Behold My Greatness

The group catches their breath outside of IceThorn Castle.

They decide that moving through the castle seems like certain death, with several massive trolls inside as well as possibly a beholder. So they decide to follow where the few gazers had fled in retreat. Each find their way up the mountain side. Rook, in the form of an aarakocra. Smallfang atop his griffon. Hope casts fly upon herself and the cleric. Katya simply scales the side of the mountain as though simply strolling along a garden path.

Into The Mountain

Nearer the top of the mountain, Rook stops them where he had discovered the small hole that descends into the mountain. Much to small to fit any of the party, Rook sends his raven, Allan, down into the tunnel. The tunnel, smooth as glass and nearly perfectly circular, descends straight down several tens of feet, turns a few times until it finally descends straight down into a massive cavern.

Moving about the cavern, Allan sees several statues. Each is a creature poised in various states of horror, attack or surprise. There are several humans, a few elves but the vast majority of the creatures are dwarves. After all, this used to be a dwarven stronghold eons before. Many of the statues are moved together to form odd scenes, set together as a child would play with toy soldiers. This may be the beholders lair. Rook produces the illusion of a silver dragon and using his formidable skills transforms the illusion into a real dragon. It will only last a minute but if the beholder is there, the dragon is sure to attack it.

While they wait, the group moves over the mountain looking for more of the tunnels, as Smallfang had also discovered others. They finally discover near the mountains top, a massive tunnel over 15 feet across and glassy smooth all the way down which extends down into darkness.

Rook descends while Hope descends by rope. She looses grip and lands on Rook. Together they land at the bottom of the tunnel which turns horizontal for, again about 70 feet. Then descends straight down again. At the bottom is a pitch black large space. One by one the others arrive and they descend into the large cavern below. This cavern too has a few statues too. There are also hidden in the darkness several large cages. As the group moves about exploring, they discover the statue form of Lirath. They also discover that within the cages scattered about the vast cavern, are an odd assortment of rare creatures. A drakkon, a massive snake like creature whose head resembles a dragon. A massive dinosaur as well as smaller creatures such as cows and a collection of dozens of kittens.

As the group examines the ornately decorated cave, its floors and walls are finished with a glossy sheen and intricate patterns carved within, a voice comes from above. Alien and severe sounding. It asks who dares intrude upon its private realm. Its sanctuary. Creatures of such baser quality. They do not deserve to be witness to its greatness.

Thech The Beholder
13,600 XP

The voice comes from near the ceiling but the ceiling extends into the height of the mountain such that they cannot see the source of the voice. The battle begins and Hope is caught in a weave of magic that holds her and raises her into the air until she is eye to massive eye of the beholder.

Thetch, the beholder is angered at their intrusion and their audacity. To think they have, without permission or grovelling, they have entered its private chambers. Hope is hit again and again with damaging spells until she falls dying. Rook, casts greater invisibility upon himself and flies up into the air, making sure to stay out of the gaze of its main eye, as wherever the eye turns magic fails.

Katya and Smallfang, still upon the ground end up fighting the creatures released from their cages. Smallfang is finally able to frighten the drakkon enough that it flees down a tunnel, while Katya climbs upon and brutally claws the dinosaur until it lies dead upon the glassy floor of the cavern.

Meanwhile, Tithe, the cleric sees Lirath, standing across the room in statue form. She runs to him and casts a greater restoration and his flesh returns to normal. He is shocked and surprised at the situation but quickly comes to the realization of the battle and begins to cast damaging spells. Unfortunately, the first thing he saw was the stampeding kittens running towards him, their only thought is escape from the fierce creature which snacks upon their brethren. He kills kitten after fluffy kitten until there is only a mass of fur and gore upon the floor.

DM Note: Not nice Lirath. Not Nice.

Finally, Smallfang, flying upon his griffon, casts banishment upon the beholder and is able to hold his concentration long enough for the spell to take permanent effect. The beholder wont be returning anytime soon. They heal Hope and move about the cavern looking for loot. And loot there is.

DM Note: Totally screwed up on this one. First the beholder was looking in the wrong direction and not focused on the flying dragonborn. This would have negated ANY spell. Second, I didn't read the component costs of the spell. It would seem you would have needed to find or craft an item that was "distasteful to the creature". I should have made it so you would have to look for or make something after figuring out what that item was. But......poof.....beholder banished!

The Eye of Falazure

Among the gold, silver, silk, rare art pieces, an a rod of security, they find a smooth orb almost a foot across. It is dark Eye Of Falazure. A crystal orb said to have been the eye of the god dragon Falazure, sibling to Bahamut. Falazure is said to have been tricked out of his eye by a powerful mortal seeking to become a god. The eye Falazure exchanged for is said to have slowly made him made insane. Being the god of undeath and decay he is worshiped by shadow dragons and undead dragons.
but an orange glow emanates softy from within. The orange flair of a vertical pupil glows very slightly inside. After everyone carefully inspects it they believe it is the

The group now moves through the various tunnels and caves that have been carved out of the mountain by the beholder's disintegrate rays. They discover the cavern that Rook had left his illusionary dragon in. There are many more statues here. Many of them look ancient and weathered. They examine many until they discover one that does not look as old as the others. They have magically restore the creature back to life.

Abigail Alebottom
2,000 XP

The half-orc female that quickly comes to life with a warcry looks around in puzzlement. Between the groups explanations and Abigail's last memories, she figures out her predicament. Her clan had come to destroy the scourge that had been terrorizing their lands. Abigail, turning 17 years old had been allowed to join them. She was incredibly proud and stood side by side with her mother as they went into the monsters lair. Abigail, bearing the banners of her clan watched in horror as everyone was killed, destroyed or turned to stone. Finally, she was the only one left so she dropped her banner, picked up a battle axe and charged. That is the last thing she remembers.

The group quickly invites her along to leave with them. They find her a suitable weapon, after she admits that battle was not in her training. She is a proud tailor. She is the one who creates the colors of her clan, the banners and ceremonial costumes. She thanks them though with gifts of her own to give.

A Bronze Egg

Rook looks through the treasure they have newly acquired and hands her a substantial amount of wonderfully colored silks. This impresses her very much and she in return gives him a item she retrieves from her satchel. A large bronze egg. Is This a dragon's egg. She is unsure. It has been in her family for generations. But seeing as she is the last of her clan. She feels she can honor them best with her skills as a tailor and the silks will aid her in that.

Moving through this cavern they find other tunnels leading down as well as a couple of staircases, one going up the other going down but blocked by a massive slab of rock. This rock is a different color and texture from the surrounding mountain rock. But there is nothing anyone can find to open the passage or even with everyone pushing, can even budge it.

Sounds of Battle

The group makes camp by moving several statues making a makeshift barricade on one side of the cavern. They settle into the cramped space and set Rook's raven companion, Allan, to watch through the night. Several hours in the voice of Allan inside Rook's head awakens the changeling. Allan says he can hear the sounds of battle beyond the odd massive stone slab at the bottom of the staircase. Sounds of yells, grunts and metal clanging. Rook tells the raven to continue to monitor it but to let him sleep otherwise.

In the morning, Allan reports that the sounds went on for some time but eventually died out.

A Brittle Floor
4,600 XP

After everyone makes preparations, the group moves out. They choose the tunnel that leads down. At the bottom of the tunnel is a small cave about 40 feet around. As they cross it the floor beneath crumbles as if it was only thin slabs of rock made to look like floor.  Most of them plummet down. The rest watch as the ones in the water far below now fend off leech like creatures with long thick tentacles. The tentacles grab hold of Lirath and Hope. They are soon being pulled under the water towards what looks like a gaping maw lined with jagged and sharp teeth.

