The Tower of Kel-Arath

SESSION 13 RECAP

PCs

Talos Redwand, 6th level Conjurer
Dubner Ogrebane, 4th/4th level dwarf Fighter / Cleric (Champion)
Eswin, 6th/4th level elven Thief/Fighter
Shaw Ashcroft 5th level Ranger (Justifier)
NPCs
Sulla, Osmir, Hafren, and Rhovar, 2nd level Thulian Warriors

From The Wars of Empire Chapter XXXVII: The Mad King's War

The fate of the Battle of the Plains of Galibur rested not in the camps of the two monarchs who stood across from each other on that frozen plain in the winter of 606AT, but with a band of mercenaries in Perrinwall.

Having secured passage through a Godain Way Gate, these sellswords found themselves in a ruined village hundreds of miles from home. Their task: to rescue the daughter of the Frost Giant King Grungnir and break the alliance between the Giants and the mad king who had taken her hostage, in hopes that the Giants would quit the field of battle and tip the scales towards Beltigost. But freeing the Frost Giant Princess Brunhilde would be no easy task. The mad king's vizier Ragan Doon had secreted her away in the Tower of Kel-Arath and the heroes would have to storm the tower to free her.

After stepping through the Way Gate, the travelers found themselves in unfamiliar territory. The ruined village was home to a tribe of freemen who called themselves the Thulians. The travelers treated with the Thulian elders and secured guides who would take them to Steamcloud Vale, where the Tower of Kel-Arath stood. Four of the travelers, along with four Thulian warriors made the trek. The remaining two companions, the Druid Kieren and the Archer Brendel stayed behind to broker a further alliance with the Thulians, in the hopes that they would join the battle on the side of Beltigost.

Bitterwind the White Dragon

The trek across the frozen plains was uncomfortable, but within a day, the travelers found themselves in Steamcloud Vale, where the winds of winter never touched. A mile distant they could see the great stone tower rising 500 feet into the air, its summit carved into the likeness of a dragon's head. The made their way to a ruined chapel at the southern end of the vale under cover of darkness and were set upon by a creature of legend, they thought no longer existed. A white dragon crawled out of a underground cavern ready to devour them whole. Two of the Thulians immediately quit the field and fled, so great was the dragonfear, but the others stood their ground. The mighty ranger Shaw hit the dragon with a blow that wounded it sorely as the wizard Talos used his magics to slow the great beast. The dragon, caught by surprise at the resourcefulness of the companions took to the air and tried to escape, but was brought low by their arrows.

As the companions skinned the dragon for valuable resources, riders came out of the tower to see what the commotion was about. But darkness proved to help the companions as they ambushed six blood knights and made quick work of them.

They then set out for the tower itself, which proved more difficult than anticipated. As they closed in on it, they were beset by giant bolts shot from ballistae mounted on the tower. Two of the shots made quick work of Hafren and Sulla along with their mounts. Eight became Six as they entered the tower.

Azer Forgemaster

Inside the tower they surprised a blood knight guard and made quick work of him. They then descended to the forges in the bowels of the tower where they met with two blood knights, eight dwarves with flaming beards wielding fiery hammers, and a snivelling little dwarf - who they later learned was named Snot Gristlebeard.

The fighting was ferocious, with the blood knights cutting bloody swaths into Shaw and Dubner, bringing them close to death, and the flame-bearded dwarves (Azers) taking care of the final two Thulians and pressing Eswin and Talos to the limit. Talos magicked some fire beetles,  which distracted some of the Azers and Eswin darted in and out of their attacks, striking home when the opportunity presented itself. In the end, though badly wounded, the four companions proved victorious and rescued the snivelling dwarf slave Snot who informed them that the Giantess they sought was not in the tower, but kept in a fiery place beyond this world. The only way to get there was to ascend to the top of the tower and use a magical gate there. The problem was, the gate was guarded by a fire elementalist named Wyrlish and his pack of Hell Hounds. Believing themselves to be too sorely wounded to take the fight to the elementalist right away, the group decided to rest in the forges, regain their strength and pan their next move.

