traps and, finding none, she opened the door and it exploded with in a massive blast of energy. Jaeran and Barrack were out of range, but the other four party members were hit by the blast. Fortunately, the damage was minor, and it did serve to raise the party’s vigilance. They then examined the door leading north. It was not locked and did not appear to be trapped. They proceed forward a few feet and came to another door. Again, this door was not locked (nor was it trapped), and the party cautiously pressed forward with Syxia in the lead, followed closely by Barrack.

As the party entered an octagonal room, they all saw an altar with two burning candles and small piles off to the right and left. Not everyone saw the same things: Jaeran, Barrack and Marik saw a golden scepter on the altar with piles of gold coins, while the others saw only a hunk of twisted old metal and piles of bones. A discussion ensued as to which of these visions – if either – was real. Ur-Kadar inspected the bones and noticed that they appeared to have been sharpened. The first thought of the party members was that the bones may turn into some sort of undead monster if anything in the room was disturbed. Luke used his mage hand power to move the scepter to him, fearing a trap if anyone moved toward the altar. When the scepter was touched, a trap was sprung. The illusion faded as the scepter was revealed to be merely a hunk of rusting metal; the door to the room also slammed shut. A powerful cyclone began blowing around the room, picking up the bones and making them into dangerous projectiles, although the center of the room was safe. The party pondered their options and decided that Syxia could likely open the door, with Marik’s assistance. However, the flying projectiles would almost certainly do them a great deal of damage and probably cause them to fail. Barrack and Ur-Kadar stepped forward to serve as shields against the barrage, allowing Syxia and Marik to focus on the door. It took over a full minute to force open the door, and Barrack and Ur-Kadar took substantial damage from the bone shards (but not enough to dissuade the powerful warriors from protecting their friends), but the party was free.

The party then tried the southern door, finding it locked. Syxia successfully picked it, and it opened into a 30’ x 45’ room with a large pit in the middle of the room, 15’ wide and approximately 30’ deep. When the party entered the room, Syxia, Ur-Kadar and Marik saw a small stone bridge extending across the pit, while the others did not. Again, a discussion about what was real – and what was illusory - then ensued. Barrack and Ur-Kadar threw some debris from the rocky floor over the bridge and watched the rocks fall into the pit below. Barrack also noticed that the edge of the pit had been sharpened (in order to cut any ropes). Syxia considered doing a running handspring vault across the chasm, but a different plan emerged. Barrack banged away at the edge of the pit in an effort to wake the dead and/or dull the sharpened edge to prevent any ropes the party used to lower themselves down from being cut. Then Barrack and Jaeran were lowered into the pit, wherein they found six skeletons, hidden by alcoves not visible from above, and combat ensued as the undead creatures struck. Syxia attempted to somersault gracefully into the pit using an acrobatic maneuver to significantly reduce any damage she might otherwise have taken from the fall (although she still ended up on her tight, shapely little ass). Marik and Luke blasted away as best they could from the top of the pit, before the Warlock teleported to the other side. The combat ended with the destruction of the skeletons. Those at the bottom noticed one more trap, in that the first 5’ of the opposite side of the pit had been dug out; if someone would have tried to jump across it, the area would have likely given way and they would have plummeted into the trap. Marik helped everyone in the pit up, and Luke, after tying a rope to his body, managed to jump across. The door on the far side was locked, but Syxia was able to pick it. The party then proceeded down a corridor and turned west to find another door.

The door was unlocked and led to a 20’ x 40’ room. Each person who entered the room noticed a large pile of gold and silver coins in the room. At first the group suspected that this was yet another illusion, but they soon realized that they were all seeing the same thing. Syxia and Jaeran carefully searched the floor, walls and ceiling for traps, but found none. Sensing a pattern, Barrack mentioned that the trap is probably under the pile of gold. However, the group was by this time hungry for treasure, and Syxia started by moving just one coin off the pile. The coin was real and there was no adverse effect. They party then decided to scoop up all of the coins, securing the treasure in sacks, belt pouches and backpacks. As they reached the bottom, they realized their mistake as a glyph of fire was revealed; the room exploded around the heroes as a huge fireball ignited. Syxia evaded most of the damage and her tiefling fire resistance helped to reduce the damage she took almost entirely. The others were not so lucky. Luke, in particular, reacted too slowly; the Wizard was instantly knocked unconscious, and his smoldering body hovered between life and death. However, a few quick words, intoning prayers of divine healing, from the Cleric roused and healed him. The party did net 300 gold pieces and 200 silver pieces for their efforts.

The door in the room was unlocked and led the adventurers to a 10’ x 40’ hallway. When the hallway was first revealed, it was dark but within seconds pillars of flame erupted from four cauldrons along the side of the passageway, lighting the hallway and revealing two undead foes. A skeletal legionnaire was first, and beyond this undead horror was a flaming skeleton, like the ones the heroes faced in the ruins of Stillthorn Keep. The hall was arranged as follows: the first set of fire pots, the large skeletal legionnaire, a second set of fire pots and finally the flaming skeleton. This presented a challenge, as the skeletal legionnaire could hold the defenders at bay while the flaming skeleton could punish the group with fiery blasts from afar. Syxia made a bold move and decided to engage the flaming skeleton. She rushed forward, springing a trap: one of the fiery pots exploded, creating a line of fire blocking the hallway. She pressed on and relied on her resistance to fire to keep her unscathed, and charged past the legionnaire (but in so doing, she drew an attack that wounded her slightly). She pressed on through the second set of exploding fire pots and attacked the flaming skeleton waiting beyond. Her attack hit with deadly precision, and she was able to throw the skeleton back in the direction from whence she came. In heroic fashion, she followed-up her initial assault with yet another one that hit home. While unconventional, the attack raised party morale and inflicted significant damage on the flaming skeleton. The rest of the party rushed the large skeleton and began hammering and slashing away at it. Barrack used his great strength and his shield to force the large skeleton into the fire, adding to the damage dealt to it by the other party members. Syxia’s fire resistance protected her as the skeleton’s fiery aura, which proved a significant problem for the dwarf weeks ago, had no adverse effect on her. Syxia finished off the skeleton by herself and the rest of the group finished the skeletal legionnaire. The group proceeded to the doorway and through the unlocked doors.

This set of doors led to a stairwell going down 10’ and ending in a small 10’ x 10’ room. A quick glance at the floor revealed a trap door. It was inspected for traps, and was found to be clean and unlocked. It was opened and a light source was dropped into the room below, revealing a 20’ x 40’ room with a large glass pillar inside. Barrack, Syxia and Ur-Kadar dropped into the room, about 12’ down, to investigate further. Syxia found a trap door with a lock on the other side of the room, while Barrack carefully examined the column. Inside the column looked to be several hundred gold coins and several keys; the column also appeared to contain a liquid of some kind. The group decided to have Syxia and Ur-Kadar climb back up to the small room and let Barrack, with ropes tied around him, break the column with his throwing hammers. As the column cracked and exploded, the group realized that they now had a problem. The column was connected to a large pool of water, probably the small pool they saw on the surface near the mausoleum. The water in the room began to quickly rise.

.

Realizing that this would probably mean that they could venture no further without something drastic happening, the party formulated a quick plan. Syxia stripped off her armor – as well as the rest of her clothing – surprisingly quickly, and the nubile devil-girl jumped into the water with Barrack, one of her sets of Thieves Tools wrapped carefully in a waterproof lining and held in her mouth; she left the rest of her equipment (including her clothes) in the charge of the party members who remained behind. They made their way over to the other side of the room, Barrack walking and Syxia swimming (with the dwarf’s head now fully underwater). Both realized that there was no way that they could find the keys, which were somewhere amid the coins now strewn across the floor of a room that was submerged completely underwater. Syxia stood on Barrack’s shoulders, and their combined height allowed her to barely reach the lock, which she then began to pick. It took many moments (and what time that passed surely seemed twice as long to the dwarf, even given his prodigious lung capacity), and the room was almost completely underwater when she finally succeeded. She opened the lock and popped her head through the trap door and gasped in surprise, as the first thing her golden eyes unfortunately saw was a glyph of lightning as it lit up blue and sent a massive bolt of energy through the water. She was grievously wounded, along with Barrack, but managed to maintain consciousness. With the trap door open, and the glyph spent, the others were able to swim between the two trap doors, and the party regrouped on the far side. However, the adventure had been so taxing that they decided to wait there, rest and heal their wounds. The other party members were so good as to return to Syxia all of her equipment and clothing, with one glaring deficiency – her cute, ruffled pink panties. Luke would only leer, and claimed that her panties must have been lost in the crossing. Non-plussed, Syxia donned her clothes (including what remained of her lingerie) and armor, and gathered up her equipment. She did not seem too terribly upset that she would now have to adventure on without panties – in fact, it would not be out of character if Syxia were revealed as something of an exhibitionist.

Jounal Entry #6

Journal – Session 6

Having explored an eldritch tower of high Wizardry, a party of five bold adventurers – Barrack, a plain-spoken dwarven Fighter, powerful wielder of the hammers favored by that strong and dour race; Marik, a reptilian dragonborn Warlock, heir to an ancient and proud lineage, inescapably bound to a pact granting him supernatural powers; Jaeran, an elven Cleric upon whom the gods have granted a measure of divine power as a reward for his faith; Luke, a mysterious half-elven Wizard, an expert in the arcane arts who carefully guards his unknown past; and Ur-Kadar, dragonborn Paladin of Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, a holy warrior dedicated to upholding the tenets of his faith and protecting the weak with his battle axe – returned to the town of Folkestone, their temporary base of operations, to rest, relax and prepare for their next quest.

