Adventuring Journal

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Olarin 1425

25th Olarin 1425

Jarek Mace, Kaldir Ratharin and Marinus B Willard meet in the Lucky Lady Inn, in the city of Ventelas. Jarek is accosted by some other bar patrons, who are slightly the worse for wear. They believe Jarek has been involved in a "minor indiscretion" with their ring-leader's wife. A short scuffle breaks out, and Jarek swiftly knocks the leader unconscious before drawing his weapon on the remaining assailants, who immediately flee the inn.

Marinus and Kaldir, who were already acquainted, were watching all of this, and even placed a small wager on the outcome. The three men get chatting and make their introductions. They are joined shortly by another man, Berrigon. After the usual pleasantries, he outlines a mission that he believes they may be interested in. He wants them to deliver some supplies to bandits in the Inglewood, a few hours to the north-east along the main road. The party accepts, but Berrigon has an additional mission which he will only discuss with Kaldir and Marinus. Jarek takes the opportunity to visit the local Mercenaries' Guild.

Berrigon confirms he is a member of the Black Tendril, an organisation which Kaldir and Marinus are also loosely associated with. Berrigon asks the pair to hunt down and gather information concerning a field agent of one of his rivals. The agent has known aliases of Varic Sellash and Drakus Brayden. Berrigon insists that Jarek is not made aware of this, as he is not yet known to the Black Tendril.

At the Mercenaries' Guild, Jarek speaks to the head of recruitment, Enris, with whom he is already well acquainted due to his previous mercenary work. Jarek is able to convince Enris that he is now part of an adventuring company, which, on the spur of the moment, he names as the Wyvern's Talon. Jarek picks up a number of jobs on the party's behalf:

• An Elven man by the name of Elodor Dy'nesh offers a substantial reward for information leading to the safe return of his missing daughter, Ariala Dy'nesh, last seen heading south out of Arabor Forest, potentially towards Riddlebeck.

• The League of Enlightenment require the removal of a "potential trouble source" on the outskirts of Riddlebeck. A sealed letter provides details of a cult of necromancers and demon worshippers operating from an abandoned tomb on the outskirts of Riddlebeck.

• A merchant woman by the name of Antonia Sedgewick requires an escort to Little Dingle, a small hamlet a day's travel through the Inglewood towards Riddlebeck.

The Party turns down an opportunity to work for Duke Irasmus Parvellian, to clear out the bandits in the Inglewood, as it is felt this would clash with their mission for Berrigon. The party agree to meet Antonia early the next morning and to collect the supply wagon from Berrigon.

26th Olarin 1425

The party get an early start and pickup both the merchant and the supply wagon before heading off along the main road towards the Inglewood.

On the way, in lightly forested terrain, the party are ambushed by a group of four Orcs. The Orcs easily get the drop on the party as they trundle along the main road in their horse drawn wagon. Unfortunately, due to the positioning of the attack and the fact that Antonia is sat up front (so as not to see the contents of the wagon), she is hit and killed outright by the Orcs' initial volley of javelins. Their first escort mission comes to a tragic end. Marinus is also harmed but heals himself with Cure Light Wounds. Kaldir quickly takes a concealed position behind the wagon and incants a well-positioned Sleep spell upon 3 of the Orcs, sending each of them into a deep, magical slumber. The remaining Orc, who was out of range of the spell, decides to flee into the forest and escapes. The party kills two of the incapacitated Orcs and attempts to interrogate the other, after binding it tightly. Unfortunately, none of them are able to speak Orcish so they decide to just kill it instead.

The party then heads on to the rendezvous point and delivers the supplies to the bandit camp, as directed by Berrigon. They then continue to Little Dingle, where they deliver the body of Antonia to her fiancee, the local Lord, Lord Margorus. Naturally, he is not best pleased with the outcome and demonstrates his feelings using clear, concise language. The party spend the evening in The Wayfarer's Rest, and stable the horses and wagon.

27th Olarin 1425

The party leave Little Dingle and reach the outskirts of the village of Riddlebeck by dusk. They approach the tomb that the League of Enlightenment have tasked them with investigating, passing through an abandoned cemetery. Here, they are attacked by four Skeletons and two Ghouls. During the combat, Jarek is paralysed and Kaldir is knocked unconscious, and bleeding. A couple of the undead are killed outright and the rest are turned by Marinus. He heals Kaldir and after Jarek's paralysis has worn off, the party beat a hasty retreat to The Riddlebeck Arms to lick their wounds and formulate a new approach.

