Sunday, May 31, 2009
Campaign Set-Up
The characters are all members of a special team put together by one of Archduke Stefan Karameikos' ministers. Their job? To investigate supernatural occurances in the realm and take down monsters when they find them.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
The World of Mystara & The Grand Duchy of Karameikos
Monster Hunters takes place in the Mystara Universe developed for Dungeons and Dragons starting in the 1980s. More specifically, the campaign is set in the Grand Duchy of Karameikos.
Players should visit the following websites for information on the setting:
THE GRAND DUCHY OF KARAMEIKOS
http://pandius.com/karameik.html
http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/ShadowTriad/karameikos.html
http://www.users.waitrose.com/~alanderekjones/karameikos-main.html
MYSTARA
http://pandius.com/
Players should visit the following websites for information on the setting:
THE GRAND DUCHY OF KARAMEIKOS
http://pandius.com/karameik.html
http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/ShadowTriad/karameikos.html
http://www.users.waitrose.com/~alanderekjones/karameikos-main.html
MYSTARA
http://pandius.com/
Friday, May 29, 2009
Player Characters
Kerwyn the Mysterious: Kerwyn the Mysterious has earned his epithet as much for his unknown parentage as for his learning in the magical arts. Kerwyn grew up as apprentice to a wizard of dubious alignment. Despite his shadowy past, Kerwyn often displays a remarkable capacity for compassion and faith in humanity, although he is not beyond using extreme measures (including dark magics) to accomplish what he believes to be the greater good. Kerwyn has what some mall call a "treacherous" curiosity, which leads him to investigate arcane mysteries as well as the darker sides of nature. He is compiling all the lore he can on the hidden creatures of the world for a bestiary of the realms that he is writing, and which contains among other things illustrations, diagrams, and even bits and pieces of things he collects during his investigations. He is grateful for the opportunity to travel and work alongside Sir Kristoff, who he considers a friend, and his sense of compassion and keen insights serve him well in their work.
Sir Kristoff: Although Kristoff is a knight of Karameikos, his interests are somewhat atypical and his manner eccentric. Rather than dedicate himself to jousts, glorious battle, or tending to matters of court, Kristoff uses his station and talents to investigate and route out the hidden terrors that plague the realm. To maximize his effectiveness, he often hides his identity and resorts to subterfuge more readily than his knightly peers. Nevertheless, Kristoff operates within the knightly code (just barely) and commands the respect owed to his station when he so chooses.
Sir Kristoff: Although Kristoff is a knight of Karameikos, his interests are somewhat atypical and his manner eccentric. Rather than dedicate himself to jousts, glorious battle, or tending to matters of court, Kristoff uses his station and talents to investigate and route out the hidden terrors that plague the realm. To maximize his effectiveness, he often hides his identity and resorts to subterfuge more readily than his knightly peers. Nevertheless, Kristoff operates within the knightly code (just barely) and commands the respect owed to his station when he so chooses.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Adventure # 1: Jerimond's Orb
Note: Jermimond's Orb is a module published by AEG, authored by Ree Soesbee and compatible with Dungeons and Dragons (3rd Edition). You can purchase the module here. Changes were made to make the module compatible with my campaign.Returning from vanquishing a werewolf in a remote Karameikan village, Sir Kristoff and Kerwyn the Mysterious camped for the night a ten day’s journey from their home base in the city of Specularum. Just after dinner, a squat, hideous creature with yellow eyes, vicious claws, a mouth full of dagger-like teeth and a body covered with blue-black fur leapt out of the wood and sunk its teeth into Sir Kristoff’s mule. Having dispatched the pack animal, the creature then turned its attention to the two adventurers. Kristoff engaged the beast with his sword, while Kerwyn weakened it with a Ray of Enfeeblement. A few sword strokes and magic missiles later, the creature lay dead at the heroes’ feet. After Kerwyn took one of the creature’s teeth and a patch of fur as trophies, the adventurers decided to push on lest any more of the creatures attack them in the night. Checking their map, they decided to journey to Treefall, a village half a day’s journey from their current location.
Upon arriving at Treefall in the early morning hours, the adventurers were unable to rouse any of the townspeople. The town’s inn, named simply “Anatol’s Inn,” actually had a sign posted that read “The door’s close at nightfall. They do not reopen until sunrise. No exceptions.” Knocking on the door anyway, the adventurers heard a strange scuffling sound followed by an aggressive pounding on the door from the inside. Retreating towards the town square, the Kristoff and Kerwyn stopped by a bronze statue of a benevolent looking man holding a staff in one hand and a large seemingly precious blue orb in the other. A placard at the foot of the stature read, “Jerimond the Mage, friend to all and patron of Treefall. Orb of light, orb of peace and plenty - Jerimond's last gift to his friends - Rests here, with his ashes. He will be sorely missed.” Casting Detect Magic on the orb, Kerwyn determined that the stone was not enchanted. Just then, several of the creatures they fought earlier in the night emerged from the alleys between surrounding buildings and attacked. Kristoff and Kerwyn outdistanced the creatures on horseback and made it down one of the town roads which took them to a church dedicated to the Thyatian god, Ixion. Fortunately for them, the local priest, Father Agedos, opened the church doors and gave them Sanctuary.
Father Agedos explained the town’s current circumstances. About two weeks previous, the town’s crops began to rot. This loss was followed by attacks on livestock, which many attribute to bandits. Finally, Treefall suffered the tragic loss of Lala, the six-year-old daughter of a local merchant who was found stabbed to death before the statue of the town’s benefactor, the late wizard Jerimond. Agedos explained that some townspeople believed that Lala wasn’t stabbed to death, but rather mutilated by some sort of strange creature. Agedos also lamented that the townsfolk were somewhat suspicious of him, as they held on to their local “superstitions” and resented his efforts to “gather the flock” behind the worship of Ixion. Kristoff and Kerwyn became suspicious when they asked Agedos about the statue of Jerimond. Agedos explained that the townsfolk placed a great deal of faith in the orb’s ability to bring them good fortune, but seemed somewhat evasive when discussing its properties and history. Agedos seemed particularly disturbed when Kerwyn explained that the orb was no longer enchanted. After their conversation, Kristoff and Kerwyn decided to get some sleep before investigating further. At the priest’s suggestion, they decided to rest until sunrise, sneak out of town, and then reenter Treefall so as to avoid any association with Agedos.
Later that morning Kristoff and Kerwyn reentered the town to find Anatol sweeping out his inn. They questioned him about the night before, but the innkeeper didn’t seem to be aware of anything strange having transpired. Before they could press the innkeeper for any more information, a commotion developed just outside the premises. Anatol and his wife stepped out of the inn only to collapse in grief when they realized what transpired. Some townsfolk returning to Treefall late the previous night had found the innkeepers’ son lying dead by the side of the road. As they lowered the body to the ground outside the inn, Kristoff and Kerwyn noticed that the boys wounds corresponded to those they deliver to the beast the night before. Checking his belt pouch, Kerwyn was alarmed to discover that the tooth taken from the creature the night before now appeared to be that of a human.
As they mused over the situation, one of the townsmen – a young man by the name of Vassily – addressed the crowd, chiding them for placing too much trust in Jerimond’s orb and for not taking direct action against whoever was terrorizing their town, be they bandits or monsters. He then proposed to organize a group of men to gather that night and hunt for whomever or whatever was responsible for the recent tragedies. Just as he was winding down his tirade, a disheveled young man with a rude manner scoffed at Vassily, and dismissively left the crowd gathered outside of Anatol’s Inn.
Sir Kristoff engaged Vassily in conversation over a drink. He confirmed that there were monsters in the region, that he and Kerwyn had battled and killed one of them the night before, that there were more than one of the beasts, and that he and Kerwyn might be willing to join Vassily and his men in neutralizing their threat. Once he had drawn Vassily into his confidence, he injected enough information into the conversation for Vassily to figure out that Anatol’s son was the creature killed the night before. Although deeply disturbed, Vassily agreed to keep that detail secret for fear that the townspeople would overreact and hence deprive them of the help needed to eradicate the threat. Vassily, however, refused to entertain Kristoff’s notion that he might himself be transforming into a creature by the light of the moon.
