Pelagan 1425

1st Pelagan 1425

Kaldir finishes scribing Knock into his spell book.

2nd Pelagan 1425

Kaldir begins scribing Invisibility into his spell book (200gp for materials – half price due to deal with Ephes Payne).

3rd Pelagan 1425

Kaldir continues scribing Invisibility into his spell book.

4th Pelagan 1425

Kaldir finishes scribing Invisibility into his spell book.

5th Pelagan 1425

Kaldir begins scribing Mirror Image into his spell book (200gp for materials – half price due to deal with Ephes Payne).

6th Pelagan 1425

Kaldir continues scribing Mirror Image into his spell book.

7th Pelagan 1425

Kaldir finishes scribing Mirror Image into his spell book.

8th Pelagan 1425

No recorded activity.

9th Pelagan 1425

Kaldir attends the League of Enlightenment newcomers' meeting at the Half Moon Inn. He meets with Alicia Rynem and Cadasa Serachi, between around 7pm and 9pm. Kaldir accepts a mission to retrieve letters from Bryant Fenn's mansion for Cadasa. It is heavily suggested by Alicia and Cadasa that full membership of the League could occur if this is successful. He scopes out Fenn's mansion from around 10pm (as it gets dark). Through a window, he notices a strange creature working in a room on the top floor of the house. A slender, dark green humanoid with scaly, hairless flesh, it appears to be engrossed in its work, apparently creating potions using the alchemical facilities in what must be some kind of laboratory.

10th Pelagan 1425

Kaldir pays Bryant Fenn a visit at his Alchemists' shop in Ventelas. Whilst here, he learns that Fenn also deals in poisons as a side line. Kaldir also discovers that Fenn is planning on being out of town on business on the 12th. Kaldir spends the afternoon and evening attempting to Gather Information about Bryant Fenn. In the afternoon, he concentrates his efforts in a tavern close to the merchant district, where Fenn's shop is based. In the evening, he moves onto a venue near to the wealthy district where Fenn's mansion is located.

He fails to learn anything new about Bryant, but he does hear some other rumours:

• Duke Irasmus Parvellian is due back in the city within the next week or two, and rumours suggest that he will be organising a special tournament at the coliseum upon his return.

• The Order of the Burning Sword has apparently seized control of the Ardonian church, and therefore its government. The Order of the Stalwart Justicars had previously held control for centuries, and there are concerns regarding how the seemingly more militant faction might deal with the already strained relations between Ardonia and Granthis.

11th Pelagan 1425

Kaldir attempts another Gather Information but learns nothing new. He visits the sage, Artip Earhart, to see if he can shed any light on the strange creature in the window. Artip's initial feeling is it could be from an outer plane, possibly Infernal in nature. He will need at least a week to research in more detail, at 2gp per day, to which Kaldir agrees.

12th Pelagan 1425

Kaldir arrives at Bryant Fenn's mansion around 9am, and watches the house from a hidden position in the bushes (around 20’ away) for an hour or so, hoping to see Fenn leave. Based on previous guard patterns Kaldir would have expected to have seen all four guards by this time (either patrolling outside or through the window into the guard room). He therefore surmises that Fenn has already left for Gloradin and taken a guard with him. He decides to cast Invisibility and sneak into the mansion via the back entrance, which takes him into the kitchen. Here, Fenn's housekeeper is startled to see the back door open by itself. Kaldir is able to remain unheard as he sneaks into the room, but the housekeeper heads outside to investigate. Kaldir makes his way out of the kitchen and into the main hallway, before heading up the main staircase to the landing. He is able to easily evade the patrolling guards. He finds a couple of locked doors upstairs which he is unable to open, but does manage to pass undetected into the laboratory where the strange creature is oblivious to him. Kaldir takes a few potions from a shelf in this room. He ignores the labelled vials (some Anti-toxins, Alchemist's Fire and a few Acid Flasks) but takes three unmarked potions - one vial of purple liquid, one of black liquid and one of white liquid.

Realising that he is unable to pick the lock to the room he believes the letters are in, he notices that each guard has a key ring hanging from their belts. He attempts to pilfer a set of keys from one of the guards as they walk past, but his attempt is detected. The guards are now alerted to his presence, but they flail their weapons wildly in a vain attempt to strike him. Due to the narrow walkway on the landing, the guards keep bumping into Kaldir so he struggles to shake them off. Disturbed by the commotion, the strange potion-creating creature leaves his work for a few moments and shouts at the guards in an unrecognisable language, seemingly telling them to deal with the intruder or at least to keep the noise down. Eventually, using an Expeditious Retreat spell, Kaldir is able to put enough distance between himself and the guards that they are unsure of his location. Before too long, he is in a position where he is able to have a little uninterrupted time to try once again to open one of the locked doors. This time he is successful and enters a dusty old bedroom which doesn't appear to have been touched in years, apart from some signs that a chest on the floor may have been accessed more recently.