Upon entering the town to no real fanfare, Ur-Kadar and Luke agreed to go and get their companion Syxia, the tiefling Rogue who had been placed under a form of “house arrest” by her companions for her attack on Fastieth, owner of the upscale inn The Gilded Lilly after the latter had provided information to a Rogue seeking information about her. The companions had learned that no less than two contracts had been placed on Syxia – one for her capture, the other for something worse involving The Devil’s Canvas, an infamous and feared assassin. The Paladin and Half-Elf discussed the end of Syxia’s punishment with Meldrick, the innkeeper of the Crested Cock, the inn and tavern serving as the adventurers’ base of operations in Folkestone. Syxia’s equipment was returned to her (along with the sincere apologies of Meldrick), and all was forgiven and forgotten. Syxia told her friends that she was able to discover very little while they were gone, owing to the nature of her confinement. The trio then set off for the shop of the Wizard Neltharian, where the rest of the companions already were questioning the old man.

Neltharian greeted Barrack warmly, and inquired as to where the other party members were, and expressed his hope that none of them had been hurt while on their quest. Barrack stated that the others had gone to retrieve Syxia and would join them shortly. Neltharian immediately asked for the book that the party had been commissioned to secure for him, A Complete Guide to Gates and the Planes. Barrack told the Wizard that the magical book was being carried by Luke, and that the party had some questions for Neltharian to answer before the mystical tome would be given to him.
Barrack, in his typical blunt and direct style, began to demand answers to a number of questions: “Whose tower did we steal from?” Neltharian explained that the tower was now officially the property of House Talnivarr (the Soltara-wide house dealing in all things magical and mystical), but he did not mention any past owner(s) of the tower.

In answer to the question, “Why was the tower abandoned?”, Neltharian answered that the Wizards there accidentally unleashed something they could not control. He further explained that the inhabitants of the tower were researching gates to other planes of existence and accidentally let something out that they should not have. They were unable to send the thing back from whence it came, but they were able to seal it into a room inside the tower. Neltharian did not indicate how he came by this information. Next, Barrack demanded to know why the Wizards of the tower researching gates and demons (although Neltharian had not mentioned demons, the party had fought demons in the tower). Neltharian merely stated that gates and planar connections are areas of arcana that are understudied, and the Wizards in the tower determined that further research was needed. However, they miscalculated, and almost wrought disaster.

Neltharian answered the question, “Why do you want the book?” in the following manner: “Because I believe that it remains the best current source of information on gates, the planes and planar connections, and I needs to know more about these topics.” Barrack suggested that the Wizard might use the book to summon demons himself, a charge the old Wizard absolutely denied. He claimed that he only required the knowledge contained in the book in order to increase his skill and knowledge for the purpose of closing – not opening – gates to other planes.

Under the relentless and pointed questioning of Barrack, Neltharian did admit that he was unable to find the book for himself because the area had been sealed, and he could not risk being discovered “borrowing” the book. When the party wondered aloud “What are the ramifications of us stealing the book?”, Neltharian asked if there had been a large construct guarding the door. The party confirmed that indeed, there had been. Neltharian asked if the construct had blinked at the party and, if so, how many times? The adventurers confirmed that it had blinked, three times. Neltharian then explained that there was therefore a chance that the House now had an image of their appearance. Neltharian asked the dwarf if the party had found something with the remains of the construct, and was told that the party had found a crystal (which the party was still carrying). “Smash it, smash it now. Then take the shattered remnants with you to wherever you are headed next and drop them off” was the cryptic advice of Neltharian. He further told them that the crystal can and should be destroyed because it possessed a specific magical signature that can be tracked by the House. (The party did this as they left town the next day).

Ur-Kadar, Luke and Syxia then arrived at the shop and were quickly brought up to speed by their friends and Neltharian. With a serious look on his face, the old Wizard forthrightly told Luke that he would likely never be able to join House Talnivarr, and that if the House ever discovered that Luke was involved in taking the book from the tower, he could be in serious trouble. As for the rest of the party, Neltharian seemed to believe that they were safe, although he did warn them that it was possible (but very unlikely) that the House could come looking for them. He did reassure the party when he stated that if the House was really keeping the tower under surveillance and were determined to keep people out, they would have greeted the party on the way out of the tower. Several party members were puzzled and/or angry at these developments, and asked Neltharian “Why shouldn’t we just go to the House and tell them that you had us steal the book?” While Neltharian admitted that it was an excellent question, he made it clear that the facts were the facts, i.e., the party did, in fact, steal the book. He also assured them that they need him to have the book. Neltharian told the party that the Wizard Janglemere, an acquaintance of his, had written the book years before; Neltharian indicated that he had not seen him in a long time.

The party had many other questions for Neltharian, and he seemed willing (if not eager) to answer these many queries. When asked, “Are the head in the box and the book connected?”, Neltharian stated that these two things are possibly linked, but he was unsure of the nature of the link (if indeed there was a link between the two at all).

He was also asked about the Temple of Shar-Ngrond. The actual location of the infamous Temple remains lost. It is rumored to be an area of great magical power and might, a nexus of the planes. Neltharian went on to explain that throughout Soltara, there are places where certain connections to other worlds are much stronger; in some of these places, planar gates are easier to open than would otherwise be the case; these places of eldritch power also allow certain entities and things to enter into Soltara through gates opened or otherwise located there; it is also said that these gates can be sustained for much longer than is usually the case.

Neltharian also related to the party a terrible tale of woe: nearly 2,000 years ago (the 2,000 year anniversary will fall in less than three years), several gates were opened, and a great horde of demons was unleashed; these fiends ravaged the land, destroying most of Soltara. It has taken the world an extremely long time to recover from this demonic assault. Neltharian confided in the party his fear that a cult is planning to reopen these gates in an attempt to summon the demon lord Orcus, freeing him from his otherwordly prison. In exchange, these cultists expect a great deal of power to be granted to them by Orcus.

In his usually rude and gruff style, Barrack rounded on Syxia and demanded to know – on the spot – whether or not she was still a pure virgin. After the initial shock wore off, and with much indignation, she admitted that she was (although this meant that a large measure of the effects of her banter and mystique were now gone forever, at least among the members of the party). In making this admission, Syxia was deeply embarrassed, and became very fidgety and averted her eyes from everyone present. All of the party members now seemed convinced that her marriage to the horrible tiefling Warlord that had been planned by her father (and which she had thwarted by running away before the wedding, provoking an inter-tiefling conflict) was likely nothing but a sinister scheme by the underworld realm of the tieflings to join in the plot to free Orcus by means of a virgin sacrifice.

While Syxia was still deeply embarrassed by Barrack’s forced interrogation, even she had to admit that nothing could be put beyond the wicked tieflings, even the sacrifice of a beautiful, buxom bride like her (although she could never, ever see how a husband could allow such a thing, considering it was *her* they were talking about – and seeing as how she would look absolutely stunning and enchanting as a bride in the dress her father had allowed her to buy (for thousands of gold pieces), such that everyone would be mesmerized by her beauty, and couldn’t even think of hurting her). None of the party members’ suspicions were allayed by Neltharian, who enlightened them concerning the shadowy realm of the tieflings as best he could – the descendants of the ruling nobles of an ancient empire who had worshipped and trafficked with demonic fiends. The tieflings see themselves as superior to all other races, and long for their return to domination, ruling over all other races who would be the tieflings’ servants and slaves. In the meantime, as they dream of their eventual return to power ruling in the name of their dark and infernal masters, they conduct themselves on the fringes of human society, dealing little with the outside world; but in their secluded manor houses and fortresses, they live on as if they had always remained in power, with the various noble houses each trying to out-do their rivals in terms of wealth, influence and power. Behind the scenes, the secret realm of the tieflings does indeed influence the wider, outer world, although very few know of this secret.

Syxia’s arranged marriage would have secured wealth, power and influence for both her father’s house of Thantos, as well as that of her would-be husband, a Warlord of noble lineage claiming considerable might and prestige. By fleeing from this arranged marriage, Syxia had enraged both houses, and set both against her (and against each other) – while her life in her father’s important, influential and wealthy manor house was miserable (she was treated as little more than a slave or servant to her 12 brothers and her father; although tiefling females are considered by the males to be so far above other races as to be royal and noble, they are still only worthy to be little more than the servants, slaves and/or sexual playthings of male tieflings), she had gained some measure of respect and freedom after her father had arranged her marriage to the elderly Warlord, even given her half-human lineage (her human mother, taken in marriage by her tiefling father out of lust only, had been killed by her father in a fit of rage several years before). As the time for her impending marriage approached, although pretending to love and respect her father, Syxia planned her escape, and fled the night before her wedding, leaving both families to wonder whether she had run away, been abducted or whether there was some other reason for her disappearance. Hence the two contracts placed by House DeNethryn on her (and she doesn’t know who wants her back – her father or her would-be husband – and who wants a more terrible fate to befall her).

The party then pressed Neltharian concerning how the Wizard was charged with stopping the opening of gates and the freeing of Orcus. He replied that he was a member of the Order of Candrical, and had sworn an oath to be a force for good in Soltara. Barrack demanded further information on Candrical, which Syxia once again dismissed as a myth or fairytale – some sort of magical realm that is rumored to be the force behind all good magic. In his typical manner, Barrack brushed her explanation aside, and turned the conversation to another issue; he asked Neltharian if the Wizard thought that there was a possible connection between the severed head in the box and A Complete Guide to Gates and the Planes? Neltharian admitted that he believed that Tathairn (the dead man) was looking for, or possibly found, the Lost Temple.