The Mound of Mourning

SESSION 13 RECAP

PCs

Talos Redwand, 5th level Conjurer
Dubner Ogrebane, 4th/4th level dwarf Fighter / Cleric (Champion)
Eswin, 6th/2nd level elven Thief/Fighter
Brendel, 5th level half-elven Fighter (Archer)
Kieren, 6th level Druid

NPCs
Cullwch the Strong, 5th level Fighter

The newest member of the party, Dubner Ogrebane, Dwarven Chamion,
and his War Pony Thunderfoot

The Godain Village of Ynys Gwyn

Gaius the druid sat cross-legged amid a bundle of straw. The twigs and dead leaves that hung in his white beard made him look at bit foolish, yet the expression he wore was grim. He eyed the tattooed warrior Cullwch who stood across from him in his hut.

I sense that a great evil has awoken. What have you done?

Cullwch looked displeased with himself. He had done as the old druid requested and accompanied the strange travelers on their quest, but things did not turn out as they had hoped. The five strangers entered the village three days previous, asking for permission to use the Well of Souls so that they might travel to Galibur and prevent a great calamity they said would befall the king of Beltigost. While the Godain had no love for Beltigost, they hated the Old Althyrians and their mad king even more, so the druids had acquiesced. But the well had been closed and the only way to open it was with demonic blood. Gaius had sent Cullwch with the travelers to the Whisperwood where the evil demon Yogga-Norn had been bound in ages past. They were to slay the demon and obtain its blood if they hoped to activate the well.

We were deceived, Cullwch responded. At first the travel through the Whisperwood was easy. After a time we came across some of our kin sitting motionless by a small pond. A Hamadryad appeared out of a nearby tree and ensorcelled some of us. With careful negotiation we managed to get the information from her as to where the Mound of Yogga-Norn was located. The druid in our company mated with the Hamadryad and she begat an acorn, which she made us promise to plant in the be-fouled ground where the demon lurked to bring life back to the area.

The Hamadryad

After treating with the Hamadryad, we made our way to that desolate mound where the demon lay. It had been well guarded with magics of old and inscribed with runes. We were approached by several Centaurs who demanded that we not break the seal. Our only way to gain entrance was to pass through the earth itself. Only the Hamadryad could help us with that, so we sent the druid back to her to get her aid. When she returned, she took us one by one through the earth into the steam infested underground prison of the demon.

As we made our way through the chambers, we came across the remains of the heroes who had first bound the demon to this prison and we managed to obtain several powerful magical weapons to help us in our quest. When we entered the demon's chamber, he laughed at us from the darkness and summoned a horde of lesser fleshy demons who attacked us. These lesser demons were no match for our battle prowess, but once slain they would rise again and renew their attack.

Yogga-Norn

Yogga-Norn finally showed himself and hovered far above us in the chamber. He attacked viciously, but cowardly, flying about the room to stay away from our blood-drenched swords. The archer Brendel managed to hurt the beast sorely with several magical arrows he had acquired.

Then the beast summoned a wall of fire against us and our wizard was brought low. Thanks to the quick thinking of our dwarven cleric he was saved, but he was no longer of any use in the battle. After a long on bloody battle, where the elf, the dwarf and the druid pounded on the demon, it finally fell to the ground below, seemingly dead. We gathered up some of its blood and limped our way back through the caverns.

On the way back to our rendezvous point with the hamadryad, we were accosted by a swarm of steam devils and in our wounded state were forced to flee with all haste.

The Hamadryad was awaiting us - which was strange - since we had not called to her yet. But seeing as how time was against us and a swarm of devils were on our tails, we thought little of it. The hamadryad explained that she could only take one of us at a time up through the earth and that it would be quicker to simply climb the steps and open the door to the tomb. No longer fearing that we would unleash the demon, we climbed the steps and broke the seal on the entrance to the tomb, finding the centaurs awaiting us.

The Hamadryad sat on the top of the mound. Yet she was also with us. There were two of her. Too late we realized our error. The demon Yogga-Norn was not dead. He had used powerful illusions to let us believe we had slain him and then again to make us believe he was the hamadryad. In our haste we did not see the signs and inadvertently broke the seal, freeing him. Once out in the open again, Yogga-Norn disappeared in a flash of smokey light. Though the steam devils did not pursue us out of the mound, we had unleashed the demon. I fear Yogga-Norn will cause trouble for us now.

Gaius was silent for a moment. This news that Cullwch had brought was dire indeed. A demon had been freed by outsiders. The world was cracking again and darkness was slipping through.