Spell after spell and several spears later, the creatures are defeated while Smallfang's griffon is used to swoop down and retrieve the near dying adventurers.

Signs Of A Viny Battle

After drying themselves off they continue down the tunnels until they arrive at a long corridor a couple hundred feet long. The walls are lined with hundreds of dwarves are turned to stone. These statues are ancient, their stone worn and eroded by time. As they approach the end of the tunnel they find themselves back in the dwarven carved castle. There are signs of battle here. Bodies of trolls lie scattered and torn apart. Many still with thorny vine growths holding the pieces of body lining the floors and walls.

The group follows the vines as they seem to grow thicker as they leave the castle down another circular tunnel. They follow until the vines become almost unpassable. Katya stops pulling and cutting the vines when she hears a groan from just ahead. A face turns to her. It is Jabir. He is being held in the middle of the tunnel by his vines which protrude from his body and cling to the walls of the tunnel. He is in pain. Massive damage can be seen all over his body. He speaks, with great effort, to the group. It would seem that he is still trying to be a hero. He has heard the trolls speak of killing off the intruders.

Lirath turns into ethereal form and flows through to the next cavern. There are several trolls here and many more dead ones. Bodies litter the floor as they have through the rest of the tunnels and castle. The remaining trolls yell out to Jabir. They don't want to kill him. He was their leader. If he walks away they will leave him be. They look to be reading for a charge. Jabir does not look like he can fend off another charge. Lirath returns to the group and tells them of what he saw.

The Song Of Jabir
5,000 XP

Hope approaches Jabir. She holds his bleeding and injured face in her hands. She tells him that he can still be a hero. Songs will be sung of his deeds. She will sing them herself, as she begins a song speaking of the noble troll who overcame so much to become what he always wanted to be. A Hero.

The song moves many to have damp eyes, if not outright tears. Jabirs gives a pained smile and then charges into the far cavern. The group waits with pained expressions. No one moves or speaks as they listen to the sounds of pain and death ahead. When all is silent they finally move in.

They can see all the trolls are dead, including Jabir. Jabir hangs lifelessly held only by his vines which spread out before him. He hangs arms held out from his body, messiah-like. His life given to save others.

The group moves solemnly onward.  At the end of the cavern, they find a massive stone slab. It is a different texture and color than the surrounding mountain rock. This is the stone slab that had blocked their path before. This is the other side of it.

Blocked By A Magic Stone Slab
1,000 XP

Again, they investigate the stone but cannot find anything to move it. Rook prestidigitates the dust and muck from the stone. The now cleaned stoned reveals words carved into it.

I've little strength, but mighty powers; 
I guard small hovels and great towers. 
But if perchance my master leaves, 
He must ensure he safeguards me

The group ponders this puzzle for a bit before they begin shouting command words at it. Finally, Lirath says the word "Key" in common and then when nothing happens he says the same word, this time in deep speech. The stone wall rises, disappearing into the recess above. The group moves through and moves about. It would seem they have been here already.

DM Note: That's what you get for going in through the hidden back door.

The Befouled Pool Of Restoration
DM Note: notice how I stopped using the word taint

Finally, they move back through IceThorn castle looking for the restoration pool. They eventually find it in a long wide corridor. This was obviously a revered part of the castle long long ago. The corridor is constructed to bring the occupants focus to the radiant pool at the end which is raised upon a dais.

The pool emits a magical glow. Long ago it probably radiated a healthy magical color. Now though is gives off a sickly green color that seems to churn the stomach just gazing upon it. The group debates how to handle this dangerous site.

But not before some of them attempt to collect some of its foul waters.

The Brain Behind The Army

Making their way up through the mountains towards IceThorn Castle, the group finds themselves eventually standing on the ancient courtyard ruins on the opposite side of the castle. One remaining chain, each of the links weighing several thousand pounds and almost 10 feet thick, is the only bridge to the other side.

As night settles swiftly, the cold mountain air fills with swirling snow so the group decides to make camp on this side of the chasm. Safely away from the troll filled castle on the far side. Rook takes time to cast mirage arcane upon a large swath of land so he can later contort the land as he sees fit. Katya climbs a tree near the end of the bridge and lays on the branch and watches for movement on the bridge or on the far side, though the blowing snow hampers her vision.

A Storm of Snow and Rocks
5,000 XP

When Rook is finished casting the spell he conjures a small shed to shelter him from the weather and steps inside. His peace is quickly broken by the frantic knocking on the door. Smallfang and Hope wish to enter as the freezing winds are quickly increasing outside and his shelter seems to be large enough to hold them as well. He lets them in, but conjures a door beside him, which he opens to the elements, walks out and conjures another shack, small enough for just him. Smallfang quickly closes the door and he, Hope and Rook's raven, Poe, remain inside.

The night begins to pass with only the sounds of howling winds and snow buffeting around them. But it does not last. They are all awakened by the sounds of crashing rock within the courtyard and instantly the shack that Hope and Smallfang are in disintegrates in a shower of splinters as a large boulder comes crashing through. Thankfully they are quick enough to avoid most of the rock.

Laying down across her large tree branch, Katya is knocked off her perch by another rock. She sees it flying out of the blowing snow, from the direction of the far side of the chasm, in time to avoid the worst of the damage.

Rook immediately conjure a forest of trees to provide cover. As the forest grows up around him he grabs onto a tree growing up out of the ground beside him, stepping onto a branch which lifts him high into the night sky, as he blends himself into the trunk. He looks from his vantage point across the chasm but can see nothing but blowing snow. He sends his raven, Poe, up into the night sky and across the chasm to scout for the enemy.

Smallfang runs to the chain bridge and runs across the underside, using his ring of spiderclimbing. He sends his griffon into the air and uses it to scout across the chasm. Katya runs across the bridge in one swift movement, passing Smallfang below her. She arrives at the ruins of the courtyard in front of the IceThorn castle. She can just make out, through the blinding snow, the figures of trolls moving into the castle through the front entrance.

Rook takes the form of an arrokokra and flies across the chasm to the far side.

Hope, alone now on the opposite side of the chasm from the castle decides she better stick with the group and makes her way slowly across the bridge. By the time she gets to the other side the others have lined up along the mountainside beside the entrance way to the castle. A large tunnel has been excavated through the rubble that had previously blocked the entrance.

Coaxing Trolls Out Of Hiding

Catya decides to move stealthily through the tunnel to see what the trolls on the other side are doing. She is able to walk stooped through the tunnel, keeping to the shadows. Near the end of the tunnel she sees 4 trolls each holding a massive boulder and talking about bashing any creatures that come through. Katya quietly retreats back through the tunnel. Haflway back she decides to make the sounds of a cat. Rook outside the tunnel, sees what Katya is doing and decides to produce the illusion of a cat inside the tunnel. Hopefully they can lure the trolls outside where they can be attacked.

Katya sees the large face of a troll peer into the tunnel. Its mouth turns to a mischievous grin. "I hates cats", and he throws the boulder he is holding. It barrels through the tunnel and Katya doesn't have much room to evade but she is able to avoid the worst of it. She decides this is not the right strategy. Katya retreats out of the tunnel.

Meanwhile the others begin to explore the not-so-secret entrance on the far side of the courtyard. Lirath, a late show to the expedition, turns into ethereal form and moves through the castle. He spots several trolls in various rooms and hallways. He comes back to report to the others.

Hope, deciding she can try and persuade the trolls to come out from the protection of the castle. She walks through the tunnel until she can see the trolls. She gestures repeatedly at the trolls finally getting their attention when she mimics the gesture of eating. Rook produces an image of a leg of meat in Hopes hands. As she gestures the trolls begin to crawl through the tunnel while Hope retreats always keeping some distance between her and the trolls. As she begins to step out of the tunnel the others turn their attention to Hope's attempt at drawing out the trolls.