Searching for traps here, he finds that the chest has some kind of gas releasing mechanism in place. He also detects a hidden bypass switch which he uses to avoid the trap completely and then picks its lock. Inside the chest, sat atop a pile of a few hundred gold coins, are the following items which he takes with him:

• 1 amber gem
• 1 black pearl
• 1 bloodstone gem
• 1 short sword

Kaldir is able to use a Knock spell on the other locked door without breaking his Invisibility, but a guard realises what he is up to and takes a position in the doorway to the room, which is revealed to be a study. Kaldir realises that he won't be able to get into this room and search it while the guard is in there, so he decides to sneak up on him as quietly as possible and strike him using the new sword he has just acquired. To the surprise of both parties, the new weapon proves to be particularly effective in this situation and deals a large amount of subdual damage, including sneak attack. Although the guard does not drop unconscious immediately, Kaldir is able to strike again before the guard is aware of what is happening and the follow-up blow is enough to put him on the floor. Kaldir catches the guard as he slumps to the ground and quietly lowers him so as not to alert the other inhabitants.

His Invisibility spell now cancelled, he quickly proceeds into the study and moves to the desk. On the desk itself is a small pot of ink and a pen, with a few sheets of paper alongside. A few of these appear to bear rough notes including some alchemical symbols. There is also a brass mug with jade inlays which Kaldir stuffs into his backpack. A bookshelf on the wall holds tomes on such matters as history, warfare and alchemy. One of the desk drawers is unlocked and contains a few copper and gold coins, which Kaldir ignores. The other drawer is locked, and Kaldir conducts a very brief search for traps, fearing that he is soon to be detected. Finding nothing, he immediately begins to pick the lock. Although he is successful in doing so, he also sets off a poison needle trap which he failed to detect. The poison begins to take effect immediately, making Kaldir feel extremely light headed and in fear of passing out completely. He grabs the stash of bundled letters from the drawer, thrusts them into his backpack and then lowers himself from the window, tumbling to the ground below. Moving as fast as possible to the bushes on the edge of the property, he grabs the purple potion and quaffs it, hoping it may contain something to fight the poison in his system. Unfortunately, this contains arsenic but Kaldir somehow manages to fight off its initial effects. Now dangerously close to losing consciousness, and realising he needs to get away from Fenn's guards before he passes out, he spots a member of the city watch not too far away. He chooses to run towards him, collapsing in his arms.

Kaldir regains consciousness a few hours later, finding himself in a cramped jail cell. He is mocked and chastised by the jailer, who tells him how pathetic it is to get into such a disgusting drunken state at that time of the morning. Kaldir apologises, and gladly pays the 7gp fine to reclaim his belongings and his freedom.

13th Pelagan 1425

Using his contacts within the Black Tendril, Kaldir visits a forger and pays for a copy of the letters to be made. He meets up with Cadasa Serachi and passes her the copies, retaining the originals for himself. He also visits Bertrum Reed and pays 800gp for an Analyse Dweomer spell to be cast on the short sword he has recovered. It has the word "Silencer" inscribed upon its hilt in the common tongue.

14th Pelagan 1425

The party are introduced to Valyn Malkeenian through their mutual friend, Rodan Jard, and meet up with him for breakfast at the Lucky Lady. Valyn tells them a strange tale of vivid nightmares which are drawing him back to the horrors he experienced a few years earlier. Valyn was then serving in Duke Parvellian's army and was stationed at a remote outpost. Whilst on a routine patrol nearby, Valyn's squad was attacked by Necromancers and he was the only survivor - forced to fight against the cruelly re-animated corpses of his former allies. His nightmares are once again fixated on this outpost, and both he and Rodan are convinced that something terrible has occurred there. This theory is reinforced by the revelation that the nightmares started on Orcus's Unholy Day.

Despite some misgivings, the party agree to accompany Valyn to the outpost, which is around 5 days' travel on foot to the south east. Rodan takes his leave from the party and returns to other duties. The group plan to set off the following day, and spend the rest of the day doing some investigation into trolls, which Enris tells them are still causing problems in the Inglewood area. Kaldir leaves this with his usual Sage contact, Artip Earhart, to research, after questioning at the Mercenaries' Guild and the Temple of Pelor proves fruitless.

15th Pelagan 1425

The party get an early start and set off on foot towards the outpost.

16th Pelagan 1425

The party continues travelling on foot towards the outpost.

17th Pelagan 1425

The party continues travelling on foot towards the outpost.

18th Pelagan 1425

The party continues travelling on foot towards the outpost.