Neltharian also told the party that when he left a few weeks ago, he did so to consult with the Masters of his Order (a group of seven powerful individuals who direct the activities of the Order of Candrical); the Masters of the Order believed that is what Tathairn was indeed looking for. The Wizard went further, and explained that the Order is different from what one might expect, as it is a loose affiliation of people of different races and skills spread out all over Soltara. While the Masters know each others’ identities and direct the activities (and recruitment) of the Order, most of the members know very little about the identities or activities of their fellow Order members; this serves to protect information, as well as the lives and safety of other members. In any event, Neltharian wished the adventurers to know that the Order is not a central organization giving directions to its members.

Neltharian could not state with certainty why the head of Tathairn was sent back to Folkestone. In fact, he was not entirely sure that the contents of the box that the party had delivered were meant for someone in Folkestone at all. It was possible that it was going to someone in the town who would in turn take it to the port of Inequity – one will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy – or to a ship waiting there. It was also possible that the contents of the box were also meant to be a message to Neltharian.

Barrack continued his interrogation of Neltharian, asking “Why are you in Folkestone?” He answered that he was in Folkestone because the place allows him to carry out his work without many questions and, more importantly, he believes that the Lost Temple of Shar-Ngrond is somewhere relatively close to the town. Remembering another potential lead, the party asked Neltharian if the Temple of the Red Crescent could somehow be connected to the Lost Temple, and about the possibility that an extra-planar gate could be found there. Neltharian stated that he had not been there for some time, but he clearly felt that there was no connection whatsoever between the Temple of the Red Crescent and the plot to open gates; he further stated that there should not be a gate there. He also provided some additional background material on the Temple of the Red Crescent itself - the founding of the Temple dates back over 1,000 years to a time before the lake rose and created the trackless marshes and fetid swamps surrounding the place. It was a pagan temple to a long forgotten god, and rumors persist that it was built over the ruins of an older, pre-human settlement.

The party then turned their attention to the haunted box recovered from the Wizards’ tower, which Luke produced from beneath his robes. The party wanted Neltharian to tell them everything he knew about the ghastly, ghostly extremity. Neltharian looked long and hard at the note, and asked if anyone had opened it. Luke indicated that he had indeed opened the box. Neltharian asked “Did the hand escape?” Luke answered, “Yes, but we were able to get it back in the box.” Neltharian seemed pleased with this response; the party then related to him how Luke was possessed by the thing, and how he had attacked the party before he was able to muster enough inner strength and willpower to expel the hand. Neltharian then told the party that the ghostly hand belonged to Ven-Ghol, a powerful necromancer who lived some 400 years ago; he was associated with Marzoth and his wife Lucritica. The hand is said to possess the power to dominate anyone it touches - it is rumored to have the ability to take over a person’s body, and in so doing return Ven-Ghol to the realm of the living. Neltharian told the adventurers that the hand was a powerful, evil artifact; if the House noticed anything missing, it will surely be the Hand of Ven-Ghol.

The party was concerned about the hand, and asked if they should take it to the priest of the temple of Pelor in Folkestone, Father Corus, to see if the Cleric could destroy it. Neltharian ruled out such a course of action, stating that the artifact would be far too powerful for Father Corus to deal with. In any event, Neltharian reminded everyone that neither he, nor the party, wants the fact that they recovered the hand to get out – to anyone, even a trusted Cleric. Luke asked Neltharian to take the hand, which he agreed to do, in order to consult with the Order about how to destroy it.

Luke then confronted Neltharian, telling him that the price for the book had gone up. Neltharian replied that he and the party had an arrangement. He reminded them that he had warned them that there were complications, that the party could deal with them and that he had asked the party to name the price at that time. He pointed out that he had been correct in his assessment that the party could deal with the complications and successfully return the book. For the first time, Neltharian looked upset. He asked what the party wanted in return for the book, and stated that he had met every one of the requests, reminding everyone “That was our deal!”

A clearly angry Luke told Neltharian that he should have told him that he would have to abandon the House, and that it wasn’t fair that Neltharian had kept this crucial piece of information from him when sending him on the quest for the book. Ignoring Luke’s anger, Neltharian told the young half-elf Wizard that he should thank him, “For while I have closed one door, I am opening up another that is much more beneficial to you.” Far from satisfied by this cryptic exchange, Luke told Neltharian that he needed one more thing, the ritual components to send an Animal Messenger. Neltharian agreed, and did not ask about why Luke needed the components or about the message he would be sending (or to whom). It was obvious to those present that there is a trust between the two Wizards that does not go both ways.

With that, the party left Neltharian’s shop and returned to the tavern room of the Crested Cock, where they discussed their next plan of action. It was decided that they would go next to the Temple of the Red Crescent via the surrounding hills, and then cut across the swamp instead of going straight through its dangerous and dismal reaches. The journey was largely uneventful, although both Ur-Kadar and Luke succumbed to Swamp Fever. Both were healed by the ministrations of Jaeran.

As the party stumbled through the mire of the swamp, they happened upon an outer ruin of the larger temple complex. Moving closer through the dense undergrowth, the could see a religious ceremony of some kind taking place on a makeshift altar, where a Lizardfolk shaman was preparing to sacrifice a Bullywug. Blasting forth magical energies, Luke struck with surprise, and slew the Bullywug before the foul ritual could be completed, and a furious battle ensued. Issuing from the small ruin were a Blackscale Bruiser, the shaman, four Lizardfolk warriors, several minions and two darters with blowguns (who remained hidden until they struck with ruthless accuracy). Syxia and Jaeran moved to the right, and Syxia unleashed a Blinding Barrage of daggers, sending the thick, black blood of the Lizardfolk warriors streaming into their eyes, blinding them. In the meantime, Barrack, Ur-Kadar and Marik had moved against the rest of the Lizardfolk and quickly dispatched them, even after a giant lizard had joined the fray. The party could see the main temple rising from the festering swamplands a short distance away.

The party quickly, but carefully, advanced to the main Temple area. At the top of the temple they saw a shaman, as well as two hulking Blackscale Bruisers and two Lizardfolk warriors guarding the base of the temple. There were also a horde of Lizardfolk whelps (minions) and two more darters, who used their deadly blowgun darts to crippling effect. While their needles struck the hearty dwarf multiple times he was able to fight off the effects of the poison. However, the poison was particularly effective against Ur-Kadar and the mighty dragonborn was afflicted for many rounds of combat. The party moved forward, using a large fallen column as cover. Marik teleported on top of a standing column, only to have a Blackscale Bruiser charge and try to topple it. Syxia did a running handspring to launch herself onto a fallen column alongside the Warlock. The party concentrated its attacks on one of the Blackscale Bruisers who had been cursed by Marik; when the brute fell, Marik was able to teleport away. The party then charged the temple, and fought their way up a narrow staircase that was slick with blood and slime. Barrack shoved one Lizardfolk off, and Syxia was shoved off of a lower tier of the pyramid by a Lizardfolk warrior. Jaeran seemed to be particularly effective so far this day. Whether the product of divine favor or simple luck, his effectiveness was without question. After a fierce battle in which Barrack and Ur-Kadar were affected by the deadly poison of the darters, the shaman and a Lizardfolk warrior were taken prisoner. In the Draconic language, the dragonborn questioned the shaman, who told them to beware a trap below (where the levels meet; it was a falling rock trap) and warned the party that there are as many or more Lizardfolk below, as well as the powerful chieftain of the tribe. The shaman also indicated that parts of the dungeons were excavated by the tribe, while the older portions of the underworld maze dated back to the founding of the Temple (if not before, to its pre-human origins, cloaked in mystery and shrouded in secrecy).

Syxia took her customary place in front as a scout as the party descended the steeply-pitched stairs into the bowels of the Temple – a ghastly smell issued forth from the lightless depths of the underground complex, as the party members tried to keep their balance on the muck-covered, ancient stone steps, which were slick and covered with glistening slime. Going to the east, the party stopped at a large drop-off, nearly 30’ down; beyond this steep underground cliff, a lightless underground lake could be seen, still and black. Doubling back, the party found a large room with many Lizardfolk whelps, who fled. Splitting up, the party chased the whelps, and killed several of them before they entered a hallway that split. Beyond this area, the whelps had staged an ambush there, but it went very badly for the minions. The whelps eliminated, the party proceed down a narrow corridor that led to a huge room containing a horde of Lizardfolk.

Inside the room were the Lizardfolk chief, the head shaman of the tribe, four Blackscale Bruisers, a huge constrictor snake, six Lizardfolk warriors and countless whelps. At first only a few charged the party, including two Blackscale Bruisers. The party was puzzled by this development, but thought that the trap that the shaman had warned them about might be further back in the room, barring the others from joining the fight. At a Command from Jaeran, a number of Lizardfolk lumbered forward, forced as they were by the Cleric’s magical compulsion. The trap they had expected did not spring (as there was no trap there), and the party resolved themselves to the fact that a battle would ensue. As the fight was joined, a titanic roar and a massive upheaval of water from a barely-noticed pool to the south of the room announced a Visejaw Crocodile, which advanced on Luke. The Lizardfolk rushed to meet Barrack and Ur-Kadar. The two defenders struggled but were very effective in creating a defensive line to keep attackers off of the wizard and cleric. The cleric’s good fortune continued and it seemed most of his attacks found their mark, often in critical areas.