They dont think this is a good idea.

The Return Of The Gazers
400 XP

Katya runs, blindingly fast, and rushes towards Hope. Just as the trolls hand shoots out to grab at Hope, Katya grabs her by Hope's cloak and pulls her to safety. Right behind Katya is Smallfang who lops off the arm of the troll. There is a bellow of pain and anger.

Soon the spheroid shapes that had harassed the group upon the last time they were here begin to descend down out of the blowing snow. They shoot beams of magic at the group. One of the beams hits Hope and it instills a fear so dread that she begins to run. She runs towards the secret entrance and continues to run.

While they deal with these odd creatures, Rook racks his memory for information on these odd creatures. If his memory is correct, Rook believes these are creatures born of a beholder. Born may not be the correct word. He tells the others that these creatures are brought into existence when a beholder dreams. Sometimes these dreams warp reality until the beholder's dreams of himself are made real, creating tiny versions of himself.

This means there is a beholder behind all of this.

Some of these creatures, sensing they are being overpowered, retreat back into the sky. Smallfang mounts his griffon in an attempt to give chase but the blowing snow makes it difficult. He eventually comes across several holes dug into the sides of the mountain. Very spherical holes about the shape of the creatures that were attacking them. He peers down one of the tubes but after a number of feet it turns sharply and he cannot see further in.

He returns to the ground to tell the others.

Lirath, meanwhile, has gone to see if he can help Hope who has fled into the castle. He turns into ethereal form and moves through the secret entrance.

Finding Two Prisoners
2,000 XP

Hope running through the secret entrance and eventually finds herself in a long hallway. She moves down until she approaches a door, her fear slowly dissipating. She opens the door and finds Tithe, the kidnapped cleric. As Hope approaches Tithe, she notices a deformed creature laying in a cot on the other side of the room. Hope prepares to attack but Tithe stops her. This is Jabir and he is the reason she is still alive. He has been keeping her safe. He refuses to aid Thech unless Tithe is unharmed. It would seem Jabir still holds on to the dream that he too can someday become a hero.

Hope uses that and tries to convince Jabir that she can help him. She can get him inducted into the Order Of The Obsidian Dagger. He need only to prove himself by helping them get out of the castle with Tithe. Jabir seems conflicted.

It would seem that Lirath, unseen to the group, is messing with Jabir's mind and trying to convince him of just the opposite.

Hope's charming ability eventually wins out. Jabir agrees to help them all escape. Jabir, using his numerous vines that are growing out of his body to grab on to walls and ceiling to pull himself along, with more than a little difficulty, towards the door. He opens the door and stands in the hallway.

Voices of other trolls are raised in surprise and they see Jabir, who obviously does not come out of his room very often. They question Jabir with a mixture of concern, reverence and shock. Jabir talks to them while gesturing to Hope and Tithe that they should use his body as cover and move down the hallway towards the secret entrance. He continues to distract the other trolls as the group moves down the hall.

Thech Makes AnAppearance  (Sort of )

Suddenly there is another voice in the hallway. This voice is sharp and quite alien sounding. This must be Thech. It is reprimanding Jabir for being out of his room. It then changes its voice to a mockery of a stern parental voice, telling Jabir he must return to his quarters and that he is not well. Jabir begins to mutter excuses but the group can tell it is not going well.

Hope conjures a portal and pulls Tithe through with her, escaping to the outside of the castle standing beside the others. The light from the portal though alerts Thech and as Lirath begins to pull the weave with his psionic mind the finds the magic is gone.



Lirath's last thoughts are, "Oh....right.", before another ray of magic is blasted towards him. He cannot move as he feels the entirety of his body turning to stone.

The group outside waits for everyone to be accounted for before making their plans.

They continue to wait.

Jabir's Army Retreats

The group of adventurers continue to fight the trolls.

Smallfang's Near Death Experience

30,000 XP

Smallfang leaps across onto the back of one of the trolls, who is climbing up the wall towards the soldiers on top. He plunges the sword into the troll as he lands. He attempts to stab the troll again but as the troll climbs several thorny vines shoot out from its skin and wrap around the dragonborn. He is quickly entangled and unable to move. The troll uses its advantage to repeatedly pummel Smallfang to the point where he is dropped unconscious.

Catya runs and leaps and runs across the wall from one tower down to the wall where another of the mutated trolls has made it to the top of one of the towers. The troll uses one of its massive hands to sweep several of the soldiers off of the tower to their deaths. Catya runs up the leg of the troll and begins to claw her way through its thick hide trying to kill it. Unfortunately, the trolls regeneration makes the attacks less effective than Catya would have hoped for.

Rook meanwhile casts phantasmal killer upon the troll who is attacking Smallfang. The troll sees within its mind it most horrible nightmare and drops Smallfang, jumps down to the ground and begins running away at a furious pace. 

With the aid of Catya, Smallfang regains his feet and is able to heal from some of his injuries.He looks for his sword and finds it still stuck into the back of the troll who is fleeing towards the forest. It has a great lead on the group. Smallfang yells out, "My sword! Hazirawn !". Smallfang and Rook give chase.

Catya stays and is able to finish off the remaining troll. She then follows where the others gave chase to the other troll. Rook uses his mirage arcane spell that was cast to erect ice walls in front of and around the escaping troll. Once caught up the group hacks and slashes the beast until it lies dead. They set fire to the trolls remains in hopes that it does not regenerate and rise again.

Making their way back to the city they come across Hope who is now just rising to her feet, recovering from Rook's magic. She quickly looks around, ready to cast spells against the attacking trolls, only to be told that they have all been defeated...for the moment.

An Airship Belongs In The Air
2,500 XP

Meanwhile, Lirath, who had almost died fighting the trolls attacking the east gate, saved only by Tithe Tuen, the cleric, makes his way back to the others. He tells of the attack on the opposite side of the city. They discuss the oddity of trolls making a coordinated attack and the absence of aid from the airship, the Flying Dragon. Realizing that the airship had given no warnings and made no attacks, they all look up only to see the airship listing awkwardly towards one side as a large swirling mass of wind rise up out of the hold, fling sailors overboard and rise up into the clouds high above the city.

As the airship begins its uncontrolled descent into the highly populated city, Lirath sees a figure jump over the ships railings and jump to the ground. Lirath recognizes the distant figure to be the former Captain MacKenzie, the one that they presumed dead back near IceThorn Castle. From that height, any unaided creature would certainly be dead. But Lirath and Smallfang makes no assumption. After all, the fall down into the depths of the chasm had obviously not killed him. Smallfang and Lirath run to where MacKenzie should have landed.

Meanwhile, Catya turns to Hope and tells her to get her up to the ship. Hope casts flying upon the tabaxi and Catya makes her way upon the airship. Its deck tilted horribly as they stare down into the wide eyes of hundreds of horrified citizens watching their certain death. Catya, from her ceaseless observations and note-taking of the operations of the airship, is able to right the ship just in time and land it onto the waters of the nearby Sea of Swords at the mouth of the Chionthar River. It no longer flies as the air elemental and the arcane mechanisms, that utilized the elemental's powers, are now gone or destroyed.

The Capture Of The Former Captain MacKenzie
1,000 XP

Smallfang and Lirath have pursued and finally captured MacKenzie in the crowded streets of Baldur's Gate. They strip him and walk him all the way to the Order Of The Obsidian Dagger's stronghold. All the way they encourage the gathering crowd to throw insults and rot at the humiliated figure of MacKenzie. Finally, they arrive at the keep and put MacKenzie in it's prison.