19th Pelagan 1425

The party arrives at the outpost by early evening. As they approach, they notice that the fortifications are in a state of some disrepair. As they get closer, it becomes evident that a large group of approximately 40 undead (skeletons and zombies) are shuffling around close to the perimeter. The party are able to use a mixture of stealth and Invisibility to Undead spells to evade the creatures, and find their way into the outpost through a collapsed wall. This passes directly into what would have once been the Quarter Master's residence, although the building is most dilapidated. The same holds true for the other small buildings close-by, including the old blacksmith's, a general store and a purposefully defiled shrine to Pelor. The latter has the now familiar crude skull-altar in place.

Having previously been posted here, Valyn is of course familiar with the layout and leads the group down some steps in the courtyard to a small area underground which was previously used as a barracks, mess, armoury and a sparring area for the troops stationed here, as well as a few cells. Exploring this area, the group make a grim discovery. Former occupants, some of whom Valyn recognises, have been experimented upon in the most foul of ways. Various parts of undead anatomy have been "grafted" onto them, almost certainly while they were still alive. For example, Dayton Winfield the blacksmith had a Bodak's eye forced into a gouged-out eye socket. Beldon Studron, the former quartermaster, had a Mohrg's tongue forcibly grafted into his mouth. Some other poor soul, now unrecognisable, had what appears to be the mottled, grey skin of a Ghoul grafted to much of her body and the arm of a Zombie in place of one of her own.

Venturing onward, the party encounter the Necromancer seemingly responsible for these atrocities. A cleric of Orcus by the name of Nedira The Corruptor, she has turned the former sparring room into some kind of alchemical laboratory. Here, she is assisted by four Mage Necromancers - each of whom are shielded by a zombie, while Nedira herself is flanked by two Wights. Judging from her appearance, it would seem the grafting experiments proved useful to her for she also has the eye of a Bodak and the long, cartilaginous tongue of a Mohrg; the latter attached beneath her jaw so as not to interfere with her own tongue. Behind her appears to be the corpse of a young, Black Dragon.

She mocks the party as they burst into the room, insinuating that the dreams which Valyn has been suffering from were somehow implanted within him to lead him here. More credence is granted to this theory when the Mages attempt to use Split Negative Energy Rays to target Valyn and the Black Dragon corpse simultaneously - as if they are somehow attempting to channel energy into the lifeless creature. This attempt proves unsuccessful, and a Web spell from Kaldir entangles the majority of the group. All is not plain sailing from this point, however, as two wraiths emerge through the walls behind the party and attack them. During the battle, Kaldir suffers a Constitution drain, but thanks to the Web spell the Wyvern's Talon are able to overcome their adversaries without too much trouble.

Returning to the courtyard above, the Wyvern's Talon are confronted by three more Necromancers. A cleric of Orcus and his two mage companions. The cleric has clearly marshalled control of some of the wandering zombies and skeletons. He bellows the following as he spots the party emerge:

"Wyvern's Talon!"
"My name is Razad, and I am known as the Corpse Crafter. I tell you this so will know who has wrought your destruction this day. Your continual provocations towards the Dark Prince can no longer be tolerated."
"Let us begin!"

With that, the two mages cast fly spells and take to the air, while Razad directs as many undead as possible towards the party. The remaining, uncontrolled undead revert to their last programmed action and also begin to head towards the group, until it is noticed that brandishing a goat-headed amulet at them is enough to deter any aggression (the directly controlled undead are not so affected, however). Another fierce battle ensues, with the mages' aerial bombardment of negative energy bursts proving particularly troublesome, and Flynn becoming incapacitated by a Hold Person spell from Razad. In addition, the commanded undead appear to be enhanced with some foul magic which inflicts painful cold damage whenever they strike. Despite this, however, the Wyvern's Talon overcome their opponents and are able to leave the outpost. Before this, Valyn does his best to undo the desecration that has been committed upon the small shrine to Pelor. He smashes the skull altar to Orcus, but it is decided that the remaining undead will need to be tackled by a future group of clerics sent from Ventelas.

The party make camp a safe distance from the outpost and then head back to Ventelas early the next morning.

20th Pelagan 1425

The party get an early start and set off on foot towards Ventelas.

21st Pelagan 1425

The party continues travelling on foot towards Ventelas.

22nd Pelagan 1425

The party continues travelling on foot towards Ventelas.

23rd Pelagan 1425

The party continues travelling on foot towards Ventelas.

24th Pelagan 1425

The party continues travelling on foot towards Ventelas, arriving by early evening.

25th Pelagan 1425

The party engage in some relaxation and administration. Valyn informs his superior, Atham Nare, of his findings at the outpost. It is likely that a group of clerics will be sent to cleanse the outpost and the small shrine.