Meanwhile, Kerwyn cast a Read Thoughts spell and caught up with the rude young man, whose name was Slava. Engaging Slave in conversation, he was able to tell that Slava had stolen the original Orb of Jerimond, that he had five roguish accomplices, that the four of them were trying hard to decipher some sort of code in order to unlock one of the orb’s secrets, and that they hiding out in some sort of stone structure. Kerwyn also asked Slava if he knew where Jerimond’s tower was located. Although Slava answered “no,” Kerwyn’s spell allowed the wizard to discern exactly where the tower was located. Finally, Kerwyn also saw that Slava’s ultimate plan was to leave town both wealthy and arm-in-arm with a pretty young lady who was the object of his affection. Kerwyn, however, was unable to obtain the young lady’s name. Despite the wealth of information that Kerwyn gleaned through spellcraft, the substance of Kerwyn’s conversation with Slava involved the wizard attempting to enlist the rogue’s help in investigating the threats to the town. Keen on breaking off his conversation with Kerwyn, Slava disingenuously agreed to help and then went about his business, promising to come back to Anatol’s with a full report later that afternoon.
Kristoff and Kerwyn then regrouped. Upon comparing notes they both agreed that it would be unwise to meet with Vassily and his men that evening, suspecting that they would turn into creatures and attack at sunset. They also agreed that they had to must find Slava before sunset and confront him about the orb. After a few inquiries, they found out that Slava lived with his father on a nearby farm, so they set off to find the young man. Unfortunately, Slava was gone by the time the adventurers reached the farm. A brief conversation with his father, however, revealed that Slava was in love with Ilka – the sister of the young girl who had been murdered only a week prior. Frustrated by their attempts to find Slava, the adventurers decided to investigate Jerimond’s tower.
They reached Jerimond’s tower by mid-afternoon. Entering the two story structure, they found a room notable for its four rune-covered support pillars as well as for the arcane books, scrolls, and writings carelessly strewn about the room. One of the pillars contained a secret door that had been exposed but remained locked. A Read Magic spell revealed that the orb served as a key for the secret door. Apparently, the thieves hadn’t quite figured out how to activate the mechanism. Kerwyn was also able to determine that the orb, which had been created by Jerimond, boosted the good fortunes of any individual who carried it. Placed in the statue, it could extend this boon to everybody in town. The orb, however, came with a price. Any individual who enjoyed the benefits of the orb would suffer a terrible curse upon being deprived of its power. Not only would they suffer random misfortunes, but they would ultimately be transformed into hideous creatures called Mathorns.
As the adventures explored the chamber, one of Slava’s accomplices entered the room and sounded an alarm. Kerwyn cast an invisibility spell upon himself, leaving Kristoff to handle the five rogues that emerged from an adjoining hallway. As the battle was joined, Kristoff and Kerwyn both noticed Slava slinking deeper into the keep. Still invisible, Kerwyn gave chase. Kristoff made quick work of three of the rogues. He then offered an ultimatum to the remaining two, who dropped their weapons and surrendered. Kristoff then followed after Slava. Entering the room that Kerwyn had followed Slava to, Kristoff almost became the victim of a sneak attack, but was saved by Kerwyn’s intervention. Kristoff then grappled Slava into submission and ordered him to come clean.
After producing the orb, Slava explained that he was only following orders. Father Agedos, he claimed, was the mastermind behind the whole plot. Frustrated by the fact that the townspeople were less than pious, Agedos enlisted Slava to take the orb, hoping that the resulting tough times would push the locals into worshiping Ixion. Agedos told Slava that he could use the orb to find Jerimond’s legendary treasure hoard. Although Slava admitted that the promise of this treasure was tempting, he insisted that it was mostly fear of the priest’s power that led him to take the orb. He promised to earn his redemption by playing whatever part the adventurers wanted in bringing Father Agedos to justice.
Believing Slava’s story, Kristoff and Kerwyn travelled back to Treefall and ordered Slava to replace the orb, which he did. The adventures related Slava’s tale to the crowds as they gathered, and anger against Father Agedos’ treachery began to rise to a nearly riotous pitch. Making its way to the church, the crowds confronted Father Agedos, but the priest’s apparent surprise, fear and confusion raised doubts in the adventurers’ minds regarding Slava’s story. These doubts were confirmed when they noticed that Slava had slipped away. Kristoff and Kerwyn then talked the crowd out of punishing the priest and towards finding Slava. Unfortunately, the knave got away, taking his beloved Ilka with him. Despite this setback, Kristoff and Kerwyn left Treefall knowing that they had changed the town’s fate for the better.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Adventure # 2: The Worms of Death
Late one night a rider arrived at the great city of Specularum with grave news from the distant town of Saros. The dead, he reported, walked the land. In response to this disturbing report, the Archduke’s ministers sent Sir Kristoff and Kerwyn the Mysterious to investigate. Suspecting necromancy, Kerwyn also enlisted the help of Father Orekh, a priest to the immortal Ixion with expertise in dealing with the undead.
Still two days from Saros, the threesome heard a woman screaming in the woods to the north of their roadside camp. Rushing to investigate, the heroes plunged into the forest, arriving at a clearing in short order. There they found an old woman wearing tatters and a cloth with arcane symbols wrapped around her eyes tied to a tree. Around the old woman were ten warriors who taunted her while apparently preparing to light her ablaze. Orekh then stepped into the clearing to ask what was going on. Bork, a Northman and the leader of the warriors, addressed the priest, explaining that she was a witch and responsible for various deaths and strange happenings in the nearby village of Kosava. The village, Bork claimed, hired him and his men to put an end to their troubles, and that’s exactly what he intended to do. The old woman would either come clean about her role in the affair, or burn for her failure to answer his questions.
Father Orekh attempted diplomacy, asking the old woman if Bork’s accusations were true. The old woman replied that she hated the villagers and those who helped them, and that she would cause them harm if it were in her power, especially since it was they who perverted the natural order of the forest with their intrusive ways. Alas, she lacked the power to do anything about the situation, so Bork’s accusations, she claimed, were inaccurate. Bork, however, took her virulent statements as proof of the old woman’s guilt, and proceeded with his plans. At this point, Sir Kristoff made his presence known. He attempted to stay Bork’s hand through intimidation, declaring on his knightly honor that a swift execution would be the punishment for any infraction carried out that night. Angered by the threat to his manhood and honor, Bork ordered his men to attack.
The Northman traded powerful blows for deft cuts from the able swordsmanship of Sir Kristoff. Meanwhile, Kerwyn and Orekh entered the fray, trying to subdue the Northmen without killing them. The outcome of the contest was in doubt when a new combatant made itself known – a large black bear, with an aspect of the undead, burst onto the scene, indiscriminately attacking everyone in the clearing. Orekh attempted to turn the beast, but the bear was unresponsive to the searing gaze of Ixion. With that, everybody joined forces to fight the bear. Thinking that he knew who was responsible for summoning the bear, Kerwyn turned his attention to the old woman, but noticed that she was as horrified as everybody else. Asking for her help, Kerwyn released the old woman from her bonds. She then caused the tree roots to come alive and restrain the bear as the warriors hacked it to bits with their weapons.
The aftermath of the battle saw an ending to the hostilities that preceded it. Three Northmen had fallen to the bear. Orekh bound the wounds of party member and Northman alike, the old woman was allowed to remain free, and Kristoff and Bork complemented each other’s combat skills. Meanwhile, Kerwyn turned his attention to the bear’s body. He found small pink worms writhing in the dismembered corpse. Examining the worms, he recognized an acidic, ectoplasmic ooze coating the creatures that betrayed their extra-planar origins. However, although alien the creatures were not fiendish. Discussing his findings with his companions, the party deduced that the worms had entered the bear, possibly after death, and animated it to serve the purposes of some sort of composite intelligence. The old woman confirmed that the bear had been a regular inhabitant of the forest until it was corrupted by outside influences, but she could not specify from whence this influence originated. She then returned to the wood. Deferring to Kerwyn’s arcane knowledge, Bork agreed to return to the village of Kosava with the adventurers and report on what they had experienced.
Upon arriving at Kosava, Kerwyn decided to burn the worm he had collected from the wood in the village blacksmith’s forge, lest it serve as a spy for a greater intelligence. The heroes then gave a full report to the village elders and began asking questions of their own. From Lazlo, one of the town elders, they learned that two weeks previous an old woman had died of natural causes and was buried according to custom. Two days later, her husband lay dead – strangled in his bed by an unknown assailant. He too was buried, but two nights after his burial the villagers were roused by the couple’s grandson, screaming like mad and swearing that he had seen his grandparents shambling outside his home. Nobody believed him, but days later they found the grandson’s body mutilated and half eaten by a beast – probably a bear. Two parties were sent to scour the woods for the beast, but only one returned. The others were later found scattered throughout the wood. Three were mauled, while two were beaten to death. Bork and his men arrived in Kosava the day after the villagers had buried the most recent dead, and were hired to put an end to the killings. The adventurers then asked if they had heard similar tales from the village of Saros, which was a day’s ride to the West. The villagers said that a month previous a rider had blown through the village, offering warnings that the dead walked the land. Since then, however, monks from the abbey at Saros had visited Kosava and everything seemed fine.