Here, they meet a Sorcerer by the name of Korwyn Valamir. Korwyn has previous experience of the cult which has taken over the abandoned tomb. They are known as the Cult of the Goat and Korwyn was recently imprisoned in Ventelas by one of their leaders, Balim, whilst seeking his services as a sage. Korwyn is eager to avenge himself upon Balim and agrees to join the party for their return visit to the abandoned tomb. He also lets slip his true identity as a Prince of Elingor and that it was his interest in a distant ancestor, Karina Valamir, and her death in Milandor centuries ago, which seemed to attract Balim's ire.

Korwyn shares the little that he learnt from Balim concerning Milandor: the Elves, now living in scattered communes, know the truth about what happened there and the conventional wisdom that states they brought the cataclysm upon themselves by meddling with ancient magic is not necessarily true. He also learned that the Elves to this day particularly revile one they call "The King of Brutes - The Betrayer".

Kaldir uses his 'Gather Information' skill to find out about Drakus Brayden / Varic Sellash. He learns that "A small group with a man using that name (Drakus), along with an Elven woman and a couple of "foresty types", were in the village briefly a few weeks ago. The Elven woman was asking about her brother, Andrius Dy'nesh. They left, heading towards Ventelas." Kaldir also hears some rumours concerning the local fort, which has been out of contact for a couple of days now, apparently.

28th Olarin 1425

The party visit the local temple of Pelor, to seek assistance with ridding the tomb of the Necromancers. Veros Bant, the high priest, is at first reluctant and instead offers to put together a small team of Clerics and Paladins of Pelor to investigate, although he admits this could take a couple of days. Jarek manages to convince/bluff Veros that they are working for the Duke and on urgent business, and eventually he relents and assigns Rodan Jard, who is little more than an Acolyte, to assist them.

Before leaving for the tomb, Kaldir visits the manor house and speaks to the steward, offering his party's services in investigating the lack of communication with the local fort. The steward, one Jodan Burh, is not especially receptive to the idea, especially when an upfront payment is suggested by Kaldir. However, it is agreed in principal that a reward may be due should the party discover something is amiss and resolves the situation. Kaldir also learns that the local lord, Lord Treygal, was inspecting the fort recently.

The party visit the tomb afterwards, and successfully clear it of the undead and also Balim and a few other cultists. When they encountered Balim, he was attempting to finish a ritual which would have banished Andrius Dy'nesh's soul to the Abyss. Fortunately, they were able to interrupt this horrible process so that the elven Spellsword could at least rest in peace (he was already dead before this particular part of the ceremony had begun).

The party recover a scroll, written in a language they are not able to decipher, and a spell book marked in Elven as the property of Andrius Dy'nesh. They find a human skull with an emerald in each eye socket, along with five goat-headed amulets - one of which radiates abjuration magic, according to a Detect Magic spell. They also retrieve a sizable haul of 1200 gold pieces, some magical scrolls and a few potions of Cure Light Wounds. Andrius's body is taken to the temple of Pelor in the village, where it is left with Veros Bant to dispose of in a manner suitable to the Elven tradition. Rodan returns to his duties and studies.

29th Olarin 1425

The party composition is now Jarek, Kaldir, Marinus and Korwyn. They spend the day in Riddlebeck, resting and recuperating, and use divination magic on the items acquired from the tomb.

30th Olarin 1425

The party decide to return to Ventelas, so head off back towards Little Dingle on foot. During the journey, they are attacked by two Ogres, which they defeat. They spend the night at The Wayfarer's Rest.

31st Olarin 1425

The wagon and horses are reclaimed from the stable, and the party continue their journey towards Ventelas, through the Inglewood. They encounter the bandits they re-supplied for Berrigon, who have ambushed a merchant caravan. Jarak recognises the two escorts as mercenaries he has worked with in the past - Kail Lorton and Honard Morcray. Unwilling to leave his former allies to die, Jarek leads the party in an attack against the bandits. In the ensuing battle, three of the bandits and their leader are killed, but one is able to flee into the forest.

The group continue their journey and arrive in the city of Ventelas by early evening. They spend the night in the Lucky Lady Inn.

Jalin 1425

1st Jalin 1425

The party spend a relatively quiet day in Ventelas. They visit Berrigon in the morning and return the wagon, and are paid the rest of their reward for their services, despite the fact they have killed most of the bandits they have re-supplied. Marinus attempts a Gather Information check, to find out any information regarding Drakus Brayden, but fails to turn up anything of interest. Kaldir scribes an Identify spell into his spell book.

Jarek indulges himself in a little entertainment at The Winking Vixen bath house.

2nd Jalin 1425

Kaldir casts Identify on the magical goat head amulet recovered from the tomb. He discovers it is an Amulet of Natural Armour +1. Jarek takes ownership of the item and wears it concealed under his clothing/armour. The party return to the Mercenaries' Guild, where Enris pays them 1,000gp on behalf of the League of Enlightenment for clearing the tomb of Necromancers. He also advises them that a representative of the League wishes to meet them the same evening to thank them in person.