As the Visejaw Crocodile attempted to swallow Luke, Syxia rushed to his aid. Although the beast knocked her down and attempted to kill her, she was able to use a cunning attack that bewildered the crocodile, allowing her to vault onto and run along its back, forcing it to change positions with her as she slid home her magical sword. The beast roared and attacked, but Syxia’s acrobatic move allowed Luke time to escape and concentrate his attacks where they were needed; he began hurling blasts of magical energy at targets around the cavern. The crocodile was soon dispatched, and Syxia turned her attention to the area where Ur-Kadar and Barrack were locked in mortal combat with the Blackscale Bruisers. After these threats were eliminated, the shaman and the Lizardfolk chief remained. The shaman used his staff to blast magical energy throughout the cavern, and the chieftain was a formidable warrior. Like the Blackscale Bruisers, he used his powerful tail to knock the party members prone before pressing his attacks. Eventually, under the concerted and coordinated attacks of the party, the chief and the shaman were slain, and the victors slumped to rest and recover in victory.

The party found themselves pushed to the limit; virtually everyone exhausted the full range of his or her powers, as well as nearly all of the healing available to them, either from their own inner resources or from the divine assistance provided by Jaeran (which proved valuable and accessible, even in the hellish depths of the swamp temple). Magical potions were used by Barrack and Syxia. The Lizardfolk chieftain’s armor was taken (+1 Delver’s Plate), and a store of other magical items was discovered as well (including +1 Leather Armor, a +1 Dagger, and the magical staff of the shaman, a +1 Staff). In addition, treasure was recovered that brought the party an additional 480 gold pieces in value.

Jounal Entry #5

Journal – Session 5

Having explored the ruins of Stillthorn Keep, an abandoned, ancient and crumbling fortress, a party of five bold adventurers – Barrack, a plain-spoken dwarven Fighter, powerful wielder of the hammers favored by that strong and dour race; Marik, a reptilian dragonborn Warlock, heir to an ancient and proud lineage, but inescapably bound to a pact granting him supernatural powers; Jaeran, an elven Cleric upon whom the gods have granted a measure of divine power as a reward for his faith; Syxia, a tiefling Rogue, dark daughter of a cursed bloodline, her ancestors given to the infernal worship of fiends; and Ur-Kadar, dragonborn Paladin of Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, a holy warrior dedicated to upholding the tenets of his faith and protecting the weak with his battle axe – returned to the town of Folkestone, their temporary base of operations, to rest, relax and prepare for their next quest.

Remembering that they had received a message from the Wizard Neltharian to meet him in his small and crowded shop, Neltharian’s Necessities, the party thought it best to seek the Wizard out before doing anything else. This action was deemed necessary as Neltharian had proven himself a wise counselor to the party; he also seemed to be at the center of at least one mysterious circumstance – the party had been part of a trade caravan traveling to Folkestone from the city of Dunwin, and one of the items the caravan had been carrying was a locked box in which was a severed head, along with a ceremonial knife and an amulet. When shown these items, Neltharian’s reaction led the party to believe that he knew something about either the identity of the dead man and/or the other items.

The morning after their arrival back in Folkestone, the party decided to meet Neltharian at his shop. When Syxia did not meet up with her companions in the common room at the Crested Cock at the appointed time, it was simply understood by all that she was sleeping in, and could be expected to rise sometime around Noon, as is her wont (and dealing with the aftermath of disturbing Syxia’s “beauty sleep” was not a prospect anyone – even a grizzled, veteran dwarven Fighter – looked forward to). The party decided to meet the Wizard without her, and as their meeting with Neltharian began, the old Wizard asked someone to come out of the back room. Luke, a half-elven Wizard, appeared and introduced himself to the party. Neltharian explained that with the loss of Tolinyr (an eladrin Wizard who had traveled with the party from Dunwin, and who had shared in their early adventures), he believed that Luke would make a valuable addition to the party. Typically, Barrack disregarded the introduction (and the young Wizard) and jumped into a series of questions surrounding what, if anything, Neltharian had discovered about the box since the party had last met with him. Neltharian meandered around the question, after his usual practice, but the dwarf’s persistence finally caused Neltharian to open up to the adventurers. The old Wizard explained that he was able to find out some information, but that other things still remained a mystery to him. He stated the he did not know why the man was killed, or why his head was sent to Folkestone; but he did find out that the man was engaged in an investigation or search of some type and must have either stumbled onto or discovered something he was not supposed to have learned or seen. Just what Neltharian thought that the deceased man had discovered was not revealed.

Neltharian then deftly deflected the conversation by presenting the party with a request. He indicated that he needed the party to retrieve a specific book for him, A Complete Guide to Gates and the Planes, from a tower south of Folkestone. The Wizard indicated that he would go and retrieve the Guide himself, but he was very busy at the moment; he also cited certain “complications” that he preferred not to dwell on. He was, however, convinced that the party would have no problem retrieving the item. In turn, the party asked what Neltharian could do to assist them with the dangerous mission ahead. He asked the party what they believed that they would need, and the group offered little in the way of suggestions (disregarding Syxia’s request that someone pick up a Vorpal Short Sword and “cute, tight” magical Leather Armor “that doesn’t make [her] look fat” for her). Jaeran, however, boldly asked if he could obtain two ritual scrolls (Endure Elements and Explorer’s Fire) to transcribe into his ritual book; the Wizard granted his request. Barrack explained that the dwarven smith Gimmar was making a set of plate armor for him, and inquired as to Neltharian’s ability to add additional strength to the armor. Neltharian agreed to this request, and then waved the party off to retrieve the book.

Before taking their leave of the Wizard, Jaeran presented Neltharian with the story of the undead in the graveyard and the Deathlock Wight’s mention of “The Animator”. The party expressed some concern, and their desire to protect the town and destroy the threat. Neltharian seemed to ponder the name, but he did not have any additional information. Instead, he suggested that the party investigate two possible leads. The first was the Crypt of Marzoth, located in the wild borderlands south of Folkestone. Centuries ago, Marzoth was a powerful landowner who was rumored to have practiced the dark arts. The second piece of information concerned the location of an ancient temple in the trackless swamps to the east of Folkestone. Neltharian referred to it as the Temple of the Red Crescent. The temple also dated back centuries, to a time before Gossamer Lake rose and created the swamps. However, the party decided to make for the Tower and retrieve the book first. No one seemed to mind that Syxia didn’t get to vote on the issue.

As the party stepped out of Neltharian’s shop with Luke now in tow, they were greeted by Ravil DelTorin, Captain of the Guard, and twelve of his soldiers. The soldiers were armed, but their weapons were not drawn. Ravil informed the party that they had been summoned to meet with Lord Jessup. Ravil asked why the “she-devil” wasn't with the party and the party told him that she was still sleeping and could be found at the Crested Cock. He dispatched five of his men to rouse her and bring her to the meeting before Lord Jessup.

Proceeding directly to the Crested Cock, Belandor, the Corporal of the Guard, demanded that the innkeeper, Meldrick, identify Syxia’s room. Meldrick was very concerned about armed soldiers bursting into rooms in his establishment, so he offered the soldiers ale and stated that he would summon Syxia himself. He immediately went upstairs, and after banging on her door for several minutes, a glaring and barely awake Syxia flung open the door. While she didn’t make out much of Meldrick’s hurried message, Syxia definitely heard something about “soldiers waiting for her downstairs.” At the time, she could only think “OMG! I just woke up – I have to get ready!” She gently shoved Meldrick on his way, and told him to tell her admirers that she would be down in a minute. After 20 minutes had passed, the Corporal of the Guard grew very impatient, and demanded that Meldrick either produce Syxia or allow him and his men to go and get her. Nervously, Meldrick said he would fetch her. He again had to pound on the door for some time, before an exasperated Syxia appeared, told him that her hair and make-up were almost ready, and that he should tell the soldiers that it would be a few more minutes. Unable to make headway, Meldrick was once again pushed into the corridor. Meldrick dreaded his walk downstairs, but found the Guard Corporal to be resigned, rather than angry. “So be it,” he stated and once more demanded the location of Syxia’s room from Meldrick, who instantly gave it. He motioned for two of his men to come with him upstairs. He pounded loudly on Syxia’s door [as she was changing for the third time], and she soon flung the door open, expecting Meldrick, shouting with infernal wrath “WHAT – ” as she found herself staring at the breastplate of the Guard Corporal, before looking a foot or so up into his face, as her “– is it, now?” trailed off weakly and she felt weak in the knees. Quickly recovering, she tossed her hair and asked “Um, would you like to come in?”, doing her best eyelash-batting in an attempt to flirt with the towering, chiseled Guard Corporal. He politely refused, waved his hand to indicate the two guardsmen behind him in the hallway, and told her matter-of-factly that she was being summoned to an audience before Lord Jessup. Syxia instantly knew what this was about. She figured that there were other guards downstairs, as well as the three outside her room. “Could I maybe have just one more little minute?” she asked, a plan forming. “No,” was the reply of the hulking Corporal. “Well, I’m not going!” fumed Syxia. Anticipating this, the Corporal merely shrugged, and explained that this could be done “the easy way or the hard way.” The easy way, of course, would mean that Syxia would merely accompany the guardsmen to the Keep. He also described the hard way for Syxia’s decision-making benefit: she would be bound, gagged and thrown over the Corporal’s shoulder and carried to the Keep. One of his men leered and stepped forward as the Corporal spoke, and Syxia could see that he had several coils of silk rope, as well as other devices with which to restrain and silence her. Recognizing the hopeless odds (although not necessarily being averse to being tied up and carried off by the handsome Guard Corporal), Syxia relented and agreed to accompany her armed escort. Meldrick had overheard the conversation, and breathed a quiet prayer of thanksgiving to Erathis that yet another scene involving Syxia had not developed in his inn.