The only other person of note to come from the west was a mysterious traveler by the name of Avernus. For one night he regaled the villagers with tales of forbidden knowledge and fantastic places before riding off the next morning. Sir Kristoff discovered that Avernus had spent the night with Belka, one of the bar maids at the local tavern. Gently asking for her help, he convinced Belka to subject herself to Kerwyn’s interrogations. Using spellcraft, Kerwyn was able to see Avernus as he appeared in Belka’s memories – a tall, thin man, with a wirey muscles and shoulder length, luxuriant, black hair. He sported a gotee and mustache, had a wolfish grin about him, and moved with a sinewy grace. On his body were tattooed various spells, which Kerwyn was able to decipher. On his back, Protection from Arrows; on his left arm, Nondetection, and on his right, See Invisibility. With this knowledge, the adventurers decided to bed down for the night and continue their investigations the following day. Although exhausted, Kerwyn spent all night trying to replicate the spells he saw on Avernus’ body, but without success.
The next day the adventurers regrouped with Bork for breakfast where they also met Brother Zygby, one of the monks from the abbey at Saros. Zygby confirmed that there were no strange goings-on at Saros. He also confirmed that Avernus spent several months at the town before his departure several weeks previous. Disturbed by the adventurers’ tale, Zygby resolved to return to Saros with the news. He agreed, however, to accompany the heroes that day to exhume the bodies of the recently dead villagers in the hopes of finding more answers. Afterwards, the adventurers could travel with Zygby to Saros, meet with the abbot, Brother Justin, and hunt for more clues in the town. Digging up the graves revealed that empty coffins. The wooden tops to the coffins had been eaten through by acid, the bodies removed, and the empty caskets unceremoniously reburied. With that, the heroes decided to leave Bork and his men guarding the citizens of Kosava as they travelled with Brother Zygby to Saros.
Arriving at Saros sometime after midnight, the adventurers decided to accept Zygby’s invitation to sleep at the abbey that night and investigate the town in the morning. Before retiring, the adventurers met with the abbot, Brother Justin – an older man with an imposing frame and a forceful personality. Brother Justin listened with interest, voiced his suspicions about Avernus, and offered the use of the abbey’s library on the morrow. In the meantime, he arranged for sleeping quarters and allowed the heroes to turn in for the night. Sir Kristoff and Kerwyn went to sleep right away. Father Orekh, however, stayed up to say his evening prayers. It was while doing so that he noticed that the holy symbol of Ixion in his quarters had been defiled – coated in a vile, acidic slime. Alarmed, he stepped into the hall intent on waking his friends only to see the door to Kerwyn’s quarters open. Running down the corridor he entered Kerwyn’s chambers and found his friend entranced by one of the monks, who was about to vomit pink worms down the wizard’s throat. Drawing his flaming sword, Orekh struck down the monk. Kerwyn snapped out of his trance as Sir Kristoff, who had been roused by Orekh’s actions, stepped in to join them. Just then the doors at either end of the corridor burst open and crazed monks poured in to attack. Thinking quickly, Kerwyn grabbed hold of his friends and used his spellcraft to amplify the effects of his Boots of Teleportation, whisking them all back to the inn at Kosava in an instant.
Rescued from the proverbial frying pan, the heroes now faced a considerable fire when they found Bork and his men fighting off a group of ten infected monks from Saros. The fighting was brutal, with Bork losing all of his remaining men, but the heroes were ultimately victorious. Using a Speak with Dead spell, Orekh questioned one of the fallen monks. The results were literally mixed, with the collective mind calling itself the Wyrn responding to some questions, and the actual monk responding to others. From the questioning the heroes learned that something or someone had summoned the Wyrn to the material plane, that the Wyrn followed the dictates of the Great Wyrn, that the collective hoped to summon the Great Wyrn to Saros and use the town as a point of attack on the material plane, and that the infected Brother Justin was the center of the collective on the material plane. Killing him would effectively shut down the Wyrn invasion, provided that the Great Wyrn did not come through first.
Given the gravity of the situation, Kristoff and Orekh encouraged Kerwyn to use his Boots of Teleportation to return to Specularum, report to the Archduke, get some sleep, prepare some spells, and return to Kosava with armor and other needed supplies. Although Kerwyn had successfully whisked all of them out of Saros a few hours previous, his companions knew that transporting more than himself was a risky maneuver that put considerable strain on the wizard’s well-being. They therefore resolved to stay in Kosava until Kerwyn’s return. Based on Kerwyn’s report, the Archduke began amassing an army to descend on Kosava and Saros should the invasion prove successful. The fate of those villages, he explained, depended entirely on the success of their mission. After an uneasy night, Kerwyn returned to his friends, along with two suits of armor, a container of lye, greek fire, and some healing salves.
The trio, accompanied by Bork, then made their way back to Saros.
Arriving at the abbey, Kerwyn cast a spell of invisibility and scouted the area. The doors to the abbey were shut, but he could hear chanting coming from the cloister. The party then gathered as close to the cloister as possible. At the party’s request, Bork agreed to hurl greek fire into the cloister. Moments later, the doors to the abbey burst open, and monks poured out to attack, pink worm covered tentacles grotesquely lashing out of their mouths. Leaving Sir Kristoff, Orekh and Bork to confront the monks, Kerwyn, still invisible, slipped into the abbey and made his way to the cloister. There he found the abbot, sitting before a stone circle with fragments of a strange meteoric rock arranged at the center. Making his way behind the abbot, Kerwyn dumped the container of lye on the villain’s head. The abbot screamed in pain, but maintained his composure enough to attack Kerwyn. Kerwyn cast Endure Elements (Fire) on himself, and moved to hide in the flames that had been ignited the greek fire, but the abbot called him back out with a Command spell. He then cast a spell that almost tore Kerwyn’s heart from his chest. Kerwyn, however, had managed to light the fuse to his last greek fire bomb, and it went off, catching both the priest and himself in the explosion. Kerwyn, however, was still protected by the Endure Elements Fire spell. Nearly dead, the abbot began to strangle Kerwyn, and the wizard blacked out.
Outside, Sir Kristoff, Orekh and Bork had successfully defeated four times their number in infected monks, but not without taking a heavy toll. Just as the battle was turning for the worst, the monks all crumpled to the ground simultaneously. Rushing to the courtyard, they found Kerwyn’s body lying next to that of Brother Justin, the lye and fire damage apparently getting the best of the abbot after Kerwyn passed out. Fortunately, there was still life in Kerwyn’s body, and he was easily resuscitated by Brother Orekh’s healing magic.
The hours and days after the fight at the abbey revealed a grim reality. Having been entirely infected by the Wyrn, the entire town of Saros lay dead. All of Kosava’s missing dead were also found at Saros. The heroes took some consolation in the fact that their actions saved the smaller settlement of Kosava from a similar fate due to their actions. Leaving Bork to his future travels, the heroes returned to Specularum with many questions. Who exactly was Avernus? What, if anything, did he have to do with the Wyrn invasion? Where was he, and was he a threat to the realm? If they are lucky (or is it unlucky?) these questions may be answered at a later date.
Still two days from Saros, the threesome heard a woman screaming in the woods to the north of their roadside camp. Rushing to investigate, the heroes plunged into the forest, arriving at a clearing in short order. There they found an old woman wearing tatters and a cloth with arcane symbols wrapped around her eyes tied to a tree. Around the old woman were ten warriors who taunted her while apparently preparing to light her ablaze. Orekh then stepped into the clearing to ask what was going on. Bork, a Northman and the leader of the warriors, addressed the priest, explaining that she was a witch and responsible for various deaths and strange happenings in the nearby village of Kosava. The village, Bork claimed, hired him and his men to put an end to their troubles, and that’s exactly what he intended to do. The old woman would either come clean about her role in the affair, or burn for her failure to answer his questions.
Father Orekh attempted diplomacy, asking the old woman if Bork’s accusations were true. The old woman replied that she hated the villagers and those who helped them, and that she would cause them harm if it were in her power, especially since it was they who perverted the natural order of the forest with their intrusive ways. Alas, she lacked the power to do anything about the situation, so Bork’s accusations, she claimed, were inaccurate. Bork, however, took her virulent statements as proof of the old woman’s guilt, and proceeded with his plans. At this point, Sir Kristoff made his presence known. He attempted to stay Bork’s hand through intimidation, declaring on his knightly honor that a swift execution would be the punishment for any infraction carried out that night. Angered by the threat to his manhood and honor, Bork ordered his men to attack.