We must organize a war-band and hunt this creature down before it can do more damage. Send word to the chieftain of the Centaurs. They are no doubt displeased with us. We must make amends. And gather the elders. We must descend to the library of skulls for further guidance from the ancestors. 

Cullwch stood where he was a moment longer.

And what of the travelers who unleashed this horror? How will they pay for this?

Gaius  felt responsible, for it was he who had given them permission to seek out Yogga-Norn's mound. He may very well pay for his folly with his own life. That was for the council to decide. But as for the strangers, they were already gone and on their way. The damage had been done.

They are gone. Leave them to their task. But let it be known that Kieren the Godain is banished from Ynys Gyn and he and his companions will meet a swift death should they ever return.

Sacred Waters

SESSION 12 RECAP

PCs

Talos Redwand, 5th level Conjurer
Lutien, 5th level Fighter (Myrmidon)
Eswin, 6th/1st level elven Thief/Fighter
Brendel, 5th level half-elven Fighter (Archer)
Kieren, 6th level Druid

NPCs
Oliver, Man-at-Arms

From the Journal of Oliver, Initiate of the Three-Faced Goddess

I was lost, but now have found my path.

I had been a drunken lout and ne'er-do-well in the teeming city of Vodymsira. I knew I needed a change in my life or I'd end up in an alley with my throat slit. When the travelers came looking for men-at-arms to bolster their company, I was glad to accept. We fled the city and made our way west to the village of Brysgod. I was told only that we were in search of Mo Ander, the great druid.

From Brysgod we made our way into the Greycloak mountains and found a cave complex that the druid Kieren said would lead us to Mo Ander's sacred grove and the heart of the Unicorn Run. My employer, one Talos Redwand told me that we were in search of the Sacred Waters there, as only they could lift a curse on the Three-Faced Goddess that they were bound to complete.

Grell

Within the caves we found ourselves attacked by deep horrors known as Grell. Their tentacled arms lashed out at us paralyzing our number and we quickly succumbed. But the elven thief had a trick up his sleeve. Using a magic card he had secreted away, he was able to reverse time and save us. Armed with the knowledge of the Grell, we decided to attack them once again. Better prepared for the danger that awaited us, we made quick work of them.

After we defeated the Grell, we came out into a grove of natural beauty. Following a river we soon came to the fabled Unicorn Run and were met by Mo Ander and his druidess servants. The great druid agreed to give us the sacred waters we sought so long as we proved ourselves worthy. We were taken to a clearing where stood a huge oak tree and told to await our test. Some time passed, and eventually the tree in the centre of the clearing came to life, an 18ft tall monstrosity that threatened to squash us all into a pulp. With hard work and not a few scrapes, we managed to bring the behemoth low, mostly due to the lightning spells of Kieren.

With our test successfully completed, we were given the waters we sought. Amberle, one of the great druid's apprentices accompanied us to see our task of lifting the curse of Eurayle done. Mo Ander created a mystical pathway through one of his trees and upon entering we found ourselves in a stone-cracked courtyard of a ruined monastery. I later found out that this was the forgotten temple of the Three-Faced Goddess, Phaetus. My companions told me to be on guard, for there was a deadly woman in the courtyard who could turn us to stone with a mere glance.

Brendel the Archer

Three giant sword spiders crept over the walls and assaulted us, taking us by surprise. A little welcoming gift from the cursed lady. While the spiders dealt wicked blows to us on our flank, the cursed lady appeared in all her horrible magnificence. Lutien the fighter and myself could not look away from her deadly beauty and were turned to stone. I know little of the battle after that.

When I came to, we had defeated the lady and her spiders. Talos informed me that once the lady was defeated, the sacred waters were poured upon her body and Amberle, our druidess companion became the new vessel for the goddess. I was told that the two other goddesses, along with their cured sister were the ones who restored me to the flesh. I owe them my life, and so I dedicated myself to their cause.

The travelers have left with their reward and are on their way to Beltigost, in hopes of preventing the king of that fair country from being slain in battle with the mad king of Old Althyria. There is much work to be done here and many have been called to serve the Three Sisters. I have stayed behind, pledged to become a cleric in the service of the Ladies of Fate. I look forward to the challenge of rebuilding the Order of Fate and the Temple of the Three Faces, and wish my benefactors much luck in their travels and success in their efforts, for if the king of Beltigost falls, my new-found purpose may not survive long.