As the group moves about within the keep, they hear of the loss of one of the Order's clerics. When Hope asks who it was, they find it was Tithe Tuen, the cleric who had saved Lirath from certain death. When some of the others from the Order find out Lirath is there, they accost the elf and blame him for the abduction of Tithe. When tempers begin to flare, Lirath begins to cast spells upon some of the Order's clerics and stealthily makes his way to safety. But something is wrong with the magic here within the keep. 

Hope meanwhile, talks to the other clerics and finds that one of the trolls retreated from the battle but not before grabbing Tithe and taking her with it. The troll was last seen running for the mountains east of the city. Towards what is now known to be the location of IceThorn castle. Hope begins to sing and play a tribute to the bravery and courage of Tithe. Soon most of the keep is spellbound in awe and sorry listening to the song that Hope weaves. As tears are wiped away most of the keep disperses as everyone continues about their work. 

Some of the Order's members approach Smallfang and tell of the magic within the keep becoming more and more erratic. In fact no clerics or scholars dare to enter the library beneath the keep. Arcane lamps refuse to stay lit and strange sounds and creatures have been experienced. Something is seriously wrong and its influence is growing.

Smallfang reassures them and notes this as a priority. But for now, they all feel that time is of the essence if they are to be able to save and retrieve Tithe from the trolls.  They gather supplies and cold weather gear and prepare to head out. Smallfang goes out into the courtyard of the keep to begin his ritual of find steed. Soon a great griffon lands on the ground beside Smallfang, who unfortunately begins to laugh uncontrollably for the next hour. 

As the group moves out, Smallfang upon his griffon and the rest within a horse drawn wagon, Smallfang continues to laugh uncontrollably. 

They really have to look into what's wrong with the magic weave in and around the Order's keep.

A Poor Ambush
4,000 XP

As they travel closer to the mountains the ground turns into rolling foothills. They keep to the path while Smallfang and Rook's raven providing scouting ahead. Soon though a large boulder crashes into the wagon and the group springs into action. Rook yells that his raven has spotted a large troll on the far side of a hill who is throwing boulders. 

It is over in the blink of an eye, as each within the party descends upon the creature. Hope casts hold monster upon the creature and while it is unable to move each of the rest of the group hacks, slashes and claws the beast until it lies dead at their feet.

They look at each other proudly, dust their hands and continue on their way.

That was easy. Too easy? Nah. They are just that good.

Jabir's Army

The group makes their way through a small passageway hidden in the side of the mountain. This eventually takes them into a small room within the IceThorn Castle. The room, as is the castle, ancient. The rock walls pitted and crumbing. The secret passageway, long since exposed as the wooden barrier has rotted away.

They exit the room and stand in a long dark corridor. They move down the corridor, passing a couple of closed doors on either side of the hallway. They finally approach a pair of massive oak iron reinforced doors at the end of the corridor. The group pauses as Maddox and Smallfang take time to cast their find steed spells. Maddox summons his dire wolf while Smallfang summons a giant spider.

Together the group pushes open the large doors.

Hate Speech

The corridor that was once silent is now filled with the grunts and howlings of a language that none of them understands, except for Katya. She quietly tells them that they are hearing a warlike speech. Someone is invoking the name of Jabir to rally the group to attack Baldur's Gate, the home of the hated Order Of The Obisidian Dagger. They will make the city pay for the insult done to his older brother Jabir.

Smallfang, using his ring of spiderclimbing, climbs along the wall then ceiling of the hallway leading to the group of trolls. He sends his giant spider along the opposite hallway. Together they emerge into a vast chamber within the castle. In total darkness they see dozens of trolls, many of them mutated horribly. Some have two heads. Some have one massive arm. Some have vine growing in and out their entire bodies.

At the front of the group standing on a raised dais, there is a smaller, younger troll. He is the one speaking to the group. Smallfang instructs his spider to move closer to the front, in order to see better. Through the eyes of the giant spider, Smallfang can see a creature behind that of the young troll. It hovers behind and always keeps itself partially hidden behind columns or broken pieces of wall. But it seems to be the one feeding the troll with the words to speak.

At the foot of the dais, laying in a makeshift stretcher, lies the body of a near dead troll. This must be Jabir. The group has heard from the exploits of the others, the story of Jabir (but perhaps not his death). The troll once helped members of The Order, when they had been trying to rescue other members of The Order who had been taken hostage. Jabir aided them with promises given to him, which would see him a member of The Order. He could finally become the hero he had always wanted to be. Unfortunately, it didn't end that way.

For Jabir

Listening, to the speach, Katya hears that Jabir he was cruelly killed trying to join the group who had promised him a hero's redemption. Finding his body mangled and dying his family brought him back to the castle and immersed him in the healing fountain. Unfortunately, the fountain had been tainted hundreds of years ago, which had lead to the abandoning of the castle. Jabir was revived but because of the twisted nature of the fountain, he came back horribly mutated.

After his failed attempt at revenge, Jabir's body returned to the castle weeks later, having been dragged back by the vines growing through his body. After putting Jabir's body back into the pool of water again, he was revived but is little more than a lump of flesh and vine now. The trolls are to take up arms and show the Order the suffering that Jabir endured.

Smallfang retreats back to the group.
He calls back his spider. The spider is spotted crawling along with ceiling and is attacked by a massive thrown boulder. Smallfangs mental link is severed as the spider dies.

Lirath uses Smallfangs spiderclimbing ring to approach the large group of trolls unnoticed and casts a spell to mind control one of the trolls into attacking his neighbors. There is a tremendous cacophony as the group of adventurers hide further back down the corridor.
The sounds abruptly stop and there is complete silence.

A Quick Retreat

There is then a different voice in a different language, which Katya quickly tells the group is telling the trolls that they should spread out and find the intruders. The group quickly retreats back to the secret entrance. Lirath hangs back for just long enough to re-cast the spell which made one of the trolls attack his fellow trolls. But as he loses the power, he feels the spell unravel and the spell has no effect. He is puzzled and more than a little annoyed.

DM Note: No...it wasn't a counterspell. Counterspell does not work on psionics. I know. Trust me.

The group retreats to just outside the mountainside castle. Back out in the perpetual snowstorm, they try to hail the ship, The Flying Dragon. Eventually they fire off an arrow imbued with daylight.
While they wait, they hear the movement of rocks near the castle's collapsed entrance. They concluded that it must be the trolls digging themselves out.

Eventually, two of the ship's crew are dispatched and appear at the far end of the chain bridge. The group crosses, with Lirath again almost falling to his death. Finally they have the ship retrieve them and climbing aboard they debate their possibilities.

They decide that they'd much rather fight the hoard of trolls on their grounds, rather in the troll's lair. So they decide to lay waste to as much of the castle as possible with the ship's cannons. The night is filled with the sounds of explosion and gunpowder smoke as the cannons fire repeatedly at the castle until the ancient entrance way of the castle is unrecognizable. This will not kill off all of the trolls but it will buy them time.

They return to Baldur's Gate.

Preparing For The Seige

Back at the city, the group disperses and each prepares for the coming war in their own way.
Lirath seeks out magical stores within the city in hopes of finding healing potions. He finds that magical stores have become quite rare within the the city for some time now. He eventually settles upon the Order Of The Obisidian Dagger's keep. The mages within, who are contacted out by the Mage's guild to aid the Order, tell Lirath that it will cost him...dearly.

Hearing that they are forcing a hero of Baldur's Gate to pay exorbitant prices for supplies, Hope steps in and uses her bard's skills to eventually, gather a number of healing potions for Lirath.