The Northman traded powerful blows for deft cuts from the able swordsmanship of Sir Kristoff. Meanwhile, Kerwyn and Orekh entered the fray, trying to subdue the Northmen without killing them. The outcome of the contest was in doubt when a new combatant made itself known – a large black bear, with an aspect of the undead, burst onto the scene, indiscriminately attacking everyone in the clearing. Orekh attempted to turn the beast, but the bear was unresponsive to the searing gaze of Ixion. With that, everybody joined forces to fight the bear. Thinking that he knew who was responsible for summoning the bear, Kerwyn turned his attention to the old woman, but noticed that she was as horrified as everybody else. Asking for her help, Kerwyn released the old woman from her bonds. She then caused the tree roots to come alive and restrain the bear as the warriors hacked it to bits with their weapons.
The aftermath of the battle saw an ending to the hostilities that preceded it. Three Northmen had fallen to the bear. Orekh bound the wounds of party member and Northman alike, the old woman was allowed to remain free, and Kristoff and Bork complemented each other’s combat skills. Meanwhile, Kerwyn turned his attention to the bear’s body. He found small pink worms writhing in the dismembered corpse. Examining the worms, he recognized an acidic, ectoplasmic ooze coating the creatures that betrayed their extra-planar origins. However, although alien the creatures were not fiendish. Discussing his findings with his companions, the party deduced that the worms had entered the bear, possibly after death, and animated it to serve the purposes of some sort of composite intelligence. The old woman confirmed that the bear had been a regular inhabitant of the forest until it was corrupted by outside influences, but she could not specify from whence this influence originated. She then returned to the wood. Deferring to Kerwyn’s arcane knowledge, Bork agreed to return to the village of Kosava with the adventurers and report on what they had experienced.
Upon arriving at Kosava, Kerwyn decided to burn the worm he had collected from the wood in the village blacksmith’s forge, lest it serve as a spy for a greater intelligence. The heroes then gave a full report to the village elders and began asking questions of their own. From Lazlo, one of the town elders, they learned that two weeks previous an old woman had died of natural causes and was buried according to custom. Two days later, her husband lay dead – strangled in his bed by an unknown assailant. He too was buried, but two nights after his burial the villagers were roused by the couple’s grandson, screaming like mad and swearing that he had seen his grandparents shambling outside his home. Nobody believed him, but days later they found the grandson’s body mutilated and half eaten by a beast – probably a bear. Two parties were sent to scour the woods for the beast, but only one returned. The others were later found scattered throughout the wood. Three were mauled, while two were beaten to death. Bork and his men arrived in Kosava the day after the villagers had buried the most recent dead, and were hired to put an end to the killings. The adventurers then asked if they had heard similar tales from the village of Saros, which was a day’s ride to the West. The villagers said that a month previous a rider had blown through the village, offering warnings that the dead walked the land. Since then, however, monks from the abbey at Saros had visited Kosava and everything seemed fine.
The only other person of note to come from the west was a mysterious traveler by the name of Avernus. For one night he regaled the villagers with tales of forbidden knowledge and fantastic places before riding off the next morning. Sir Kristoff discovered that Avernus had spent the night with Belka, one of the bar maids at the local tavern. Gently asking for her help, he convinced Belka to subject herself to Kerwyn’s interrogations. Using spellcraft, Kerwyn was able to see Avernus as he appeared in Belka’s memories – a tall, thin man, with a wirey muscles and shoulder length, luxuriant, black hair. He sported a gotee and mustache, had a wolfish grin about him, and moved with a sinewy grace. On his body were tattooed various spells, which Kerwyn was able to decipher. On his back, Protection from Arrows; on his left arm, Nondetection, and on his right, See Invisibility. With this knowledge, the adventurers decided to bed down for the night and continue their investigations the following day. Although exhausted, Kerwyn spent all night trying to replicate the spells he saw on Avernus’ body, but without success.
The next day the adventurers regrouped with Bork for breakfast where they also met Brother Zygby, one of the monks from the abbey at Saros. Zygby confirmed that there were no strange goings-on at Saros. He also confirmed that Avernus spent several months at the town before his departure several weeks previous. Disturbed by the adventurers’ tale, Zygby resolved to return to Saros with the news. He agreed, however, to accompany the heroes that day to exhume the bodies of the recently dead villagers in the hopes of finding more answers. Afterwards, the adventurers could travel with Zygby to Saros, meet with the abbot, Brother Justin, and hunt for more clues in the town. Digging up the graves revealed that empty coffins. The wooden tops to the coffins had been eaten through by acid, the bodies removed, and the empty caskets unceremoniously reburied. With that, the heroes decided to leave Bork and his men guarding the citizens of Kosava as they travelled with Brother Zygby to Saros.
Arriving at Saros sometime after midnight, the adventurers decided to accept Zygby’s invitation to sleep at the abbey that night and investigate the town in the morning. Before retiring, the adventurers met with the abbot, Brother Justin – an older man with an imposing frame and a forceful personality. Brother Justin listened with interest, voiced his suspicions about Avernus, and offered the use of the abbey’s library on the morrow. In the meantime, he arranged for sleeping quarters and allowed the heroes to turn in for the night. Sir Kristoff and Kerwyn went to sleep right away. Father Orekh, however, stayed up to say his evening prayers. It was while doing so that he noticed that the holy symbol of Ixion in his quarters had been defiled – coated in a vile, acidic slime. Alarmed, he stepped into the hall intent on waking his friends only to see the door to Kerwyn’s quarters open. Running down the corridor he entered Kerwyn’s chambers and found his friend entranced by one of the monks, who was about to vomit pink worms down the wizard’s throat. Drawing his flaming sword, Orekh struck down the monk. Kerwyn snapped out of his trance as Sir Kristoff, who had been roused by Orekh’s actions, stepped in to join them. Just then the doors at either end of the corridor burst open and crazed monks poured in to attack. Thinking quickly, Kerwyn grabbed hold of his friends and used his spellcraft to amplify the effects of his Boots of Teleportation, whisking them all back to the inn at Kosava in an instant.
Rescued from the proverbial frying pan, the heroes now faced a considerable fire when they found Bork and his men fighting off a group of ten infected monks from Saros. The fighting was brutal, with Bork losing all of his remaining men, but the heroes were ultimately victorious. Using a Speak with Dead spell, Orekh questioned one of the fallen monks. The results were literally mixed, with the collective mind calling itself the Wyrn responding to some questions, and the actual monk responding to others. From the questioning the heroes learned that something or someone had summoned the Wyrn to the material plane, that the Wyrn followed the dictates of the Great Wyrn, that the collective hoped to summon the Great Wyrn to Saros and use the town as a point of attack on the material plane, and that the infected Brother Justin was the center of the collective on the material plane. Killing him would effectively shut down the Wyrn invasion, provided that the Great Wyrn did not come through first.
Given the gravity of the situation, Kristoff and Orekh encouraged Kerwyn to use his Boots of Teleportation to return to Specularum, report to the Archduke, get some sleep, prepare some spells, and return to Kosava with armor and other needed supplies. Although Kerwyn had successfully whisked all of them out of Saros a few hours previous, his companions knew that transporting more than himself was a risky maneuver that put considerable strain on the wizard’s well-being. They therefore resolved to stay in Kosava until Kerwyn’s return. Based on Kerwyn’s report, the Archduke began amassing an army to descend on Kosava and Saros should the invasion prove successful. The fate of those villages, he explained, depended entirely on the success of their mission. After an uneasy night, Kerwyn returned to his friends, along with two suits of armor, a container of lye, greek fire, and some healing salves.
The trio, accompanied by Bork, then made their way back to Saros.
Arriving at the abbey, Kerwyn cast a spell of invisibility and scouted the area. The doors to the abbey were shut, but he could hear chanting coming from the cloister. The party then gathered as close to the cloister as possible. At the party’s request, Bork agreed to hurl greek fire into the cloister. Moments later, the doors to the abbey burst open, and monks poured out to attack, pink worm covered tentacles grotesquely lashing out of their mouths. Leaving Sir Kristoff, Orekh and Bork to confront the monks, Kerwyn, still invisible, slipped into the abbey and made his way to the cloister. There he found the abbot, sitting before a stone circle with fragments of a strange meteoric rock arranged at the center. Making his way behind the abbot, Kerwyn dumped the container of lye on the villain’s head. The abbot screamed in pain, but maintained his composure enough to attack Kerwyn. Kerwyn cast Endure Elements (Fire) on himself, and moved to hide in the flames that had been ignited the greek fire, but the abbot called him back out with a Command spell. He then cast a spell that almost tore Kerwyn’s heart from his chest. Kerwyn, however, had managed to light the fuse to his last greek fire bomb, and it went off, catching both the priest and himself in the explosion. Kerwyn, however, was still protected by the Endure Elements Fire spell. Nearly dead, the abbot began to strangle Kerwyn, and the wizard blacked out.