Kaldir makes a Gather Information attempt regarding Drakus Brayden and learns some rumours. Apparently, he is an orphan who has fallen into petty thievery, and some suspect him of having some kind of telepathic power. He has not been seen in the city for a number of weeks. Kaldir also bribes Gerald Grabbit, the Innkeeper, who confirms that Brayden works for Berrigon's rival in the Black Tendril - Virannon. Meanwhile, Jarek is able to negotiate a sale of the emeralds prised from the demonic artefact found in the tomb. Using a combination of Bluff and Diplomacy, he is able to agree upon an excellent price with a local jeweller.

In the evening, the party meet with Alicia Rynem, a city councillor and member of the League of Enlightenment. The meeting takes place in an up-market tavern, The Half Moon, not far from the Home of the Enlightened; a luxurious, walled estate in one of the finest districts of the city. She thanks them for their assistance in Riddlebeck, informing them that their actions have almost certainly saved innocent lives there. They also learn a little about the League of Enlightenment - Alicia tells them that "The Path of Enlightenment dispels the darkness - those who are black of heart cannot hide from us."

Alicia shares the organisation's first tenet with the party: "The Path of Enlightenment leads to personal success and contentment. This benefits everyone, including the unenlightened." When asked about how one might join the League, she responds "Perhaps later, when I am confident you are truly worthy of following our path. We may need your services again, we will find you when we are ready".

After leaving the inn, Kaldir tails Alicia and sees her entering a high quality town house not far from the tavern. He also observes armed guards patrolling the walled estate of the Home of the Enlightened.

3rd Jalin 1425

The party buy horses and ride towards Riddlebeck, arriving by early evening. However, as they approach, they realise all is not well - farmsteads on the far outskirts of the village are in flames. Leaving their horses tethered on the edge of the village, they advance cautiously into Riddlebeck proper and are soon locked in a fierce battle with the Orc invaders.

This particular raiding party of seven Orcs is led by a Cleric of Gruumsh, and proves to be a dangerous adversary. On the verge of defeat, a last ditch Charm Person spell from Korwyn converts their assailant to the party's side, allowing them a brief respite and giving Korwyn an opportunity to question the Orc about what has happened here. The Riddlebeck Arms is close by, and fires from barns and farmsteads can be seen in the distance - but the village itself is not yet on fire.

Questioning the Orc Cleric, the party learn his name is Ulag and that he has just killed the High Priest Veros Bant, whom he bludgeoned into a "bloody mush" in the "pathetic human temple". They also learn that the main force are heading towards the manor house, and Ulag urges Korwyn and the others to help destroy it for the glory of Gruumsh. He says the war band leader, Vlog, should be there soon. Ulag boasts that "the glorious Orcs have already crushed the feeble Lord and his troops when we took over the fort. Now we will kill his woman and vile little sproglings". When pressed on their motives, he merely responds, laughing, "Because we can".

Spotting another small band of Orcs heading towards The Riddlebeck Arms, the party decide it would be wiser to kill Ulag now rather than risk any complications that could arise from fighting other Orcs in his presence. Therefore, they surround him and attack by surprise - killing him in short order. Approaching the inn, the doors suddenly burst open as four Orcs beat a hasty fighting withdrawal and the head of one of their less fortunate allies sails through the air, landing in the street behind the party.

These Orcs have picked a fight with a Ranger, Culain, and his Druid friend and mentor, Danril Eridrith. With the party's help, the Orcs are soon dispatched and introductions are made. Culain and Danril have been tracking the Orcs for a while, which has led them to Riddlebeck. They have helped to secure the inn and save the innkeeper and his daughters and believe that the Orcs are targetting key buildings such as the temple of Pelor and the manor house. The newly expanded party decide to head to the temple first, taking cover as much as possible and killing Orcs on the way.

At the temple, they kill another raiding band including another Cleric and an Orc Sorcerer. They are able to save Rodan Jard who is holed up in the temple, protecting a couple of young female acolytes who are visibly upset by the death of Veros Bant. Rodan is unwilling to leave the temple for fear of what could happen to the acolytes, but all three clerics are able to provide some healing to the party.

Finally, the party make their way to the manor house, once again picking off Orcs as carefully as possible en route. Here, a small force of militia are fighting a losing battle against a strong band of elite Orcs. Amongst them is Vlog, the war band leader. He is assisted by a Cleric and a Sorcerer, along with a group of normal Orcs as support. A fierce battle ensues, but the patry emerge victorious and Vlog and his war band lay dead at their feet.