Maddox and Smallfang use their time organizing the existing forces of Baldur's Gate. Watches are setup. Signal fires and fires for aiding watching the distant forest edge are built. They also teleport to the Netir Vale and emplore Zacheus Rainglove, the current leader of the entire Order Of Obsidian Dagger, to send as many men and woman to fight for Baldur's Gate. They begin sending soldiers at a steady rate.

A week passes and sees the groups efforts begin to take shape.

On a bright late summer afternoon, as the group is moving about the western outer city trying to evacuate all of the residents to inside the city walls, they hear a cry far off at the outer edge of the settlement.

Troll Sighting

The watchtowers begin to ring the warning bells and they light their signal fires. As each neighboring watch tower sees the signal fire they light theirs in turn. As the others are busy trying to usher people to safety, Lirath, who has stayed further behind, notices that the signal fire at the opposite end of the city was lit at nearly the same time as the signal fire here on the western gate.

It is the trolls. At both gates.

Lirath, runs to the other side of the city to aid the gate there, leaving the rest of the group to manage the trolls at this gate.

DM Note: I think this counts as breaking the "don't split the party" rule

The Death (and ressurection) of Lirath

As Lirath approaches the eastern gate, he is met with chaos. The soldiers there are trying to fight off a group of 4 trolls and failing. The trolls break through and begin slaughtering any who stand in their way. Lirath runs up and begins to cast a mind control spell but is smashed to a pulp under the massive fists of two trolls. He falls unconscious and is dying.

Luckily, the group had decided to call out as many clerics as they could from the Order's keep. One of the clerics rushes to the aid of Lirath and revives him. He awakens and is able to summon all of his psionic powers to overcome the trolls.

The Flood

Meanwhile, back at the western gate, the group ushers civilians as fast as they can, while Rook, an illusionist wizard, begins the ritual to cast mirage arcane. Rook transforms almost the entire outer city into a vast lake, hoping to drown the trolls, or at least convince them they're drowning. Trying to buy time to get the city's citizen through the city gates and into the relative safety of the city, Rook also conjures the image of a long wooden dock under the feet of the line of people trying to get into the city. Unfortunately, many of the citizens fall into the illusionist's lake and begin struggling. The group quickly begins to aid people to get to the dock where they can stand.

Meanwhile, the trolls have approached close enough for the group to see them. Some of them charge along the massive dock, some are using the dock to swim and crawl along. As they approach they kill the people who are in their way.

Katya, Rook and Smallfang are all along the dock when the trolls arrive. Hope, the bard, assists from atop the watchtower. As the trolls progress, the group sees the trolls are trying to gain access to the city. Trying to slow them down, Rook transforms the dock into a covered bridge, with the end facing the trolls, closed, save for a small door for the people. As the group ushers the citizens through the covered bridge, they together try to hold back the trolls from atop the bridge's roof.

The Freeze

Hope, seeing the group needing help. Jumps from the parapet of the watchtower to the covered bridge below. The leaps is impressive as is the landing. As she tumbles to her feet she sees the trolls in the water and leaps into the lake below. Just as she is about to surface, Rook decides to trap the trolls by turning the water to ice. It works but Hope is trapped as well. Seeing this, Rook jumps down to the ice and sees the frozen form of Hope a few feet below, trapped within the ice.

Rook tries to help by transforming the bard into an arctic weasel. This at least helps with the crushing pressure of the ice but as he watches the weasel scratch at the ice, uselessly, he realizes that Hope will perish soon if not retrieved from the ice. So he causes the land underneath the ice to raise up and as the ice disperses, the form of Hope back in human form appears.

As the group catches their breath, thinking the trolls are defeated, there is the sound of ice cracking and along spots on either side of the dock/bridge there appears massive cracks with vines pushing out from beneath.

The mutated trolls are emerging.

The group looks at each other and Rook winks at them. He has a plan.

Jabir's Revenge

The Order is receiving more frequent reports of troll sightings at various places around the city walls of Baldur's Gate. Guards stationed at the gates have witnessed trolls at just past dusk, late at night or very early morning, running from the nearby forests and battering the walls and gates of the city. There has been a couple of reports of people being taken from the walls and killed by the trolls.

The trolls now seem to bear some sort of sigil painted on themselves in yellow and green paint.
(A stylized and dyslexic "J" along with a circle with a dot in the middle).
Some soldiers have reported that the trolls have now taken to yelling a war cry upon attacking. One soldier reports the war cry as "Jay bird" while another argues that it was "Jawbone".
Neither makes sense.

The Order deems this problem to be a priority.

The Retirement Of Araxie

The next morning they head out to the docks of the city to board the Flying Dragon, which they will take to the mountains to the east, where previous members of the Order reported dealings with trolls, as well as the traitorous faction of the Order well over a year ago.

At the docks, they find the Order's airship, the Flying Dragon, manned by only a skeleton crew. They are told that since Captain Araxie last set down, she has been off at one of the taverns. The crew waited awhile but when she didn't return to set sail for further excursions, to pirate the skies, most of her crew followed her lead and left to frequent the many taverns in the city.

The group orders that what crew is here go into the city, find and recall all of the crew. They set sail tomorrow on an important mission. Maddox and Smallfang know where Captain Araxie is. They head off to the Whet Stone.

At the whorehouse, the Whet Stone they see the waitress, Annabelle Brightknocker, and ask her if they've seen Araxie. Annabelle hurriedly gestures to the back of the tavern under the stairs and says, "where she always is."

In the back, they find the Araxie sitting at a table covered in empty glasses. She looks up at them with absolutely no recognition.

Maddox and Smallfang introduce themselves to their old friend Araxie. They are needing her to aid them in a mission. Araxie scoffs. They agree to pay her. She pauses and then adds the cost of her bar tab. They agree. She doubles it. They, again, agree.

The three of them leave the Whet Stone and head off towards the Order's keep.  Back at the keep, they assemble as many clerics, mages and wizards as they can. After much experimentation and examination, it is concluded that the magic affecting Araxie is a arcanic blood oath. The only way to remove it is to have the caster reverse the curse. They all turn to each other and inquire but no one knows the caster.

They then decide to make Araxie as comfortable as possible. She has served the Order well. She has easily earned them the most revenue during the past year and has made the Order flush again bringing them back from the brink of financial collapse. They set her in a comfortable (well...padded really) room and give her drink to appease her temper. And there they leave her.

They return to the ship the next day hoping the crew has returned.

The Flying Dragon Takes To The Skies Once More

Back at the ship, the deck is bustling with activity as the crew, now almost fully assembled, is readying the ship for departure. Phillipe, the first mate, directs the party to the captain's quarters. When they enter the large and well furnished quarters. There at the large desk is Captain MacKenzie, feet upon the desk. He welcomes them in with a smug look on his face.

He tells them that he would be glad to captain their ship and let bygones be bygones, for a price. The group tells him that they would rather make Phillipe captain. MacKenzie tells them that Phillipe is a good sailor but not captain material yet. The group relents but Maddox forces MacKenzie to take the Oath of the Order Of The Obsidian Dagger. Thus preventing him from doing anything that would harm the others. He eagerly agrees and begins the oath. Deshanie catches him crossing his fingers behind his back and makes him begin again.

Once the preparations have been made, the ship is unmoored and  takes to the sky. Captain MacKenzie is having obvious troubles keeping his tongue and action on the lawful good side. He stutters and halts his speech with great effort as he tries not to give in to his baser instincts. They travel swiftly towards the mountains east of the city. They travel until nightfall and must, for safety, reduce their speed. The next morning, they begin their search through the many mountainous passes, looking for the distinctive chain bridge they were told about.