Outside, Sir Kristoff, Orekh and Bork had successfully defeated four times their number in infected monks, but not without taking a heavy toll. Just as the battle was turning for the worst, the monks all crumpled to the ground simultaneously. Rushing to the courtyard, they found Kerwyn’s body lying next to that of Brother Justin, the lye and fire damage apparently getting the best of the abbot after Kerwyn passed out. Fortunately, there was still life in Kerwyn’s body, and he was easily resuscitated by Brother Orekh’s healing magic.
The hours and days after the fight at the abbey revealed a grim reality. Having been entirely infected by the Wyrn, the entire town of Saros lay dead. All of Kosava’s missing dead were also found at Saros. The heroes took some consolation in the fact that their actions saved the smaller settlement of Kosava from a similar fate due to their actions. Leaving Bork to his future travels, the heroes returned to Specularum with many questions. Who exactly was Avernus? What, if anything, did he have to do with the Wyrn invasion? Where was he, and was he a threat to the realm? If they are lucky (or is it unlucky?) these questions may be answered at a later date.
Adventure # 3: The Monster of Highforge
Sir Kristoff, Kerwyn the Mysterious, Father Orekh and Fedul were summoned by their superiors for a meeting with Rostilav Radu, a powerful Specularan merchant. Radu explained that once each year the Gnome city of Highforge opened its doors to outside merchants, trading with them for food and various luxury items. The Radu always engage in this lucrative trade, but they had just received word that their sizable caravan had been destroyed by an unidentified beast just miles from the Gnome city. Furthermore, according to the caravan's sole survivor, the Gnomes had been evasive regarding the incident, refusing to discuss it or commit soldiers to patrolling the area. Concerned about the danger that this beast posed to the realm, the Archduke's ministers dispatched the heroes to investigate the strange occurrences. Secondarily, they were instructed to safeguard Radu's interests if there was any evidence of foul play from the gnomes of Highforge.
One day's ride from Highforge, the heroes arrived at the village of Novgrod only to find a hideous beast attacking the locals. Roughly humanoid in shape, the monster stood 16' high. It had a reddish-orange carapace over a pitch-black body that had a tar like consistency. A gaping mouth with rows of teeth made for rending and grinding rounded out the creature's most prominent features. The heroes managed to kill the beast, but not before it took the lives of several villagers. Unable to identify the beast, Kerwyn started a new entry in his Encyclopedia of Monsters. Conversations with the people fo Novgrod revealed that Radu's caravan had passed through the village one day before being attacked.
The next day the heroes arrived in Highforge. They presented themselves as the Radu's representatives and asked to be directed to their contact in the city, a gnome merchant named Ryek Tinkerton. Guided by a gnome named Jadnic the Huge, one of Ryek's menservants, the heroes were invited into the Tinkerton home for refreshments. Ryek grew visibly nervous when the heroes mentioned the attack on Radu's caravan, but he did agree to take the matter to Dorfus Hilltopper, the gnome king. Ordering Jadnic to bring more refreshments for his guests, Ryek left to do as he promised.
Casting a spell, Kerwyn detected poison in the refreshments served to them by Jadnic. Quickly ruling out the manservant as the primary culprit, they waited for Ryek and confronted him on the matter. He immediately broke down, assuring them that the poison was only a sedative meant to incapacitate them for a short time while Highforge's merchant elite could figure out how to keep the heroes from alerting Dorfus Hilltopper to the attacks on the surrounding countryside. Such news, they feared, would lead the King to seal off the city, which would hurt their commerce with the people of Karameikos. Pressured by the heroes, Ryek agreed to take them to see Dorfus Hilltopper. As they made their way to the King's stronghold, Sir Kristoff noticed the banner of the Black Eagle Barony displayed on the livery of several soldiers guarding an apartment in the city's merchants quarter.
Entering the palace stronghold, the heroes met Dorfus Hilltopper sitting upon his throne and flanked by his elite guard. At his side stood a red-headed and bearded human holding a heavy wooden staff. After the appropriate greetings, the King introduced his human advisor as Sarunev - a human wizard who had arrived in time to help Highforge in its moment of need. Highforge, Hilltopper explained, had been plagued by attacks from monstrous beasts for nearly two weeks. Every night a single creature would approach the gnome city from a different direction, engaging his warriors in combat and taking many lives. Every night his warriors managed to kill the beast, only to see its corpse vanish into thin air. Sarunev had been providing what help he could in the form of alarms and protection circles, but their resources were stretching thin and each night the beast seemed to get closer to its destination - the throne room and, presumably, the King himself. The heroes then relayed their own story, including the attack on the Radu caravan, their battle with the creature at Novgrod, and Ryek's betrayal. Hilltopper promised to deal with Ryek and the merchant elite. The creature the heroes fought in Novgrod, however, didn't seem to match the description of the monsters of Highforge. These, Hilltopper reported, seemed more like ice demons, with black skin, white fur, barbed tails, sharp talons and the ability to project a deadly cone of cold. Faced with more questions than before, the heroes agreed to help Hilltopper with his problems.
Of immediate concern was Sarunev. Kerwyn noted that his name was an acronym of Avernus, the wizard who seemed to have caused all of the chaos at Saros and Kosava (see Adventure # 2). Kerwyn and Orekh, therefore, decided to watch Sarunev to see if they could observe any suspicious behavior. Kristoff and Fedul, in the meantime, rode out to see if they could find any trace of the Radu caravan.
Upon inspection, Sarunev seemed on the up-and-up. He was forthcoming about his strategy for keeping the King safe, and Kerwyn observed him setting up protection spells in the throne room and alarm spells in the adjoining hallways. Upon being asked in the course of casual conversation, Sarunev shared that he was simply passing through Highforge when he sensed evil emanating from one of the city's mine shafts. Stealthing in to investigate, he observed the ice demon engaging the gnome warriors. He helped fight off the beast and then offered his services to help in the city's defense. Speaking with the guard confirmed Sarunev's version of the story.
Meanwhile, Kristoff and Fedul managed to find remnants of the caravan. Strangely, these remnants had been moved off the road and hidden in a nearby copse of trees. Searching for tracks, Fedul found signs that two large beasts had been in the area. One set of prints matched the creature they fought at Novgrod, while the other belonged to some other creature that Fedul could not identify. With that information in hand, Fedul and Kristoff rode back toward Highforge.
The heroes regrouped just in time for the nightly attack on Highforge. Striking with great ferocity, the ice demon smashed its way into the throne room, gazing angrily in the direction of the King. Standing next to Hilltopper, a somewhat unnerved Sarunev raised his hand to cast a spell, but Fedul, Kristoff and Orekh struck down the already injured monster before he could finish his incantation. With its angry roar still echoing through the palace halls, the beast vanished as expected.
The next day, the heroes approached Hilltopper with the suggestion that he should leave Highforge. The king refused on a point of honor. He represented an ancient lineage of gnome warriors. His people's honor, he knew, had degenerated over the years, as they grew to value luxury and profit over valor. He found himself increasingly out of sync with his people's priorities, but that was all the more reason to stand and fight. If he must die, it would be honoring the lives and values of the heroes of old.
The heroes also confronted Sarunev, accusing him of being Avernus. Sarunev denied the charge, and urged the heroes to focus their efforts on determining who was responsible for what he believed to be a summoning of some sort. Shortly before creature's nightly attack, Sir Kristoff remembered the banner of the Black Eagle Barony that he saw hanging in the merchants quarter. Knowing of the renowned treachary of that land, he and Father Orekh rushed to investigate.
The creature attacked shortly after they left. It burst into the throne room, just as it had the previous night and went straight for its target - Sarunev! Roaring in victory, it lifted the wizard over its head. Sarunev then activated a spell, dropping his disguise for an instant before transforming into a cloud of mist. In a rage, the demon lunged for the fleeing Avernus, while Kerwyn and Fedul, assisted by the gnomes, tried to slay the beast.
In the meantime, Sir Kristoff and Father Orekh approached the apartments occupied by the men from the Black Eagle Barony. Muscling their way past the guards, they discovered the wizard Amadeus sitting before a summoning circle and observing the events transpiring in King Hilltopper's throne room via a scrying spell. Amadeus' bodyguard defended his master, but after a brief and terrible battle both villains lay slain. With his master killed, the ice demon vanished - this time for good.
A search of the kingdom revealed no trace of Avernus. Once again, the heroes saved the day, only to be left with a series of unanswered questions and a potential enemy at large.