When the party arrived at the Keep, Syxia was not yet there, but she arrived a short time thereafter. Her initial resigned submission had by then worn off, and she was carried in, kicking, screaming and biting, by five guards, two of whom were preparing to tie her up. The party could tell that Syxia wasn't too happy because they interrupted her sleep. As the guardsmen finished unspooling the silk ropes and preparing a number of intimidating leather restraints for use as well, Syxia claimed that she didn't appreciate the rough treatment she had received at the hands of the soldiers; she also claimed inappropriate touching by the guards. Everyone knew that this was false (and that she would have likely invited such attention, rather than complain about it), but it was abundantly clear that she really didn't like being dragged to a meeting. She threw off the guards holding her arms, strode to the middle of the hall and stood proudly before Jessup, glaring at everyone; she very nearly stated “I am Drusanasyxia Nadia Thantos, and my father is a far more powerful and wealthy lord than you are, or ever will be!” but at the last moment felt that making such a statement might not be the best idea, especially considering that she hated her father – there also remains the inconvenient fact that her father was apparently behind one of the plots to either abduct or kill her, to say nothing of the fact that Jessup was already angry with her.

Jessup questioned the party after angrily commanding Syxia to be silent. She knew what would happen if she continued her outburst (and didn’t get a warm-and-fuzzy feeling that her companions would come to her rescue if she were, in fact, physically restrained by Jessup’s soldiers), so she meekly submitted to Jessup’s command, chastised and staring at the floor throughout the audience as two soldiers grabbed her arms and pulled her back – she did not resist. The guards preparing to bind her ceased their preparations, but did not yet put away the restraints meant for Syxia, their eyes moving between Jessup and Syxia, waiting for a command. Jaeran stepped forth and explained that Syxia only pulled the knife because she felt threatened by a rogue now known to everyone as Cadrick, and wanted Fastieth, innkeeper of the Gilded Lilly, to give her as much information as she could, given that her freedom, if not her life, might be in danger. Fastieth, who wasn't there, didn't provide any information contradicting the Cleric’s version of events, so Jessup and Greven the Magistrate decided to give the party a stern warning rather than some form of punishment. He did, however, point to Barrack and Ur-Kadar and sternly declared that the “she-devil is your responsibility to control” (and had Syxia been in a better mood, she may well have winked at the leering guardsman and/or the Corporal at that point) and noted that should she pull a knife on one of the town's citizens without provocation again, the party would be banished from Folkestone. Jessup gave a mean look to Syxia, who still was not looking up or resisting in any way. Feeling they had to respond in some way, the party decided to put Syxia under “house arrest” and confined her to her room at the Crested Cock; they paid Meldrick to make sure that she stayed there but was otherwise fine. Without complaint and on the verge of tears, and not speaking a word to anyone (she was still deeply embarrassed about what had happened to her in front of her friends), Syxia meekly turned over all of her equipment to Meldrick for safe-keeping – even her armor and her Thieves Tools (although she didn’t bother to tell anyone that she still had a very well-hidden set of Thieves Tools in her room; she also kept her Vicious Short Sword, “You know, for protection or something”.)
Meldrick was true to his word, and Syxia remained locked in her room while the party was gone, only being let out to go down to the common room for meals – she was not angry at Meldrick, or even the party: she was angry at herself. She was disappointed that she didn’t see the Guard Corporal during the time the party was gone, though – she could have used some fun, as she was confined to her room; she could think of plenty of things to do in there, of course, but she needed a playmate. This period of confinement was not a total loss, as Syxia used all of her powers of perception and persuasion to pick up what information she could. Mostly, though, she just played with her hair and make-up. And slept. Really late (and dreamed about things that are no one else’s business!)

As for the rest of the party, now joined by Luke, the journey to find the lost Wizard’s tower took three days, and was uneventful. The group approached the place and watched the tower for some time before advancing to the main door. As the party got closer, they could see that the tower was actually three towers. While all three towers rose nearly 30 feet from the ground, they were built into the side of a rock formation that extended 20 feet below the surface. The three towers were not of the same circumference, with the tower on the right being the smallest and the one on the left being the largest. There was also a small stream that appeared to flow from underneath the largest tower. As the party approached the only entrance, a magic mouth appeared and stated, “This structured has been closed by order of House Talnivarr. Entrance is forbidden and trespassers will be dealt with harshly.” Ignoring the warning, the group continued forward to the door and found that it had no handle to open it. Instead, a magical parchment appeared, affixed to the door. The parchment was inscribed with three triangles, each with four circles to each side. Inside the triangles was a mathematical clue. Inside the first triangle was “x=Σ of the first four primes”, while the second triangle read “y=x+3” and the third read “z=y+3”. Below the triangles were the numbers 1 - 9. The party determined that this was some kind of puzzle or a type of combination lock.

Luke started by touching the number three and then touching one of the circles on the left triangle. To the surprise of the party, the number disappeared from the list below and then reappeared in the circle Luke touched. Further experimentation revealed that the numbers only moved from the list to the triangle on the left. The next step was to solve the first text. The group assumed that the word “primes” indicated prime numbers. Luke began by stating that the first four prime numbers are 1, 2, 3 and 5, so that the total is 11, making the second triangle 14 and the third 17. The group then tried to figure out how the 9 numbers below could be worked into the triangle and related to the number 11. Marik, recipient of the robust education common among dragonborn, doubted the accuracy of Luke’s assessment and doubted that the number 1 was a prime number. He stated such, but the group’s efforts returned to solving for 11. Marik continued to work on his own toward a different goal, with the number 17 (2, 3, 5 and 7). The group continued to grind away at a solution that refused to present itself. After considerable time, Marik had devised a solution. Using the number 17, he arranged all 9 numbers on the first triangle so that each side adds to 17. Sensing his fellow dragonborn was correct, Ur-Kadar quickly assembled the second triangle so that the numbers on each side totaled 20, while Barrack put together the solution to the third triangle. With the third and final triangle complete, the parchment faded and the door opened. The group congratulated Marik on his success, and prepared to invade the ruins.

The group entered the forbidding, ruined structure with Jaeran leading the way. The elf noticed four arrow slits on each side of a 20’ long corridor; he also noted pressure plates on the floor. At the end of the hall was a door. Summoning arcane magical energies, Luke used his Mage Hand power to push down on the floor, causing magical bolts of energy to fly from each side of the wall. He then used the cantrip to push on the far door - it was indeed locked. In the meantime, Jaeran’s keen elven sight discovered a panel on the right side that looked as though it might be able to disable the trap. Lacking Syxia’s stealth and experience, Marik tried in vain to disable the device; the control panel exploded, singeing the hulking dragonborn Warlock. He tried to repair the panel, but this attempt also failed. With no apparent way to shut down the trap, and the door at the other end locked (and apparently shielded against magical attacks), the party decided to rush the door and smash it down. Ur-Kadar hurtled down the corridor despite being hit by bolts of energy, and smashed into the door. The door splintered, but did not give. Barrack observed that Marik might wish to redeem himself, following the trap-mishandling fiasco, so the Warlock followed Ur-Kadar. Taking damage from the trap, the massive dragonborn smashed through the door. Ready for action and what might lie ahead, Barrack quickly entered the room beyond, leading the way for the rest of the party.

As they turned to examine the new room, the party noticed a large wooden and metal construct staring at them from 15’ away. The large golem began to blink rhythmically as if awaiting a response. Someone shouted out that “We were sent by a member of the House” before the guardian trundled into action. Reacting quickly, the party also moved into action, and Barrack and Ur-Kadar advanced on the monstrosity. Most of the attacks by the party members either glanced off the brute, or missed entirely. The lone exception was the Paladin, whose heavy axe continued to hack away at his animated enemy. The guardian’s fists continued to punish the two defenders, inflicting significant damage. Recognizing the damage coming from its right, the golem reached down and grabbed the Paladin in its mighty fist. Failing to break free, Ur-Kadar was launched across the room, landing flat on his back. Undeterred, he immediately returned to the fray. The party redoubled their efforts and they began landing consecutive damaging blows. The construct returned the favor by grappling the dwarf and tossing him as well. In the end, however, the party proved too much for the brute, and it collapsed with a deafening clang and fell to pieces. An inspection of the remains of the golem revealed a crystal shard (worth 25 gp). With their enemy defeated, the party tried the north door and found that it led to an ancient, eldritch library. A closer examination revealed a ritual book containing the Arcane Lock ritual, but not the book they had been sent to retrieve. The party kept the book (to transcribe for later use). Ur-Kadar found a secret door that led to a stairway up.