Around midday, a lookout calls out that he has spotted a bridge. They slow and lower the ship until they see a small stone bridge. This is not the bridge they had heard about from the others. Captain MacKenzie begins a rant which he has to quickly curtail. In frustration, he spins the ships wheel recklessly. All aboard scramble to hold on. Some of the party barely move as if they're feet are glued to the deck, others like Lirath Mindlasher, the newly arrived high elf,  are not so surefooted. Lirath tumbles towards to rails, then over top of the rails, and fails to grab hold of anything.

Falling over 60 feet to the snow covered mountainside below, Lirath casts a spell and which turns him into a spectral form hoping to minimize the damage from the fall. Everyone on board watches as the spectral form of the Lirath hits the ground below in a plume of snow. He slowly raises his arm and then slowly raises his thumb into the air. He still lives.

The crew is scrambled to throw ropes over and descend to rescue Lirath. Captain MacKenzie is the first over the rails and begins to descend the rope, perhaps out of guilt. Lirath is alive and well enough to see MacKenzie, the reason for her fall, and she casts a spell. MacKenzie becomes paralyzed and plummets silently down into the chasm, hundreds of feet down. They all watch as his immobile body descends the depths until the snowy air obscures his certain death.

As they pull Lirath back aboard the airship, Lirath apologizes. He meant only to teach Captain MacKenzie a lesson in humility. Didn't realize the airship was over a deep gorge. Who knew?

A New Captain

Now they debate as to who will captain the ship. The Order members to do not have enough experience and they soon come to the conclusion that Phillipe will be captain. He nervously accepts. As he shout orders to the crew he is constantly checking with the Order members as to what he should do, where he should head. He immediately seems very indecisive. (this is what MacKenzie meant about not captain material)

They approach what they think are the ruins they are looking for. Through the blowing snow the ruins of a great castle appears. It is carved into the side of the mountain. It is connected to the opposite side of a deep gorge by a massive chain. The links themselves are about ten feet long and at least five feet wide. Boards have been placed along it's length to aid in crossing but they have long since begun to rot.

As they try to investigate from aboard the ship, multiple spells are shot across the ship. The ship is maneuvered and all the cannons facing the mountain are fired. The entrance to the ancient ruins is completely destroyed. Whatever was in there will have to find another way out.
Phillipe says he will set down as far as he can away from the ruins and drop off the party.
The group is worried he will take off on them so they cast spells on him to track him.

Back To Castle IceThorn
7,300 XP

They look across the massive chain bridge and begin to cross. The howling winds and blowing snow make crossing treacherous. As they approach the far end, more spells are shot towards the group. Lirath is hit once more. This time he is caught within the grasp of a telekenesis spell and tossed off the bridge. He again plummets down into the massive chasm below. Barely surviving the fall, he lies injured and out of sight of the others.

Healing himself with, surprisingly unbroken, potions of healing, he struggles to his feet and looks up from the bottom of the gorge. It's a long way back up. Better get to it. He starts to climb.

Meanwhile, still on the chain bridge, the others try and make it to the other side but rays of spell attacks try and grab and freeze the group. Katya makes it across the fastest and encounters a two headed troll. He is war painted with a dyslexic J and a circle with a central dot in the middle. The troll grunts as he attacks without question and is soon joined by two other two-headed trolls.

The spell attacks continue but now as the creatures get closer they can be seen through the blowing snow. They are small spherical creatures that fly through the air. They have small eye stalks from which the spells emanate. The battle continues as the trolls take massive amounts of damage and continue to attack. Smallfang's magical blade soon aids Maddox in taking down the trolls. While Katya leaps up to grab the small flying creatures and tears them apart with her claws.

As the battle nears its conclusion, Lirath finally emerges at the edge of the cliff, having climbed up the precarious gorge from 200 feet below. As he climbs and stands up, she stands face to face with one of the flying spell casting creatures. Just as it is about to cast the spell to push Lirath back down into the gorge, to what must be certain death, Lirath is able to attack t.he creature and kill it.

DM Note: You're lucky Lirath, that you convinced the universe to allow you an action, otherwise you'd have a record fast death

When all the enemies have been slain, the group stands among the ancient frozen battle ground and wonders what to do. The main entrance to the mountainside castle has been obliterated by the cannon fire from their ship.

There must be another way in.

Of Sewers And Disease

The Continuation Of Wonder Ale

1,000 XP

Back in Baldur's Gate, the populace has grown impatient with the Order. Tales of corruption and abuse of power have diminished little since the Order's departure to battle the tarrasque. So the Order holds a community forum. The assemble all who are interested to discuss the future of Wonder Ale. After rousing speeches from the Order and rebuttals from community members it is decided to allow stakeholders, such as tavern, inn and restaurant owners a chance to inspect the Wonder Ale facilities.

The next day Order members lead the assembled group into the sewers. With worried looks from the newcomers they finally come to the sewer chamber where they witness a massive group of goblins pissing into the sewers collecting it and transforming into the base for Wonder Ale.

They are immediately taken aback.
They discuss.
They decide as long as the money continues to flow....they're ok with this.

 A Newly Forming City

After the battle with the tarrasuq, H is installed as marshall and a few of the tarrasque heroes stay behind to aid him in keeping law and order in the town which has just discovered a new resource, the endless meat from the tarrasuqe. H and the others swear that no criminal element will thrive under t
heir watch.

The others return to Baldur's Gate. They use the permanent portal that links them with the plane of Netir Vale, the original home of the Order Of The Obisidian Dagger. Back in the Netir Vale, in the city of Diapthora, below the Order's keep is the Vault. A seemingly endless warehouse of vaults protected by massive arcane locks and glyphs of warding. They walk down long marbled corridors, lined with vault after vault, until they arrive at a vault number 1138. After unlocking the series of locks and glyphs they place the tarrasque's pituitary gland and the book that has been fought over for so long, within. The vault is locked and the group returns to Baldur's Gate.

Maddox sets to fixing and growing the Order in Baldur's Gate. All members are now sworn in with the Order's oath immediately, to avoid corruption. The Order begins demanding more taxes from the populace and they begin actively recruiting new members.

One Year Later
DM Note: also known as a bag full of adventure hooks

Absinthe has set up her "mansion" behind the doorway to a local tavern. As patrons enter what they think is their local tavern, they are portaled to Absinthe's Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion. There they enjoy a supremely luxurious mansion and it's accouterments. There is entertainment by Absinthe herself and business has begun to bloom.  The tavern owner of the original tavern, whose door is now a portal to Absitnthe's, constantly wonders why no one comes in anymore. She does  a thriving business....and sells no wonder ale.

Araxie has set off to sail the clouds and look for treasure. She eventually gains a reputation for being a very efficient pirate, earning the Order much money. Each time she returns to Baldur's Gate with treasure hoards people notice she is becoming very forgetful.

Baldur's Gate has to have rumors of a cursed section of the city. Rumors of diseases and crumbling buildings have made it so that this quarter of the city is avoided by most of the populace. Stories of wells drying up and sewers no longer working have made it so that even the people living in the area are asking for help from the city. Maintenance workers have been dispatched to fix the problems but they did not return. Two Order soldiers were then sent to investigate but they have not yet reported back.

The guards from the city walls have been reporting troll sightings at an ever increasing frequency. They often come during the night but there have been a few incidents during the day and even one where a commoner was grabbed off the wall and killed. The trolls always retreat back into the forests before anyone can do anything..

Meanwhile in the now rapidly expanding city of Salt In The Wounds, H, the marshal of the city, has been sending back reports to The Order in Baldur's Gate. He tells of religious factions growing in response to the tarrasque. There were the Enders who had vowed to destroy the tarrasque but that was creating a riot between the Enders and the rest of the city. The economic machine that has been built around the tarraque will not be so simply ended. There is the Circle of Release who worship the tarrasque as a god. They see it as a source of immortality.