The village liberated, the steward, Jodan Burh, rushes out from the manor house to thank the party and is followed shortly by Lady Treygal and her two children. Jodan is rather sheepish, especially considering how dismissive he had previously been towards Kaldir's offer to investigate the local fort. Naturally, he has now had a change of heart and offers to reward the party handsomely if they can destroy the Orcs who are no doubt controlling the fort, and return with news of Lord Treygal.

The party spend the rest of the evening in the The Riddlebeck Arms, where they are treated as heroes. They enjoy getting to know eachother a little better over a few ales. Culain and Danril tell the party of their search for Ariala Dy'nesh, and how they were tricked and left to die by one "Drakus Brayden". Korwyn shares more information about his reason for leaving Elingor, including his father's murder of his mother on trumped-up charges of helping a slave uprising, and Korwyn's seduction of his father's pretty young bride as a special leaving present.

Danril and Culain share a little of their background, too. The party learn of Culain's escape from Ardonia where he was being indoctrinated as a Paladin of the goddess, Ardona, and how he fled to Arabor Forest where he was taught the ways of a Ranger by Danril. Danril explains his hatred for the Paladins with the story of how his father was executed for using "heathen" druidic magic to save a villager.

A bard, Rosiri, arrives in the village that evening. He headed there after hearing rumours of potential troubles in Riddlebeck. His curiosity is rewarded as he is able to "interview" the heroes of Riddlebeck first hand. No doubt he will pen ballads and poems to immortalise their exploits! Rosiri tells them the story of the current Lord's grandfather, who wielded a powerful sword called "The Reckoner" against a band of Hill Giants who threatened Riddlebeck many years ago. This sword was passed down through the family and is still used by the current Lord.

4th Jalin 1425

The party set off early next morning and head towards the fort, which is a few miles away. After observing the fortress from the edge of the woods around it, Culain and Kaldir sneak around the edge of the treeline and find a hidden cave entrance. The party use this to enter into a small natural cave passage which opens into the dungeons.

They fight their way through the caves and dungeon, finding and freeing an imprisoned Paladin of Ardonia, Tordel, who was languishing in a cell. Incarcerated by the former occupants, Lord Treygal's forces, the Paladin is arrogant and aloof but agrees a short-term truce with the party. This proves to be particularly difficult for Culain and Danril, who hate his kind with a passion. Unwilling to use the common and unsophisticated weapons which are available, the Paladin remains essentially unarmed and soon perishes when confronting the remaining Orc forces.

The party press on towards the main keep, where they can see Lord Treygal's body impaled on a spike atop the central tower. They fight their way up the keep, having to cross a room full of barricaded Orcs on each level to reach the stairs on alternate sides every time. Finally, they reach the Lord’s bed chamber, which is now occupied by the Orc leader, Garrash. He is assisted by an Orc Cleric of Gruumsh and an Orc Sorcerer. Four Orc archers round out his remaining forces.

Jarek decides to challenge Garrash to a duel, which, unwilling to show weakness in front of his followers, Garrash accepts. Jarek’s companions spread out in a semi-circle around him, while the orcs do the same to Garrash. Naturally, both sides are ready to attack should their champion look as though they are in trouble. The fight goes badly for Jarek, and he gives a signal to the others to aid him after a few rounds of combat. By this time, unfortunately, the party are on the back foot and are unable to recover. Despite a valiant, brutal battle, a tactical mistake allows the Orc Cleric to keep Garrash healed via Cure spells and a wand of Cure Light Wounds.

While Jarek is dangerously low on health, Garrash administers a cleaving blow and slices him in two. The rest of the party fights on bravely, but are unable to overcome the remaining Orcs. As they continue to drop, Kaldir sees that their position is hopeless and flees back down the stairs, heading for the bottom of the keep. Jarek is killed outright and the others are left by Kaldir to bleed to death.

Pelting back through the keep, Kaldir is startled when he runs into another person heading towards him. Kaldir pushes past him, encouraging the stranger to run. The man, one Idris Falco, decides to do just that and the pair rush back through the dungeon and into the cavern. At the cavern exit, they encounter a small group of Orcs but surprise them and decide to run past without engaging. Eventually, they flee far enough into the forest that they feel it is safe to stop. Naturally, Kaldir has a number of questions for his new companion. As the pair walk back to Riddlebeck, they exchange stories. Idris informs Kaldir that he had been working in the fort when the Orcs attacked, and managed to bluff them into thinking he was a wealthy noble whose family would pay a rich ransom if he was spared. He hid when the party initially came through the cells, but then picked his way out and decided to follow them, explaining why he was headed in the opposite direction when he first encountered Kaldir.

The pair share their stories as they walk back towards Riddlebeck, eventually returning to the Riddlebeck Arms where some new companions await them.