The party ascended to a hallway containing two sets of stairs leading back down. A quick reconnaissance of the stairs revealed that they led to two small, cavernous rooms that contained 4 magical crossbows pointing out of arrow slits. After disabling the trap, the party returned back to the 2nd level of the tower. They continued down a corridor and around to a diagonal hallway that led to a small, square room that appeared to be a dead end. While curious about the dead end, the group decided to double back and check the southwest door. Entering an oddly shaped room, they found a door leading to the east and another to the south. The door to the east was locked, and Marik proved unable to open it. Despite the party’s best attempts, including a physical and magical assault, the door held fast. Jaeran relied on his insight, and urged caution; he suggested that the party leave the door and proceed down another path. Luke used a cantrip to turn the door frame red so that they would remember not to bother with the door. The door leading to the south opened into a relatively square room with a large, square brick structure in the middle of the room, next to a spiral staircase. Barrack touched the brick, and reported that it felt warm to the touch, even to his rough, calloused, dwarven hands. He instantly surmised that this was a chimney, given the knowledge of the dwarves concerning things subterranean and craft-related. At this point, the party decided to return to the lower level, in order to investigate it completely.

The only notable items that remained on the entry level were a fireplace in the center of the largest tower, and a room directly west of it. The fireplace provided a great deal of heat but did not appear to consume any fuel or produce any ash. Barrack looked into the fire and noticed that there appeared to be a small glowing gem towards the back of the furnace. Luke used a force cantrip to pull the gem out of the fire. While it was warm to the touch, it was not hot. Barrack mentioned that the party should be on the lookout for stones that match the elements. The room to the west appeared to be a laboratory used to brew potions. There were beakers, flasks, tables and measuring instruments in the room, as well as a large stove. After careful examination, the party discovered three magical elixirs. One was identified as a Potion of Healing (given to Ur-Kadar), while the other two were not easily distinguished. They were later determined to be a Potion of Strength (claimed by Barrack) and a vial of Poison.

The party then proceeded to the base of the smallest tower, and quickly ascended the staircase to the second level of the place. The spiral staircase opened into a small room with two doors. The party chose the east door; it opened into a huge room that was quite obviously the entire second level, plus a connecting room. The huge area was supported by nine large pillars and the spiral staircase. Guarding the room were four constructs that appeared to be large metallic dogs. Jaeran instantly recognized these as Iron Defenders. The magical dogs rushed forward, and stuck together in packs of two. As usual, Ur-Kadar and Barrack rushed forward to provide a defensive wall and to hold back the enemy, while the rest of the party positioned themselves. The homunculi prove to be capable defenders as one construct protected the other partner in the pair. Several times, one of the constructs landed a bite attack as one of the party struck at its compatriot. While the group was thoroughly engaged in a tough fight with the Iron Defenders, a terrible new enemy slithered forth from behind one of the columns – a large Iron Cobra. The serpent issued forth and bit Jaeran, inflicting the elven Cleric with a deadly poison, which soon slowed and dazed him as the deadly toxin raced through his veins. Barrack, with the help of Marik, dispatched one of the Iron Defenders and then shifted to face the metallic snake. Ur-Kadar continued swinging away with his mighty axe while Luke’s magical Scorching Bursts flew all around the room. It was readily apparent that the young Wizard was having difficulty targeting his powers, however.

Barrack continued to battle the metal snake, which continued to bite and poison the bearded Fighter. Despite his hardy constitution and cast-iron stomach, he eventually succumbed to the snake’s venom and fell unconscious. Ur-Kadar shifted left and healed the dwarf with a divine touch; Barrack then bounded back into action. Meanwhile, Ur-Kadar viciously put down the two Iron Defenders opposing him, and he too turned to attack the cobra. Facing attacks from the full party, the snake was quickly defeated. With the room, and now the 2nd level of the main tower cleared, the party made its way to the southern tower. The party avoided the room with the marked door and entered the main room with the staircase. They decided to try the large double-doors to the east and found that these led to an immaculate bedroom. While the room was dusty, the bed appeared to have fresh linens and was very neatly made. Ur-Kadar sensed a magical effect, and so rushed forth to lie down in the bed (and in so doing, almost crushed it beneath his behemoth-like weight); he immediately felt rested and refreshed. Several other party members investigated the bed as well, but it did not bestow any special effects. They then left the room, and went to the room located to the east. They opened the door to find a stream of water running through the room; the stream exited the tower through the exterior wall (and was presumably the source of the stream the party saw outside). Also inside the room was a large yellow ooze that surprised the party and slithered to attack. The Ochre Jelly made a few slam attacks at the party defenders before slithering out the open door and into the hallway with Marik, Luke and Jaeran. The Ochre Jelly slimed Luke, leaving him covered in a burning acid that nearly killed him. However, Jaeran was quick to react and commanded the ooze back into the room, where the party’s melee combatants were waiting. The dwarf and dragonborn reacted quickly, pounding the jelly; this merely caused it to split into two separate parts – the first part continued attacking the defenders, while the second part moved back toward the open door. Jaeran rushed to meet the jelly and begin to deliver critical blows inspired with divine fervor. Supporting attacks from Marik and Luke killed the jelly just as Barrack and Ur-Kadar finished off their enemy. Marik proclaimed that Jaeran had earned the nickname Jaeran Oozeslayer for his fine work in dispatching the Ochre Jelly.

The party proceeded to the south door and the only remaining room of interest on the floor. In it were several pools of water that eventually trickled their way through the door and into the room that formerly held the Ochre Jelly. A water sprite arose from one of the pools, and the creature looked quite excited. It appeared that she was trying to talk to the party, but no one was able to understand what she was trying to say. She quickly moved across the top of the water and into the room next door, returning quickly and appearing very pleased. The party surmised that the Ochre Jelly in the next room had scared her quite a bit, and that she was happy that it was no longer living. Barrack showed her the red gem they found earlier, and asked her if she has seen anything like it. While she did not understand the words, she did seem to comprehend the context. She disappeared for a moment, only to return with a small blue gem. The party thanked her and turned their attention toward the third level.

The party quickly explored the third level of the larger tower and found little of interest. Moving to the middle tower via a catwalk, the party began searching it thoroughly. A large door opened to the east into a small room with a bay and window. Inside the room were an Iron Cobra and an Iron Defender, along with many implements both mundane and arcane, including many staves, rods, orbs and wands of all shapes and sizes. The party sprang into action and quickly dispatched the two guardians without incident. A thorough search of the room revealed a Magical Wand + 1. After completing this level, the party walked down a long catwalk to the smallest tower. Upon opening the door into the room beyond, the party noticed that the three large windows were covered and that the room was bathed in a pale blue light emanating from an arcane circle on the ground. Inside the circle were three demons held in stasis. Jaeran and Ur-Kadar recognized the large demon in the middle as an Evistro (a carnage demon), while the two fat, winged demons to the sides were noted to be Gnaw Demons. A quick survey of the room revealed a small table with an opened book in a corner of the room. The book turned out to be the object of their quest – A Complete Guide to Gates and the Planes. Jaeran, Marik and Luke recognized that closing the book or removing it from the room would likely free the demons from their cage. The group decided to let Luke, with Jaeran and Marik assisting him, attempt to close the summoning circle and send the demons back to the Abyss. Unfortunately, Luke made a critical mistake during the incantation and the demons were freed from their magical prison. The demons charged to attack, and Barrack and Ur-Kadar braced for the demons’ surge. The party focused their attacks on the dangerous and vicious carnage demon, while Jaeran used divine power to knock the demon prone and daze him. Seizing the combat advantage, the party hammered the fallen demon and destroyed it. With the large demon destroyed, the gnaw demons were quickly dispatched. The group was surprised by how well they performed and realized they are improving as a cooperative fighting unit.

The group rested for a bit and then headed up the stairs to explore the fourth level. The smallest tower was quickly explored and the party found nothing of value or interest. The main tower, however, did contain a room with a great many things. After the diagonal hallway was a large room on the eastern side of the tower. This room contained several desks, quills, ink pots and several stacks of scroll paper. On one of the desks was a medium sized, rune-carved box. The box was fastened shut and had a hand-written note on it that clearly read “Do not open.” This created a great deal of interest for the party, although not as much as if Syxia had been present (the lure would likely have proven irresistible for her, and her companions would have found themselves in the untenable position of either physically restraining her, or dealing with whatever effect she would unleash by opening the box; as neither option seems optimal, it is perhaps best that she was not present), and Luke shook the box. When he set the box down, it continued to shake and flop around on the table. Luke told the party that he was going to open the box; everyone stepped back behind and away from him. When he flung the box open, Luke saw a pair of fine leather gloves, a heavy pair of gauntlets and a ghostly hand. The hand suddenly flew up and grabbed onto Luke, taking control of his body (the party merely saw him open the box and then drop it on the table). Luke then turned around, and suddenly launched a small fireball at Barrack, singeing him. As the party realized that Luke had been possessed, they leapt into action and prepared to attack – and be attacked by – one of their own. Luke, with a great deal of inner strength and sheer luck, finally expelled the ghostly hand from his body. The hand began floating around the room and attempted to choke the nearest person. Despite multiple attacks on the hand, it appeared to suffer little damage. Luke realized that the best defense would be to trap the hand back in the box. He quickly emptied the box, rushed over and leapt into the air, managing to slam the lid on the box, trapping the hand. The gloves were later identified as Burglar’s Gloves (awarded to Marik in order to improve his woeful Thievery skills) and Gauntlets of Ogre Power (which were bestowed upon Ur-Kadar). There was also a note identifying “The Ghostly Hand of Ven-Ghol the Necromancer” – which the party took with them.