Then there is also the Church Of The Monad who are a collection of alchemists, arcanists and academics who study the properties of the tarrasque's flesh. They have recently come up with a way to create a flesh golem made from the flesh and meat of the tarrasque and which has now become a thriving and growing slave industry.

Then there is the odd way that some of the marrow miners are treated. Those that seem resistant to the mutating effects of the tarrasque are quickly recruited into a semi-religious semi-military order called the God Butchers. They have taken it on themselves to protect and ward the tarrasque against all others. Access to the tarrasque is closely watched and guarded at all times by these white robe wearing knights. They speak little and kill those who they deem a threat.

DM Note: Speaking of mutating effects, it would seem that H has acquired the ability of blindsight. He also has acquired a growth that randomly appears on various spots on his body which periodically has to be removed by the local surgeons.

Descent Into The Sewers

The Order decides the local matter of the infectious area of the city and the sewer blockages are a priority. H has a handle on the new city and the trolls seem to be doing minimal damage at the moment.

They enter the section of the lower city that the main populace has come to avoid. The streets are abandoned and deserted. The streets collect windswept garbage as this area has become no longer maintained. Shops are closed and there is no movement, except the vines which wrap around most building blowing in the wind.

They enter the sewers via a large street drain and descend into darkness. Casting light on Guy's staff for those unfortunate enough not to have darkvision, they move through the sewer tunnels. The moving is slow though due to the massive growth of vines which almost entirely block the tunnels in one direction. They use spells, weapons and claws to hack their way through the vines.

Guy and Katya both become covered in multiple scrapes and have to pull thorns out of their flesh before long. Guy is a little worried about what weird diseases or poisons these vines hold but it is of little concern to Katya, who never has to worry about such things.

DM Note A: Please note....multiple scrapes with multiple con saving rolls

The sewer river now only flows as a slight trickle along the murky and muddy channel. The soft bottom clings to their feet as they try to walk. As they move through the sewers they encounter several emaciated and filth covered corpses entangled and hidden within the vines. Judging by their clothing they surmise that these must be the missing sewer workers as well as a couple of Order members.

Finally, they make their way far enough to find the Wonder Ale production facility once more. There are just a handful of goblins who are lazily producing a small batch of their ale. The demand for the drink now since dwindled due to Absinthe's new tavern and her ban of Wonder Ale.

The Clan's New Matriarch

They ask one of the goblins for Gug, the matriarch of the clan, only to find she has recently died. But they are told that a "pretty lady" has come to be their mother now and she takes care of them. The group then looks down the large sewer chamber to see a black robed figure of a woman with a beautiful face and long soft hair. Indeed she is a "pretty lady", in fact Guy thinks that she is perhaps the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.

This woman is talking to Kof Megkag, the Order's representative, who is supposed to be responsible for overseeing the production of Wonder Ale and making sure the Order receives their due profit. She seems surprised at the groups arrival.

During the continued conversation with some of the goblins, it is learned that after Gug's demise, some of the other goblins, notably Gothmork and Peegz, set off to start their own ale business in a a new thriving town, which features a captured tarrasque as it's attraction. They hope their brothers are doing fine. They should be Peegz is very smart...he wears glasses.

DM Note: He actually wears branches formed into the shape of glasses with no lenses....but yes....they make him smart.
DM Note: they no longer use goblin piss as a base but based it on worms growing in the rotting
tarrasque meat

As they question the beautiful woman, and find she has taken charge of the clan. She is draped in a long cape with large sleeves.
Guy hits on her and soon convinces her to have sex with him. They move to another room in the sewer (eww) and after a longish while they both return. The woman no longer completely covered by her robe...exposing the body of a multi-legged cockroach while still having a beautiful human head. She holds on to Guy lovingly.

Absinth uses Geas to befriend the woman/cockroach. She tells them her name is Teratashia. She has been using Kof Megkag, the druid from the Order, to help her restore the city back to nature. The world needs less of stone and man and more flora and insects.

Hearing their conversation....the druid, Kof, uses this distraction to leave the area.

Slimy Sewer Zombies
19,200 XP

The group learns that the vine infestation and diseases are related to the activities of both Teratashia and Kof Megkag. As the group discusses possible actions, with Teratshia being very forthcoming and helpful, Kof returns and summons several slime covered zombies that emerge from within the vines. The zombies attack as well as Kof Megkag.

There is little room to maneuver in the sewers. The zombies are tough.
Absinth throws pillars of the earth to pin several zombies against the ceiling of the sewer
Guy is protected by Teratashia who throws herself in front of her lover to shield him from the attacks.
Katya is grabbed by zombies and repeatedly pummeled.
Deshanie tries to battle the zombies but soon is dropped unconscious into the slimy floor of the sewer. Absinth briefly debates whether or not to come to Deshanie's aid....but Deshanie had been rude to Absinthe....so no.
Asbsynth attempts to save herself from attacks by going invisible.
As the tide of the battle turns finally to the adventurers, Kof Megkag takes a fast retreat into the depths of the sewers. Absinthe orders her new "friend" to pursue and capture the druid. Teratashia runs off in pursuit while the others clean up the remaining zombies.
Long fought battle finally done.

Teratashia returns and tells the group that the druid lost her in the sewer tunnels. Absinthe chastises her and tells her to continue the pursuit until she finds Kof and brings her back to the group. Teratashia runs off, again, in a vain attempt to find Kof.

The others return to the Order's keep. Covered in filth and battle worn, they clean up and rest.

The Return To The Sewer

The next day, Guy finds himself feeling unrested and ill. He begs off the mission to continue to investigate the sewers and a different crew sets off towards the sewers.

They enter the infected area of the city.  Maddox uses blight to try and kill off the vines which now cover the houses and streets but it only seems to affect a small portion of the vine. They need to find it's main root.

They find a well clogged and shut from a mass of vines.  They use moonbeam to blast open an area to descend down and lower themselves down awkwardly

Maddox covered in plate mail catches himself on the many vines covering blocking the well. He tries to free himself and ends up plunging down the well into the water 60 feet below. He feels relief as he realizes that between the water and his armor the fall was not that bad.....then he starts to sink under the weight of his armor. As he continues to descend into deeper and darker water...he reaches into his backpack and grabs the only thing he can think of....the origami gift the old wizard, Armaka Amun-Ra, had given him for helping free the wizard.

With darkness quickly enveloping him, he unfolds the paper until it begins to unfold itself. It soon takes the shape of a large round ball with several arms surrounding it. A huge eye in the middle of the body blinks open and stares at Maddox. He gestures up, and the creature begins to ascend. Maddox quickly grabs onto one of the many eye stalks and travels up and out of the water with the origami beholder.

As Maddox is set down on a safe ledge within the well, he and the others stare at the unusual sight of a paper beholder, now covered in sewer filth and falling apart from the soaking it has taken. Sad that he never got to use his magical gift but glad it at least was able to save his life....Maddox and the group continue on.

An ArchDruid's Twisted Mission
10,650 XP

Katya shows Maddox and Smallfang where she and the others had last seen Kof Megkag. They discover Kof within a large room in the sewer system. She is in the midst of performing a ritual over a large pool of water which glows with orange energy. A huge vine root pulses with energy and

growth as Kof pushes the magic she is working into the plant.

She is guarded by several of the zombies they had encountered earlier except for a larger zombie who stands much taller and has a huge belly which stands near Kof protecting her. The group moves as quietly as they can nearing the druid while Smallfang summons a large octopus which grabs a zombie and immobilizes it.