Kaldir spends 340GP at the temple of Pelor to have a restoration spell cast, thus removing the constitution drain he suffered from the wraiths. Kaldir hires Bertrum Reed for 200gp to cast Identify on the magical loot recovered from the outpost:

• Heavy Mace +1
• Heavy Mace +2
• Goat Head Amulet of Natural Armour +1
• Goat Head Amulet of Natural Armour +1
• Goat Head Amulet of Natural Armour +1
• Goat Head Amulet of Natural Armour +1
• Goat Head Amulet of Natural Armour +2
• Goat Head Amulet of Natural Armour +2
• Goat Head Amulet of Natural Armour +2
• Goat Head Amulet of Natural Armour +2

26th Pelagan 1425

The party visits Enris at the Mercenaries Guild to see what work is available. The Troll situation in the Inglewood is still ongoing, with a reward of 2,000gp. A few new jobs catch their collective eye, however.

Bugbear Raiding Party:

A small band of Bugbears has recently caused some mayhem amongst the merchant caravans travelling between Gloradin and Ventelas. They have been striking within only an hour’s travel of the city’s west gate and this is causing particular embarrassment to Duke Parvellian. As a result, he is willing to pay 1,000gp for the eradication of this menace. Reports from those that have survived the encounters suggest these may be stronger than average for their race so caution is advised.

Attempts to target them with a party strong enough to deal with them have so far been unsuccessful as they are elusive opponents. Current thinking is a mercenary group could pose as merchants and thus create a “honey trap”. A suitable wagon can be provided as necessary.

Barty and the Ogres:

Barty, the son of one of the Duke's rangers, Barvid Grayrunner, has been a perennial disappointment to his father. Determined to make his father proud, he wants a party to escort him to an ogre lair a couple of days to the south west. Barty learned of this from a map he stole from his father, the lair is distant enough not to be of particular concern to the rangers at this time. Barty will insist upon getting the killing blow upon an Ogre, and wants the party to witness this. Unfortunately, Barty is not a skilled combatant and will therefore require close supervision and protection.

Gladiator Pits:

Randurk Ashblade, a former Captain in the Duke’s forces, is in control of the Gladiator Pits in Ventelas. He is willing to pay good coin for any monsters or beasts which can be returned to him, to fight in an upcoming special tournament that Parvellian is planning.

The creatures will need to be subdued in some manner, and discretion is key (the party will need to try to conceal any creatures they bring in, so as to avoid public concern and to prevent spoiling the potential surprise for the attendees of the tournament).

Randurk is willing to pay 250gp per CR of the creature(s). The Mercenaries’ Guild cut is already calculated in that figure. It is fairly obvious to the party that there is some synergy between the first two jobs and this last one, and Korwyn suggests his Charm Person could potentially be of use, at least against the Bugbears.

The party choose to pick up all three jobs and head off initially to tackle the Bugbears. They pose as merchants with a horse-drawn wagon, and before too long they have attracted the interest of their prey. A battle ensues but the Bugbears are outmatched; most of them are slain but two surrender and are taken prisoner. One of these is a rogue by the name of Rumki, the other a sorcerer called Zogbard. They have little of value upon them, but the party are able to claim a total of 2,500gp from Randurk after smuggling them back into Ventelas.

27th Pelagan 1425

Upkeep due: 45gp per month, per character (for “Common” lifestyle). 270gp total for party.

The party meet up with Barty early in the morning and head off towards the location of the Ogre lair as detailed in Barty’s map. Finn attempts to teach Barty some basic combat skills during the journey, with only limited success.

28th Pelagan 1425

The party arrive at the Ogre lair location by early evening. Barty is told to stay far back from the rest of the group, while they create a large amount of noise to lure the Ogres from within their cave. With the party set up perfectly for an ambush, the foolish brutes are quickly cut to pieces as they come charging out of their lair. With the Ogres unconscious or bleeding to death, it is a trivial accomplishment for Barty to finish one off with his sword.

Searching the cavern, the party find the following:

• 400gp in coins
• 1 bloodstone
• 1 blue quartz
• 1 golden yellow topaz
• A longbow which radiates transmutation magic

The party make camp for the night.

29th Pelagan 1425

The party make an early start and head back towards Ventelas, travelling all day.

30th Pelagan 1425

The party arrive in Ventelas by early evening. A reward of 500gp is forthcoming from Barty for successful completion of the job.

31st Pelagan 1425

The Wyvern’s Talon enjoy a rare break, although Kaldir does take the opportunity to cast Identify on the longbow recovered from the Ogres’ cave, learning that it is a Longbow +2. He is also able to reveal the number of charges remaining on his Wand of Burning Hands. It has 30 charges, which takes into account the 6 charges he has used since recovering it from the Orc Sorcerer near Riddlebeck.

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