The only room of interest in the largest tower was a workshop filled with benches, tables and a myriad of tools. The party spotted a small amulet that appeared to be unfinished. Upon close examination, it was revealed to have three small indentions in it. The party members quickly guessed that they needed one more of the magical, colored stones to complete the amulet. Excited, they ascended the stairs to the fifth and final level.
The stairs led to the top-most level of the tower, which had been used to create a magical greenhouse. It appeared as though there was some sort of magical forcefield over the area, keeping the temperature very warm and the air very moist. The magic chimney opened into this area helping to maintain the temperature. The magnificent ecosystem revealed to the party supported a wide variety of different wildlife, including small fish and lizards. While the party was admiring the area, Ur-Kadar was attacked by a very large plant-like creature. Luke identified it as a Shambling Mound. The mound attacked with its long tendrils, and succeeded in grappling Ur-Kadar and pulling him inside itself. The party attacked the thing for several rounds before Ur-Kadar managed to free himself. With the party inflicting heavy damage, the mound stopped attacking and began backing away from the party. With the mound in retreat, the party halted their attack while Jaeran step forward and tried to communicate with the beast. It appeared as though the Shambling Mound wanted something from the party. After offering the beast several different items, the elf Cleric offered the plant his rations. The beast seemed excited and requested more and more to devour. After giving it a full week of rations, the plant creature extended a balled-up tendril, and dropped a small green gem in Jaeran’s hands. With that, the party made its way to the main tower. The only room of interest had a large skylight accompanying two large windows. In the room were a few star charts and small metal devices containing glass lenses. The final floor appeared to be used for storage and contained an odd mix of old furniture, rugs, tapestries, etc. Ur-Kadar found a secret door, revealing a closet full of old robes and a set of magical Leather Armor + 1.

With the tower now fully explored, the group rushed back down to the workshop on the fourth level where Luke attempted to fuse the magical properties of the red, blue and green gems into the amulet. With the help of Marik and Jaeran, he was successful and completed the creation of a magical Amulet of Protection + 1. With their exploration complete, the party made its way out of the tower, and headed back to Folkestone with a great deal of treasure and the magical tome they came looking for.

Updated Regional Map

This map shows the areas of interest for the party. Two of the areas have been visited including the Kobold Caves in the top left and the Ruins of Stillthorn Keep which is in the hills due east of Folkestone. The other areas have yet to be visited yet but will probably be revealed in Journal 5.

Jounal Entry #4

Journal - Session 4

Having partially explored the ruins of Stillthorn Keep, an abandoned, ancient and crumbling fortress from an earlier realm, a party of five bold adventurers – Barrack, a plain-spoken dwarven Fighter, powerful wielder of the hammers favored by that strong and dour race; Marik, a reptilian dragonborn Warlock, heir to an ancient and proud lineage, but inescapably bound to a pact granting him supernatural powers; Jaeran, an elven Cleric upon whom the gods have granted a measure of divine power as a reward for his faith; Syxia, a tiefling Rogue, dark daughter of a cursed bloodline, her ancestors given to the infernal worship of fiends; and Ur-Kadar, dragonborn Paladin of Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, a holy warrior dedicated to upholding the tenets of his faith and protecting the weak with his battle axe – rested, gathered their strength and then penetrated the second level of the eldritch ruins.

Working diligently, the party was able to clear enough rubble from a buried staircase that Barrack had located previously. The steep steps were slick with subterranean moisture and slime, and descended into the inky, stygian darkness below; the steps were only wide enough for two to go down at a time. With Syxia and Barrack leading the way, the group arrived in a long (80’ x 40’) chamber where 12 skeletons in rusting, ancient armor were positioned, lining the wall. Also present at the far end of the room was a large statue of a noble warrior, with an additional area set off from the rest of the chamber by a 7’ ledge. A large, heavy tapestry could also be seen covering the back wall. As Jaeran moved forward, the skeletons suddenly animated; the Cleric boldly called on the power of the gods in an attempt to turn the skeletal horde, but was unsuccessful. As battle with the skeletons was enjoined, bolts of energy, firing from the darkness at the end of the long chamber, suddenly began hitting the party. Seeking the source of the magical bolts, they also noticed two magical constructs on the raised area at the far end of the room (these constructs, known as arbalesters, were magical crossbows mounted on small, animated tables; the legs enabled the arbalesters to move around and adjust their direction of fire). Taking heavy fire, Ur-Kadar bravely charged, hurling himself up onto the platform, while the others dispatched the remaining skeletons. The arbalesters meanwhile continued firing deadly bolts of energy at the party members. While Ur-Kadar was cleaving the constructs, Marik teleported into the area and started smashing them with mighty blows from his halberd. Ur-Kadar was blasted at point-blank range and fell into unconsciousness, although he was immediately healed by the Cleric. Despite inflicting heavy damage, the arbalesters were destroyed once all of the party members closed in on them.

After the battle, the party examined the room and found many small polished mirrors behind the tapestry. Barrack, using his innate dwarven abilities with stonecraft, searched the statue of the noble warrior, but found nothing. Syxia, using her thieving abilities could detect no traps or hidden compartments in, on or around the statue. During the battle, the party had noticed that an imposing steel reinforced door was located along the north wall. Moving to the steel door, Syxia successfully picked a very difficult lock. The door opened into a hallway with several small alcoves in it. The party came first to a very large room in which there was a pool of clear, calm water. The room had just a little bit of light in it that seemed to come from a small shaft (that most likely led to the surface). The party quickly noticed a circular hole in the ceiling; Syxia realized that this led to the hidden room above that contained the crown, and through which she was previously lowered on a rope by Barrack and Ur-Kadar. The group guessed that the ring they sought could have fallen into the pool from the room above.

After discussing possible strategies, Jaeran produced and read a ritual scroll that granted the party the ability to breathe underwater. Jaeran and Barrack waded out into the pool while the others remained near the edge of the pool. Jaeran noticed that the water level was deceasing just before gushing waters burst forth from the middle of the pool. With a primal scream, a water elemental attacked with a blasting geyser of water that hit several party members and pushed them back, knocking them prone. Barrack and Jaeran stood toe-to-toe with the elemental, but they had a difficult time battling the brute in the deep water of the pool. Marik’s blasts and occasional halberd strikes proved to inflict the most damage. Using her positioning strike ability, Syxia managed to force the creature into the shallow water near the edge of the pool, where the party began inflicting more damage. The elemental then suddenly disappeared into the water.

The party used sections of rope to tie themselves together as they begin to search the cool, dark depths of the pool. To no one’s surprise, they found a deep trench far beneath the surface of the water, and as the party descended some 40’, the small passage before them opened up into a larger area. The elemental, having retreated to the dark depths of the pool, renewed its attacks, but the party was well-prepared (having expected to find the creature here) and destroyed it. After a quick search, the party found the signet ring for which they were searching, and quickly returned to the surface. Syxia took the ring and placed it on her finger to go along with the crown (found in the room above, with the wretched, cursed spirit and the death-trap machine), which was already upon her head (although she would had preferred a tiara instead).

After a brief respite, the water-logged and battle-weary group returned to the hallway. They could see that the hallway ended in two doors (to the north and the east), but they elected to take a small side passage that turned into a parallel hallway. Upon entering the hallway the group got the feeling that something unseen had just passed behind them. The south end of the hallway ended suspiciously (i.e., suddenly); Barrack watched the north door of the hallway while the other party members searched the place and discovered a secret passageway that doubled back and led to the room with the arbalesters. A ghostly phantom warrior then suddenly phased through the door, appearing directly in front of Barrack. The phantom had apparently seen Syxia wearing the crown and ring, and was enraged by this blasphemy. The incorporeal phantom attacked Barrack while the rest of the party moved down the hallway to engage the ghost and assist the brave dwarf. While Barrack and Marik exchanged savage blows with the ghostly warrior, a second phantom phased through the wall, flanking the party. The phantoms seemed to deflect a good amount of damage from weapons and other attacks, and the outcome of the battle was thrown into doubt. In time, however, the battle turned and the phantoms both phased out of the hallway. Syxia quickly picked the lock on the door and the party entered a small, square room with a door to the west and a small passageway leading north. The room was empty, and there was no sign of the ghostly figures. The door to the west was found to connect back to the original hallway. The party thereupon returned and carefully examined the smaller passageway to the north. This passage had three doors, one in each direction. The group opened the door to the west and one of the warrior-phantasms howled and attacked the party. Outnumbered and already damaged, the phantasm was quickly dispatched. The room was little more than an old closet, and contained nothing of value. The north door opened into a room containing a bed and a few pieces of very old wooden furniture. As soon as the party entered the room, the second ghostly warrior phased into the room and attacked; it quickly suffered the same fate as its fellow ghost. Taking a careful look around, the party determined that everything in the room was dusty, aged and worthless. The final door opened to reveal an ancient bedroom containing two very old beds and fragments of wood.

The party then returned to the original hallway and opened the northern door. It opened into a large room (approximately 70’ x 40’). In the middle of the northern wall was a set of stairs flanked by two columns, between which hung a heavy tapestry that prevented the party from seeing what was beyond it. The room was defended by 6 decrepit skeletons, 2 skeleton warriors, 2 skeletons with short bows and a larger skeleton wreathed in flames. Using her natural quickness and agility, Syxia raced into the room and attacked, only to find herself far out in front of her companions and surrounded by enemies (as she has on any number of occasions). The party engaged the skeletons and several quickly fell to the dragon breath attack of Ur-Kadar. Syxia was caught in the fiery blast, but was unscathed due to the resistance to fire bestowed upon her by her infernal bloodline. Jaeran inflicted additional damage by calling upon the holy power of Pelor, bathing the undead in divine light. The blazing skeleton (as identified by Jaeran) began hurling balls of fire at the party, inflicting serious damage. Ur-Kadar’s magical axe, combined with Marik’s halberd and curses, quickly destroyed a number of enemies. Barrack rushed forward to engage the fiery leader of the undead band and absorbed several balls of fire while making his way to the front before engaging the lead skeleton and trading blows with it. The skeleton’s blazing aura wore heavily on the bearded Fighter, but he steadfastly fought on. The party’s inner strength, martial prowess and divine inspiration prevailed and their enemies were dispatched. With the room now secure, the group proceeded up the stairs and tore down the musty tapestry, revealing a large double door inscribed with a riddle and an arcane mark. The riddle read:

I am that which is seen only in darkness
Swiftest of all, and near as old as time
Day's distant brother; fire and faintness
I live without shadow.