One day's ride from Highforge, the heroes arrived at the village of Novgrod only to find a hideous beast attacking the locals. Roughly humanoid in shape, the monster stood 16' high. It had a reddish-orange carapace over a pitch-black body that had a tar like consistency. A gaping mouth with rows of teeth made for rending and grinding rounded out the creature's most prominent features. The heroes managed to kill the beast, but not before it took the lives of several villagers. Unable to identify the beast, Kerwyn started a new entry in his Encyclopedia of Monsters. Conversations with the people fo Novgrod revealed that Radu's caravan had passed through the village one day before being attacked.
The next day the heroes arrived in Highforge. They presented themselves as the Radu's representatives and asked to be directed to their contact in the city, a gnome merchant named Ryek Tinkerton. Guided by a gnome named Jadnic the Huge, one of Ryek's menservants, the heroes were invited into the Tinkerton home for refreshments. Ryek grew visibly nervous when the heroes mentioned the attack on Radu's caravan, but he did agree to take the matter to Dorfus Hilltopper, the gnome king. Ordering Jadnic to bring more refreshments for his guests, Ryek left to do as he promised.
Casting a spell, Kerwyn detected poison in the refreshments served to them by Jadnic. Quickly ruling out the manservant as the primary culprit, they waited for Ryek and confronted him on the matter. He immediately broke down, assuring them that the poison was only a sedative meant to incapacitate them for a short time while Highforge's merchant elite could figure out how to keep the heroes from alerting Dorfus Hilltopper to the attacks on the surrounding countryside. Such news, they feared, would lead the King to seal off the city, which would hurt their commerce with the people of Karameikos. Pressured by the heroes, Ryek agreed to take them to see Dorfus Hilltopper. As they made their way to the King's stronghold, Sir Kristoff noticed the banner of the Black Eagle Barony displayed on the livery of several soldiers guarding an apartment in the city's merchants quarter.
Entering the palace stronghold, the heroes met Dorfus Hilltopper sitting upon his throne and flanked by his elite guard. At his side stood a red-headed and bearded human holding a heavy wooden staff. After the appropriate greetings, the King introduced his human advisor as Sarunev - a human wizard who had arrived in time to help Highforge in its moment of need. Highforge, Hilltopper explained, had been plagued by attacks from monstrous beasts for nearly two weeks. Every night a single creature would approach the gnome city from a different direction, engaging his warriors in combat and taking many lives. Every night his warriors managed to kill the beast, only to see its corpse vanish into thin air. Sarunev had been providing what help he could in the form of alarms and protection circles, but their resources were stretching thin and each night the beast seemed to get closer to its destination - the throne room and, presumably, the King himself. The heroes then relayed their own story, including the attack on the Radu caravan, their battle with the creature at Novgrod, and Ryek's betrayal. Hilltopper promised to deal with Ryek and the merchant elite. The creature the heroes fought in Novgrod, however, didn't seem to match the description of the monsters of Highforge. These, Hilltopper reported, seemed more like ice demons, with black skin, white fur, barbed tails, sharp talons and the ability to project a deadly cone of cold. Faced with more questions than before, the heroes agreed to help Hilltopper with his problems.
Of immediate concern was Sarunev. Kerwyn noted that his name was an acronym of Avernus, the wizard who seemed to have caused all of the chaos at Saros and Kosava (see Adventure # 2). Kerwyn and Orekh, therefore, decided to watch Sarunev to see if they could observe any suspicious behavior. Kristoff and Fedul, in the meantime, rode out to see if they could find any trace of the Radu caravan.
Upon inspection, Sarunev seemed on the up-and-up. He was forthcoming about his strategy for keeping the King safe, and Kerwyn observed him setting up protection spells in the throne room and alarm spells in the adjoining hallways. Upon being asked in the course of casual conversation, Sarunev shared that he was simply passing through Highforge when he sensed evil emanating from one of the city's mine shafts. Stealthing in to investigate, he observed the ice demon engaging the gnome warriors. He helped fight off the beast and then offered his services to help in the city's defense. Speaking with the guard confirmed Sarunev's version of the story.
Meanwhile, Kristoff and Fedul managed to find remnants of the caravan. Strangely, these remnants had been moved off the road and hidden in a nearby copse of trees. Searching for tracks, Fedul found signs that two large beasts had been in the area. One set of prints matched the creature they fought at Novgrod, while the other belonged to some other creature that Fedul could not identify. With that information in hand, Fedul and Kristoff rode back toward Highforge.
The heroes regrouped just in time for the nightly attack on Highforge. Striking with great ferocity, the ice demon smashed its way into the throne room, gazing angrily in the direction of the King. Standing next to Hilltopper, a somewhat unnerved Sarunev raised his hand to cast a spell, but Fedul, Kristoff and Orekh struck down the already injured monster before he could finish his incantation. With its angry roar still echoing through the palace halls, the beast vanished as expected.
The next day, the heroes approached Hilltopper with the suggestion that he should leave Highforge. The king refused on a point of honor. He represented an ancient lineage of gnome warriors. His people's honor, he knew, had degenerated over the years, as they grew to value luxury and profit over valor. He found himself increasingly out of sync with his people's priorities, but that was all the more reason to stand and fight. If he must die, it would be honoring the lives and values of the heroes of old.
The heroes also confronted Sarunev, accusing him of being Avernus. Sarunev denied the charge, and urged the heroes to focus their efforts on determining who was responsible for what he believed to be a summoning of some sort. Shortly before creature's nightly attack, Sir Kristoff remembered the banner of the Black Eagle Barony that he saw hanging in the merchants quarter. Knowing of the renowned treachary of that land, he and Father Orekh rushed to investigate.
The creature attacked shortly after they left. It burst into the throne room, just as it had the previous night and went straight for its target - Sarunev! Roaring in victory, it lifted the wizard over its head. Sarunev then activated a spell, dropping his disguise for an instant before transforming into a cloud of mist. In a rage, the demon lunged for the fleeing Avernus, while Kerwyn and Fedul, assisted by the gnomes, tried to slay the beast.
In the meantime, Sir Kristoff and Father Orekh approached the apartments occupied by the men from the Black Eagle Barony. Muscling their way past the guards, they discovered the wizard Amadeus sitting before a summoning circle and observing the events transpiring in King Hilltopper's throne room via a scrying spell. Amadeus' bodyguard defended his master, but after a brief and terrible battle both villains lay slain. With his master killed, the ice demon vanished - this time for good.
A search of the kingdom revealed no trace of Avernus. Once again, the heroes saved the day, only to be left with a series of unanswered questions and a potential enemy at large.
Adventure # 4: Tower of Blood
Upon hearing that our heroes encountered agents of the Black Eagle Barony pursuing Avernus in the gnome city of Thresholm, Archduke Stephan Karameikos decided to send his agents on a fact finding mission to Fort Doom. They were to present themselves to his treacherous and deceptive cousin, Baron Wolfgang Von Hendricks, and discover something of Avernus’ history in those lands. What, for instance, had Avernus done to deserve being so ruthlessly hunted, and what greater danger might Avernus pose to the realm?
Sir Kristoff being delayed, the Archduke’s ministers deployed Kerwyn the Mysterious, Father Orekh, and Sir Cavillor, a knight of the realm. In addition, Neon and Bronislaw, two men-at-arms, were sent along for support. Two days away from Fort Doom, the heroes came across a band of men wearing the livery of the Black Eagle Barony and abusing a young woman on the road. Her face was bruised, and they seemed to be preparing to take her away. The heroes intervened, but the young woman was murdered by one of the men before they could save her. Dispatching the villains, the heroes wrapped the woman’s corpse and took it with them to the nearby village of Borja.
People in Borja seemed a sorry, demoralized lot, but they managed to encounter Kaslo, farmer made of sterner stuff that the rest. He explained that their village suffered from the predations of the terrible Lady Secuba who lived in an old, semi-ruined keep nestled deep in the nearby forest. Lady Secuba came to the land a year previous and established herself in the keep. She then began to pay willing villagers for their daughters, who were promised bright futures as handmaidens in her court. The villagers, however, became increasingly disturbed when the girls were never seen again. They began to refuse the Lady Secuba’s offers, and that is when her soldiers began to take their daughters by force. Offering to give them room and board for the night, Kaslo took the heroes back to his home, only to find his daughter missing. The heroes showed Kaslo the body of the girl who died earlier that day, and his grief confirmed their worst suspicions. Kaslo was determined to help the heroes before, but now he offered to personally lead them to Lady Secuba’s keep. That evening the village was attacked by Secuba’s men, but the heroes managed to vanquish them to a man. They also managed to kill a suspicious looking crow that watched them from the rooftops. Hoping that they had killed Lady Secuba’s familiar, they bedded down for the night, determined to make their way to the keep in the morning.
