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.
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.