The group began working on the riddle in hopes that stating the answer aloud would activate the arcane mark and open the door. The puzzle proved to be more difficult than the Wizard Neltharian’s riddle, and the group mulled it over for several minutes. A myriad of possible answers began to flow from the party. Following several failed solutions, the party began to focus on the possibility that the answer was “light,” when Barrack directed the others to arrange several mirrors so that the small shaft of daylight that filtered into the room with the pool was redirected onto the arcane mark. This failed to activate the mark, and the door remain closed to the party.

Ur-Kadar sensed that the party was close to a solution, but was still not quite right. “Light” seemed to answer the first two lines of the riddle, but did not work well with the final two. After much thought, Ur-Kadar thought that “moonlight” could be the solution. When he spoke the word “moonlight” the arcane mark again failed to illuminate. The group continued to think about the answer – with Syxia curled up in the most comfortable spot she could find, feeling as though conquering the riddle was beyond her skills, interests, talents and/or abilities – and focused on the final two lines. Suddenly, Barrack stood and exclaimed that the moon only reflects light; it does not create it. Therefore, the other light that is seen at night is from the stars. He spoke the word “starlight” aloud and the words on the door begin to glow a faint blue color. The party then realized that they knew that they had solved the first part of the riddle. They surmised (correctly as it turned out) that the final part of the puzzle was to redirect starlight onto the arcane mark. The party settled in to wait a few hours for the sun to set. As the light coming in from the arranged mirrors turned to starlight, the arcane mark activated and the door was unlocked.

The group, now having been well-rested, proceeded through the door and into the next room. It was a large room (measuring approximately 80’ x 70’) with a large stone sarcophagus near the north wall. Also in the room were 6 skeletons and one very large skeleton with four arms. The two arms on the right side of the skeleton held a glowing halberd while one of the left hands held a scimitar. With a series of actions, the party made quick work of three skeletons. Jaeran and Marik engaged and dispatched the remaining skeletons while the other three party members made for the larger one. With the party closing in, the undead guardian stepped forward between Barrack, Syxia and Ur-Kadar. It unleashed a wicked series of blows that hit all three, and knocked Syxia and Ur-Kadar to the ground; it followed up with a vicious overhand strike on the fallen Syxia. The skeletal tomb guardian’s strength caught the group off-guard, but they quickly regrouped. With only the tomb guardian remaining, the group bore down on it and focused on destroying it. Despite several more rounds of very dangerous combat, the group prevailed and the thing shattered, and turned into dust. The magical halberd was claimed by Marik.

With the crown and ring in hand, the strongest party members pushed back the lid of the stone casket and returned the crown and ring (which had to be forcibly taken from the reluctant and pouting Syxia). Upon doing so, the ghost from the ruins above reappeared and thanked the party for returning the crown and ring to their rightful place. He led them to a secret door in the northwest corner of the room that opened into a small room, in which rested a suit of magical chain mail armor, a keen-edged short sword and a chest containing six hundred gold coins. The chain mail was donned by Jaeran and the short sword (which possessed the dangerous magical property known as “vicious”) was taken by Syxia. With their quest completed, the group decided to return to town in order to repay Olthair and meet Neltharian.

The party returned to Folkestone and headed directly to the Crested Cock. The group paid Olthair his 1/6th share of the treasure from Stillthorn Keep (100 gold pieces) and recounted their tale to him. He was satisfied and told the group that he may have use for them in the future, if they are interested. With that he left the tavern. The group then turned to talk to Meldrick, to see if there were any messages for them and to find out if anyone else had been looking for them. Much to their surprise, Meldrick indicated that things had been very quiet in their absence. A decision was then made to send Syxia and Jaeran to the Gilded Lilly (a higher-class inn that is a competitor of the Crested Cock), while the others split up to accomplish individual tasks. The tiefling and elf headed to the Lilly in an attempt to throw off any would-be followers, with Syxia wearing her finest attire and posing as a wealthy traveler passing through Folkestone. Barrack went to meet with the dwarven blacksmith to check on the plate armor he was having forged, while Ur-Kadar and Marik went to check on the progress at the Shrine of Bahamut.

Syxia and Jaeran proceeded into the Gilded Lilly, where they noticed a man look up, make eye contact, lower his eyes and then pack up and head for the door. The pair decided to keep up the ruse and ask for the owner of the establishment, Fastieth Silverpoint, who quickly appeared. Syxia made sure that everyone present overheard her inquire about renting a room for a week. She then paid for a room at the Lilly for a full week. They decided to check out the room and then returned to the common area in order to ensure that everyone in the area noticed the presence of a tiefling female. They noticed that the man who had left earlier reappeared, and beckoned Fastieth outside. Following a quick conversation, Fastieth re-entered the Lilly. Syxia and Jaeran waited a few minutes before leaving, as the appointed time to regroup at the Crested Cock drew near. On their way back, both of them thought that they spotted the man from the Lilly behind them, but a quick retracing of their steps revealed nothing. With that, they rejoined the party.

After lengthy discussions, the decision was made that Syxia and Jaeran should return to the Gilded Lilly in an attempt to find out the identity of the man who had talked to Fastieth and what his interest in Syxia was (well, aside from the obvious and irresistible one). Syxia and Jaeran returned to the Lilly and pulled Fastieth aside to question him. The inn-keeper broke quickly and indicated that he wanted to be left out of whatever trouble Syxia was in. After refusing to divulge any information, Syxia pulled out one of her wicked daggers and held it to his throat, demanding answers. Fastieth then told them that the man they sought was Cadrick Quickwhistle. While Cadrick has a small shop in town, it is generally known that he serves more as the eyes and ears of House De’Nethryn in Folkestone, rather than as a legitimate shop-keeper. When Syxia pressed him for more information, he told them that Cadrick had asked him about how long she was staying, and then asked him to try to keep her there or at least find out where she was going. Fastieth then pleaded with the pair that that was all that he knew, claiming that he was “just an innkeeper for the finest inn to be found in Folkestone.” He again claimed that he did not want any trouble, and suggested that Syxia seek Cadrick herself to find out what he wanted with her (although she had a pretty good idea already). The duo then left the frightened Fastieth and returned to the group. After recounting the events inside the Lilly, they decided to pay Cadrick a visit.

It was decided that Syxia would confront Cadrick directly, flanked by the two hulking dragonborn. Barrack volunteered to guard the front door, while Jaeran watched the rear of Cadrick’s shop. The three entered the building only to find an older woman tending the place. She appeared very afraid when Syxia asked for Cadrick, and replied that he was upstairs in his room. The trio ascended the stairs and threw open the door. Inside, Cadrick was hastily packing up some things; the group had caught him by surprise. Unable to restrain herself (as usual), Syxia blurted out that she knew that he was looking for her and that she wanted to know why. Cadrick eyed the window but noticed the dwarven Fighter waiting for him below. Knowing that he was trapped, Cadrick stated that he was not interested in hurting the girl, and agreed to tell the party everything, although he noted that it was “too late”, as he had already sent the message. Syxia demanded details.
Cadrick started by saying that several days ago his contact, a man named Gweth, appeared in Folkestone. Gweth met with Cadrick and told him that two contracts had been placed on a tiefling female. Both paid very well, and Gweth was looking for her. Cadrick was instructed to keep an eye out for a tiefling female matching Syxia’s description, and to send word if she showed up in Folkestone. He went on to add that the first contract was for the female to be captured and taken to a specified location (which he claimed Gweth did not elaborate on). Cadrick said that an extraction team would then come and abduct her, taking her to a place (or places) unknown. The second one – and this one visibly scared Cadrick – was merely for information on her whereabouts. It was rumored that the information would then be passed on to the one known only as The Devil’s Canvas. None know his real name, but all fear him as a renowned assassin with a reputation for sadistic cruelty. Gweth had remained in Folkestone for a day or so, but then left, presumably with no information. Cadrick then begged the party to spare his life. He pleaded that he didn’t know that Syxia was the girl they were looking for, and that he was only getting paid 100 gold pieces for passing along information. He swore that if the party let him go, he would immediately leave Folkestone. After deciding they had learned as much as they could, the party released Cadrick. On the way out the front door, however, Barrack confronted the Rogue, and made it very clear that if anything untoward happened, the dwarf was holding him responsible. He also told Cadrick that if he ever saw him again, he would kill him. The shaken Rogue then fled Folkestone as quickly as he could.

Upon returning to the friendly hospitality of the Crested Cock, the group surmised that several questions still remained unanswered. Who did Cadrick send the message to and how long would it take for them to make it back to Folkestone? Where is Cadrick fleeing to? Given that Cadrick sent the message after seeing only Syxia and Jaeran, it is likely that the House doesn’t know the true size and power of the party (and this could certainly be worked to the advantage of the party). The group then retired, and planned to wake in the morning, ready to meet Neltharian.