The trip to the keep wasn’t long in distance, but the forest was thick and dark. On the way they were suddenly attacked by wolves. Several of the heroes were wounded, and Kaslo was killed. The brave farmer had done his part, however, getting close enough to the keep for the heroes to find it. What resulted was a full out assault. The heroes attempted to scale the walls surreptitiously, but they were noticed by Secuba’s men and had to fight their way into the heart of the keep.
Badly wounded, they found Lady Secuba in an inner chamber, standing on a balcony overlooking the statue of a hideous, amorphous creature sporting tentacles and multiple beaks and eyes. At the foot of the statue several of Lady Secuba’s servants poured blood onto the statue as she chanted a spell. The heroes attacked. Lady Secuba launched attack spells as Father Orekh, Sir Cavillor, Neon, and Bronislaw fought off her henchmen. Using his magic boots, Kerwyn teleported behind Lady Secuba and attacked her from behind. He missed, and she drew a poisoned dagger and attempted to kill him. Having used all his spells earlier in the day, Kerwyn tackled her off the balcony, and they both fell onto the statue. Her head struck its hard surface, staining it with her blood. At that point, she screamed in pain, as the statue hungrily siphoned off her blood and life energy, leaving nothing behind but a brittle husk and skeleton. Having thus fed, the statue turned flesh and came to life. Drawing the flaming sword of Ixion, Father Orekh leaped into the fray. Together with Cavillor, he vanquished the creature, sending it back to the darkness from whence it came.
Remarkably, they all survived the incident. They searched the keep, found some items of note, and then decided to rest in Borja until they were sufficiently recovered to continue their business in the Black Eagle Barony.
Sir Kristoff being delayed, the Archduke’s ministers deployed Kerwyn the Mysterious, Father Orekh, and Sir Cavillor, a knight of the realm. In addition, Neon and Bronislaw, two men-at-arms, were sent along for support. Two days away from Fort Doom, the heroes came across a band of men wearing the livery of the Black Eagle Barony and abusing a young woman on the road. Her face was bruised, and they seemed to be preparing to take her away. The heroes intervened, but the young woman was murdered by one of the men before they could save her. Dispatching the villains, the heroes wrapped the woman’s corpse and took it with them to the nearby village of Borja.
People in Borja seemed a sorry, demoralized lot, but they managed to encounter Kaslo, farmer made of sterner stuff that the rest. He explained that their village suffered from the predations of the terrible Lady Secuba who lived in an old, semi-ruined keep nestled deep in the nearby forest. Lady Secuba came to the land a year previous and established herself in the keep. She then began to pay willing villagers for their daughters, who were promised bright futures as handmaidens in her court. The villagers, however, became increasingly disturbed when the girls were never seen again. They began to refuse the Lady Secuba’s offers, and that is when her soldiers began to take their daughters by force. Offering to give them room and board for the night, Kaslo took the heroes back to his home, only to find his daughter missing. The heroes showed Kaslo the body of the girl who died earlier that day, and his grief confirmed their worst suspicions. Kaslo was determined to help the heroes before, but now he offered to personally lead them to Lady Secuba’s keep. That evening the village was attacked by Secuba’s men, but the heroes managed to vanquish them to a man. They also managed to kill a suspicious looking crow that watched them from the rooftops. Hoping that they had killed Lady Secuba’s familiar, they bedded down for the night, determined to make their way to the keep in the morning.
The trip to the keep wasn’t long in distance, but the forest was thick and dark. On the way they were suddenly attacked by wolves. Several of the heroes were wounded, and Kaslo was killed. The brave farmer had done his part, however, getting close enough to the keep for the heroes to find it. What resulted was a full out assault. The heroes attempted to scale the walls surreptitiously, but they were noticed by Secuba’s men and had to fight their way into the heart of the keep.
Badly wounded, they found Lady Secuba in an inner chamber, standing on a balcony overlooking the statue of a hideous, amorphous creature sporting tentacles and multiple beaks and eyes. At the foot of the statue several of Lady Secuba’s servants poured blood onto the statue as she chanted a spell. The heroes attacked. Lady Secuba launched attack spells as Father Orekh, Sir Cavillor, Neon, and Bronislaw fought off her henchmen. Using his magic boots, Kerwyn teleported behind Lady Secuba and attacked her from behind. He missed, and she drew a poisoned dagger and attempted to kill him. Having used all his spells earlier in the day, Kerwyn tackled her off the balcony, and they both fell onto the statue. Her head struck its hard surface, staining it with her blood. At that point, she screamed in pain, as the statue hungrily siphoned off her blood and life energy, leaving nothing behind but a brittle husk and skeleton. Having thus fed, the statue turned flesh and came to life. Drawing the flaming sword of Ixion, Father Orekh leaped into the fray. Together with Cavillor, he vanquished the creature, sending it back to the darkness from whence it came.
Remarkably, they all survived the incident. They searched the keep, found some items of note, and then decided to rest in Borja until they were sufficiently recovered to continue their business in the Black Eagle Barony.
Adventure # 5: Fort Doom
Sir Kristoff, along with Othellus the elven ranger and Ellery the half-elven rogue, caught up with Kerwyn, Orekh, Cavillor, Neon, and Bronislaw as they rested in Borja. Sir Kristoff presented orders relieving Cavillor, Neon, and Bronislaw of their charge and calling them to return to the capital city of Specularum. Saying their goodbyes, the three men departed, leaving the others to continue on to Fort Doom.
Shortly after entering the forests that border the Black Eagle Barony, the heroes were attacked by three werewolves. Despite the ambush, the heroes were victorious, but not before Othellus and Kristoff suffered bites. Orekh prayed that Ixion remove the potential taint of lycanthropy, while Kerwyn inspected the werewolf bodies, which had now reverted to human form. The wizard observed that all the men bore the mark of a wolf paw on their right breast.
After another day’s journey, the heroes arrived in the village of Halag, which sits at the foot of Fort Doom. The heroes attempted to ask questions about the werewolves and about life in the Black Eagle Barony more generally, but nobody seemed willing to talk out of fear. Othellus’ elven ears, however, heard a conversation taking place in an upstairs room at the local inn. An old man by the name of Valdir was begging a younger man to allow him to speak to “the strangers.” Othellus made his way upstairs and talked to the old man, who explained that Baron Von Hendricks and his men had been less than attentive about offering protection to the people of the Black Eagle Barony. Valdir claimed to have seen Von Hendrick’s cousin, Lady Secuba, abducting a young woman from the realm, and he was convinced that she was responsible for the creatures that now assailed Halag and the surrounding villages. He hoped to seek an audience with Von Hendricks and try to convince the Baron of his cousin’s treachery, so that he might take action to secure the lands once more. His fellow villagers, however, prevented him from doing this for fear that Von Hendricks would respond negatively.
Moments after Othellus finished his conversation with Vladir, three vampire women attacked the village. The heroes managed to dispatch the creatures, and then bedded down for the night, resolving to speak with Von Hendricks in the morning. They promised to take Valdir with them so that he might plead his case to the Baron. They neglected, however, to reveal that Lady Secuba had been killed a week previous.
Von Hendricks received the heroes the following evening, introducing them to his knights in a banquet setting. Sir Kristoff addressed Von Hendricks, and then proceeded to ask questions about Avernus on behalf of the Archduke. Kerwyn used his spellcraft to read the Baron’s mind. The Baron was deceptive and unpredictable. He denied sending the wizard Amedeus after Avernus (which was a lie), but did admit that the Avernus had passed through the realm. He also revealed that Avernus had stolen an artifact of power from the realm – a gyroscope of sorts, the function of which had yet to be determined. Von Hendricks turned the questioning around, trying to ascertain what the heroes knew of Avernus’ current whereabouts. The conversation then turned towards the state of the land. In response, Von Hendricks seemed to become irritated, and seemed capable of violence. He hailed the combined might of his men, but characterized the people of the realm as ingrates, who needed to be taught to appreciate the protection he provided for them. Sensing that this was dangerous terrain, Kristoff graciously backed down from that line of questioning.
Just as the conversation was drawing to a close, a woman who had been dithering in the background suddenly stepped into the light. “Murderer!,” she shrieked, pointing at Kerwyn. The woman was the spitting image of Lady Secuba. Von Hendricks had the woman escorted away, and then apologized for his cousin’s madness. Lady Prima, he explained, had always been poised and intelligent, but had gone totally mad a week previous. Although disturbed by the whole affair, the heroes and Valdir joined the festivities before retiring to the chambers provided for them in Fort Doom.
At that point, Ellery decided to investigate. She found secret passages connecting all the guest chambers, and set off to explore after Kerwyn cast an invisibility spell on her. While scouting around, she found Von Hendricks and followed him. He led her to the palace tower, and the wizard Bargle. Von Hendricks spoke to Bargle about the heroes, and suggested that they should be magically interrogated to find out what they knew about Avernus and the globe. He also gave vague instructions that any violence that might befall the heroes should look like an accident. Von Hendricks then retired to the wizard’s library, while the wizard continued to work in his lab.