Maddox rushes out in the open and casts banish upon the druid and she is sucked down a portal into a flaming and smoking plane. While he is holding his concentration holding the banishment the group makes easy work of the remaining zombies. When that is done, they assemble back where the druid was banished and prepare for her return.

Maddox releases the banishment spell and Kof returns. She returns smoking and covered in small burns and bits of her hair are on fire. She doesn't suffer long as the group cuts her down before she even has a chance to realize that she has returned to the plane she was trying to return to nature.

Maddox casts blight again but this time on the large root which, now that the magical pool is no longer pulsing with magical energy, is no longer growing. The root turns grey and begins to shrivel and desiccate. The crackling sound of the plant drying and cracking spreads throughout the room and travels down the sewer tunnels as the vines begin to shrivel and die.

The group decides to return to the surface. As they move through the tunnels they witness the vines die and shrink and they hear the sound of rushing water as the vines no longer hold back the massive amount of sewer water which previously was blocked from flowing. They hurry as they hear the sound of water approaching. Katya is able to climb quickly with no difficulty while Smallfang simply misty steps out of the sewer. Maddox on the other hand is left to climb out using a rope and he has trouble as the water comes rushing into the well and begins to threaten to wash Maddox away until the other two help pull him out.

Laying dripping filth upon the cobblestones of the street, the group sees a figure shambling towards them making an odd noise. They draw their weapons. Another zombie? As the figure gets closer they put their weapons away as they see it is a frail man who is clearly sick. Maddox uses lay on hands and the man is able to speak. He feels better thank you but his family is dying. He directs them to a small house and a bed upon which a frail young boy lies.

Mass Curing
4,000 XP

As they pull the covers off of the boy, they see his body is slightly translucent. Some of his organs are just visible through his skin. His skin is also covered in a thick clear slime. They together cast healing spells and realize that he has been infected with more than one disease.

As they finally leave the house, with the family fully healed, they are surrounded by other citizens of this area who are all presenting themselves and loved ones to be healed. The adventurers do not have enough healing between them to heal everyone here, especially since they have learned that many people are infected with multiple diseases.

Multiple diseases. Something twigs Smallfangs memory. This is important. Oh well....carrying on they heal as many as they can promising to return. They order guards at all entrance/exit points of this district with strict quarantine instructions. They will get a handle on this before it gets worse.

They return to the Order's keep. They find several of the Order in a panic as they have not been able to rouse Guy. They have knocked on the door to his quarters with no answer. They know he was sick but none dared entered without having the authority. Maddox has no problem with this as he strides to Guy's quarters and knocks. No answer. He walks in.

A Smily Demise

DM Note: Please see DM Note A....again. Since Guy only was cured of ONE disease state

The room is dark with it's curtains drawn and it smells like a sick room. Close and sickly warm. He moves to open the curtains letting the sun in. He sees the form of Guy under the covers making labored breathing sounds. He pulls the covers back and sees nothing familiar.

It is a large blob of jelly. Small flecks of skin and organs remain within the blob but the body of Guy has been almost entirely turned into a slime creature. A pseudopod darts out of the creature and smacks Maddox upon the armor with a sizzling of acid.

Maddox and Smallfang slash and pummel the creature until it is dead. Not a glorious end to the brave and glorious Guy.

DM Note: safe sex....it's more important than you can imagine!

Battle Of The Tarrasque

The Book Finally Read
2,000 XP

When Absinthe finally recovers enough for her to recount to the others her harrowing experience of reading the vile book that has been fought over for so long, she tells the group of what she's learned.

The book it would seem, is The Book Of The Tarrasuqe, obviously enough. She says that it is a demonic book which tells of rituals that can be performed to summon the World Ender, the tarrasque from the Chaotic Plane to this plane. The book also tells of how to stop the demons from completing the ritual.

This is why the various devils have been trying to acquire the book. Some devils even tried to tell the group that they are working towards the same end. That was, preventing the summoning of the tarrasque to this plane.

Sadly, the the group was able to defeat the devils trying to get the book and as such have failed to stop the summoning of the tarrasque.

The group sits on the deck of Araxie's ship, the cool night air around them and the stars bright in the sky. One of them notices a bright spot in the sky. Soon enough everyone is looking skyward as the bright spot turns into a bright streak. Soon the night sky is lit as in dawn with the bright spot travelling across the sky like a meteor. They watch as it crashes beyond the mountains with a large flare.

Following the Falling Star

Araxie heads her ship in pursuit and the next day they soon are able to follow the massive trench created by the falling star. They follow it until they arrive at a huge crater a mile across near a small poor farming town. In the center, there is a rock-like sphere 60 feet across.

The object still glows from the heat it still retains.

As they watch the object, Araxie positions her ship nearby but only within cannon range.

Soon, the object begins to crack and open. As the sphere opens up, it unfolds to expose a massive creature. The Tarrasque.

The battle is fought long and hard but ultimately, the group concedes that perhaps they need either a different strategy or simply more soldiers. The tarrasque seems to reflect battle spells and is able to regenerate the damage done by the group more quickly than they can inflict it.

They return to Baldur's Gate to gather more experienced members in order to defeat this creature. If left to rampage it would certainly eventually destroy the entire world they live in.

The Battle Of The Tarrasque

The Order is able to assemble fifteen of the greatest heroes from around the immediate vicinity of Baldur's Gate.

Maddox, H, Absinthe
Araxie (and her crew aboard the Flying Dragon), Catya, Bertha
Vall, Smallfang, Guy
Deshanie, Criella, Thorin (the ugliest dwarf you've ever seen)
Ely Miss (a rare member of the mousefolk), Cortella and Liam.

Order....Assemble!

Ely Miss uses her arcane skills to clone herself in order to aid the battle.
The tarrasque charges often. Surging forward at great speed and tramples Maddox and Criella.
Absinthe is able to grab Maddox and teleport up to Araxie's ship in order to help him.

But the ship is no haven from the tarrasque. It looks to have been previously held with arcanic shackles which is must have broken, for the shackles, along with some remnants of chain, dangle from it's massive feet. It has learned to use them to throw lightning attacks, which is does to great damage to The Flying Dragon.

The lightning attack kills many on board including the cleric, Amelia Dustglacier. She was in charge of maintaining the air elemental which powers the ship. The air elemental which is housed in a large clear crystal in the ship's hold. This crystal has now been badly cracked. The air elemental escapes and attacks...angry that it has been tortured and used to power a device of humanoid making.

The airship begins to list badly. Crew scramble to hold on.

They are able to battle the air elemental back into the crystal and Cortella is able mend the crystal enough to keep the air elemental at bay and Araxie is able to right the ship.

The tarrasque is finally brought down thanks to a combination of magical preventing the tarrasque from regenerating the damage done to it as well as just massively damaging the creature from all involved, including the massive destructive power of Araxie's cannons, forged by H. This has to happen a couple of times as they realize that even if the creature is killed, given enough time it will come back to attack.

They dig through the tarrasque looking for an organ responsible for it's regenerative abilities. Soon they arrive near the brain and as they cut out what looks to be a pituitary gland, the beast now longer seems to regain consciousness. It is finally subdued.

DM Note: Scew XP.....LEVEL UP!

The Aftermath

The townsfolk from nearby eventually approach the group and all find that the tarrasque, with it's regenerative properties still intact, but unable to regain consciousness, they can now harvest in infinite amount of food and resources from the creature. Magic reflecting scales, bones and meat are mined off of the creature and the town's industry is renewed with vigor.

This worries the Order and H volunteers to stay behind to keep law and order. 

Hopefully, he is enough.

DM Note: Sorry guys, didn't know the tarrasque battle was going to take two full nights.

DM Note: To my D&D group....sorry about the delay in getting the notes down....lack of internet sucks!