Ellery opted not to actually enter the wizard’s chamber, for fear of being detected, so she continued to explore the rest of the castle. At that point, she saw Lady Prima walking down the hall, flanked by two men-at-arms and carrying a baby in her arms. With a wave of her hand, she seemed to release the guards from some sort of control, and then slipped into a hidden chamber in the moment it took them to regain their wits.
Ellery followed Lady Prima, who was muttering to herself about how Kerwyn “thought he could kill” her. She would show him, however. Soon she would walk around in a body of her own creation, and then she would exact her revenge. As she said this, she unveiled a hideous body that seemed to be constructed out of disparate body parts sewn together. “Lady Prima” then placed the crying baby in a ceremonial basin. Realizing that “Lady Prima” was about to sacrifice the infant, Ellery struck. She stabbed at Prima with a knife, wounding her, but not killing her. Prima screamed with rage and cast an acid arrow that struck Ellery in the chest. She then summoned an infernal hound to attack Ellery, who grabbed the infant and ran. She made it out of the chamber before the hound could stop her, and ran back to her sleeping chamber to warn her companions.
At that point, the heroes fled Fort Doom. Vladir was killed by Von Hendricks' guards, but the heroes fought their way to the courtyard, and managed to make it to the gates. Then the wizard Bargle mounted the palace tower and began striking at them with chain lightning. The attack killed several of their animals, including Kerwyn’s beloved mule, Sampo I. Using his magical boots, Kerwyn teleported behind Bargle and stabbed him in the back with what had been Lady Secuba’s poison dagger. Bargle died, just as Von Hendricks made it to the tower. The two men stared at each other for a moment before Kerwyn teleported to Halag.
The heroes arrived in Halag to learn that the infant they rescued had been cut out of the belly of one of the pregnant villagers. The woman’s husband swore that Kerwyn was responsible, but the heroes managed to convince him that it was Lady Prima disguised with a spell. The man begged them to take his child to safety, and the heroes set off just as Von Hendricks’ men arrived in Halag. Sir Kirstoff cowed them by invoking the Archduke’s name and delivering a powerful soliloquy, and the heroes made it out of the Black Eagle Barony intact.
Weeks later they arrived in Specularum and reported to the Archduke, who thanked them for their service, and promised to deal with any accusations that Von Hendricks might make against them. Ellery adopted the infant, who she named Arien, and the heroes settled in to think about what they had learned from their mission to the Black Eagle Barony.
Shortly after entering the forests that border the Black Eagle Barony, the heroes were attacked by three werewolves. Despite the ambush, the heroes were victorious, but not before Othellus and Kristoff suffered bites. Orekh prayed that Ixion remove the potential taint of lycanthropy, while Kerwyn inspected the werewolf bodies, which had now reverted to human form. The wizard observed that all the men bore the mark of a wolf paw on their right breast.
After another day’s journey, the heroes arrived in the village of Halag, which sits at the foot of Fort Doom. The heroes attempted to ask questions about the werewolves and about life in the Black Eagle Barony more generally, but nobody seemed willing to talk out of fear. Othellus’ elven ears, however, heard a conversation taking place in an upstairs room at the local inn. An old man by the name of Valdir was begging a younger man to allow him to speak to “the strangers.” Othellus made his way upstairs and talked to the old man, who explained that Baron Von Hendricks and his men had been less than attentive about offering protection to the people of the Black Eagle Barony. Valdir claimed to have seen Von Hendrick’s cousin, Lady Secuba, abducting a young woman from the realm, and he was convinced that she was responsible for the creatures that now assailed Halag and the surrounding villages. He hoped to seek an audience with Von Hendricks and try to convince the Baron of his cousin’s treachery, so that he might take action to secure the lands once more. His fellow villagers, however, prevented him from doing this for fear that Von Hendricks would respond negatively.
Moments after Othellus finished his conversation with Vladir, three vampire women attacked the village. The heroes managed to dispatch the creatures, and then bedded down for the night, resolving to speak with Von Hendricks in the morning. They promised to take Valdir with them so that he might plead his case to the Baron. They neglected, however, to reveal that Lady Secuba had been killed a week previous.
Von Hendricks received the heroes the following evening, introducing them to his knights in a banquet setting. Sir Kristoff addressed Von Hendricks, and then proceeded to ask questions about Avernus on behalf of the Archduke. Kerwyn used his spellcraft to read the Baron’s mind. The Baron was deceptive and unpredictable. He denied sending the wizard Amedeus after Avernus (which was a lie), but did admit that the Avernus had passed through the realm. He also revealed that Avernus had stolen an artifact of power from the realm – a gyroscope of sorts, the function of which had yet to be determined. Von Hendricks turned the questioning around, trying to ascertain what the heroes knew of Avernus’ current whereabouts. The conversation then turned towards the state of the land. In response, Von Hendricks seemed to become irritated, and seemed capable of violence. He hailed the combined might of his men, but characterized the people of the realm as ingrates, who needed to be taught to appreciate the protection he provided for them. Sensing that this was dangerous terrain, Kristoff graciously backed down from that line of questioning.
Just as the conversation was drawing to a close, a woman who had been dithering in the background suddenly stepped into the light. “Murderer!,” she shrieked, pointing at Kerwyn. The woman was the spitting image of Lady Secuba. Von Hendricks had the woman escorted away, and then apologized for his cousin’s madness. Lady Prima, he explained, had always been poised and intelligent, but had gone totally mad a week previous. Although disturbed by the whole affair, the heroes and Valdir joined the festivities before retiring to the chambers provided for them in Fort Doom.
At that point, Ellery decided to investigate. She found secret passages connecting all the guest chambers, and set off to explore after Kerwyn cast an invisibility spell on her. While scouting around, she found Von Hendricks and followed him. He led her to the palace tower, and the wizard Bargle. Von Hendricks spoke to Bargle about the heroes, and suggested that they should be magically interrogated to find out what they knew about Avernus and the globe. He also gave vague instructions that any violence that might befall the heroes should look like an accident. Von Hendricks then retired to the wizard’s library, while the wizard continued to work in his lab.
Ellery opted not to actually enter the wizard’s chamber, for fear of being detected, so she continued to explore the rest of the castle. At that point, she saw Lady Prima walking down the hall, flanked by two men-at-arms and carrying a baby in her arms. With a wave of her hand, she seemed to release the guards from some sort of control, and then slipped into a hidden chamber in the moment it took them to regain their wits.
Ellery followed Lady Prima, who was muttering to herself about how Kerwyn “thought he could kill” her. She would show him, however. Soon she would walk around in a body of her own creation, and then she would exact her revenge. As she said this, she unveiled a hideous body that seemed to be constructed out of disparate body parts sewn together. “Lady Prima” then placed the crying baby in a ceremonial basin. Realizing that “Lady Prima” was about to sacrifice the infant, Ellery struck. She stabbed at Prima with a knife, wounding her, but not killing her. Prima screamed with rage and cast an acid arrow that struck Ellery in the chest. She then summoned an infernal hound to attack Ellery, who grabbed the infant and ran. She made it out of the chamber before the hound could stop her, and ran back to her sleeping chamber to warn her companions.
At that point, the heroes fled Fort Doom. Vladir was killed by Von Hendricks' guards, but the heroes fought their way to the courtyard, and managed to make it to the gates. Then the wizard Bargle mounted the palace tower and began striking at them with chain lightning. The attack killed several of their animals, including Kerwyn’s beloved mule, Sampo I. Using his magical boots, Kerwyn teleported behind Bargle and stabbed him in the back with what had been Lady Secuba’s poison dagger. Bargle died, just as Von Hendricks made it to the tower. The two men stared at each other for a moment before Kerwyn teleported to Halag.
The heroes arrived in Halag to learn that the infant they rescued had been cut out of the belly of one of the pregnant villagers. The woman’s husband swore that Kerwyn was responsible, but the heroes managed to convince him that it was Lady Prima disguised with a spell. The man begged them to take his child to safety, and the heroes set off just as Von Hendricks’ men arrived in Halag. Sir Kirstoff cowed them by invoking the Archduke’s name and delivering a powerful soliloquy, and the heroes made it out of the Black Eagle Barony intact.
Weeks later they arrived in Specularum and reported to the Archduke, who thanked them for their service, and promised to deal with any accusations that Von Hendricks might make against them. Ellery adopted the infant, who she named Arien, and the heroes settled in to think about what they had learned from their mission to the Black Eagle Barony.
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