Funeral for a King

The six travelers made their way through the crowded streets.  They did not walk together, but they all had the same destination.  The city seemed to draw all who entered it towards the center.  The canals flowed along their predestined paths.  The pathways crossed and turned into the main boulevards that formed the arteries of the city.  For a city of nearly twenty thousand residents, it was nearly silent.  

The six observed the silence and saw the city in a new light.  It was a city of nobility, but those less well off were not pushed aside.  It was a city of gardens and beauty, but it was a welcoming beauty.  It was a city of majestic houses and a grand palace, but the marks of war some six years past were evident.  The man who ruled this city saw to it that his keep was repaired last.  He made sure his people would be safe behind strong towers and fortified walls.  He was a fierce warrior priest, a noble of nobles, but he was also father to a beloved people.

The six had come to pay their respects, and they were not alone.  The triumvirate rulers of Ulek had come.  The Knight Commander of the Shield Lands was there with her court.  The venerable Hazen, Shepherd of the Faithful, High Priest of Rao and Archcleric of Veluna sat on the center podium in the center of the Grand Pavilion.  The mayors of the Highfolk and the Free City of Greyhawk were in attendance.  The magistrate of Dyvers, the capital of old Ferrond stood and watched the procession.  In short, the leaders of the good and free countries of the Flanaess had come to pay their respects.

The procession commenced and great speeches were given.  All befitting a man of the greatest stature.  The seven nobles of the seven families were seated in a semicircle around the empty throne.  They assured the people that order would continue.  The kingdom would be safe.  The legacy of Belvor would continue even if it was not by his blood.

As the last of the nobles finished speaking, Canon Hazen stood slowly and made his way to the lectern.  He looked over the faces of the people, and then he surveyed the faces of the nobles.

“People of Furyondy and visitors from a far.  We have heard many speeches today.  Much wisdom is gathered here.  We are a blessed people.  Today is a sad day, but it is not a dark day.  We celebrate a life well lived.  A man who would listen to reason.  A man who would look to the olive branch before he would take to the sword.  To be granted five years of his wise rule would be a gift, but we were given fifty.  There may be dark times ahead, but that is not today.  For today, we rejoice.  Serenity is found in the simple and the grand.  And this man we honor here today was simple in his devotion and grand in his rule.  He was obedient to authority as a servant and royal in authority as a true king.  He was above all a friend.”

The services ended, but barely anyone moved.  For over an hour, the throng stood there in the pavilion.  The tears were silent.  Slowly, the crowd began to disperse.  The ale houses will be busy this night.  Stories will be told about the king.  He will be remembered for many generations, and he will be missed.

The six did not visit the taverns.  They made their way out of the city much as they had entered.  The people of the city did not mark their passing.  Though perhaps in years to come all would know their names.  It was time to go.  There was work to be done.

Turtle and Snake

19th – 21st Day of Fireseek, CY 592

The Pool
We searched the body of Naquent and found among other things a strange medallion with a faint divination aura.  At this point, we had to decide whether to pursue the fleeing nagas, or return to the dwarven temple to rest.  We decided that we should take care of the nagas first, so we made our way down to the double doors at the eastern end of the chamber.

Within moments of opening the door, we began to question our decision to continue.  One of the nagas charmed Uthgar, but Creden called upon his god to give Uthgar another chance to resist it.  The other naga cast a crackling, black ray of negative energy at Creden.  Safadin shot a sonic orb out of his staff damaging one of the nagas.  The “turtles” that the bugbears mentioned were actually powerful extraplanar beings known as tojanida.  They came up out of the pool that dominated the room, and attacked Creden and Uthgar.  The one on Uthgar managed to lock its powerful bite down on him, and Victor was not able to break the vice-like grip.  Delvanos cast haste on the party, and Vannay began summoning a creature to deal with the tojanidas.

One tojanida pulled Uthgar into the pool, while the other one split Creden’s maul in two with its bite.  It also filled the northern half of the pool with an inky black liquid obscuring all sight.  Before Vannay was able to finish his summoning, one of the nagas fired two scorching rays at him.  Luckily, they both missed their mark, and a huge orca whale appeared in the pool next to the tojanidas.  The other naga paralyzed Creden with an enchantment, making him easy prey for the tojanida.  The orca and Safadin combined their attacks to take out one naga.  Delvanos began inspiring our courage with one of his memorable epic tales.  Victor cast Righteous Might and moved into a position to attack the tojanida.

The tojanida saw the giant orca in the water, so it dropped Uthgar, submerged out of sight and attacked the whale.  It also shot its inky black jet into Victor’s eyes blinding him.  Creden’s second chance to resist the paralyzing enchantment worked just before the other tojanida attacked him.  One of its claws managed to hold onto Creden pulling him closer to the turtle.  Victor tried to attack the tojanida near Uthgar, but the blindness rendered all of his attacks useless.  Safadin’s magic and Delvanos’ arrows took the other naga down.  Vannay began summoning a celestial griffon.

Now we had one visible tojanida left to kill.  It pulled Creden into the water and dropped him.  Uthgar managed to pull himself out of the water, and Creden was able to as well with a little help from the griffon.  Vannay and Safadin cast energy missiles, while Delvanos fired a number of arrows at it.  Then Victor went to work on it.  His first punch cracked the shell, and he followed up with a flurry of blows in the breach.  The tojanida was dead.  We considered waiting for the other one to surface, but decided to go ahead and get out of there.  We returned to our sanctuary in the dwarven temple, and the next day we teleported to Verbobonc.

Verbobonc
Creden found a master craftsman, who said he could repair the maul in two days.  A number of people were making preparations to travel to Chendl for the funeral of King Belvor.  After some discussion, we decided that we would attend the funeral before resuming our assault on the fane.

When we checked in at the Rook’s Cove, there was a letter waiting on us from Canon Heldenster.

Dear Friends,

We expect that you are making plans to attend the services of our departed sovereign.  This is of course acceptable.  There are a number of groups within Furyondy and without that have interest in the progress of your quest.  We do not wish to distract from the honor due our king, and we do not want other complications to arise related to that most holy of relics that you hold.  Please take all necessary precautions, and you should consider arriving “in cognito”.  Only contact the council if you have news to report.  If you do not contact us, we will assume that the quest is proceeding as planned.  I am sure you realize that with recent events, this has taken on an even greater importance.

May the Invincible One protect you,

Canon Heldenster
Prelate of Heironeous

The Book of Elhoriad

Excerpts from the book found in the temple library . . .

The research and power which my master, Unariq Vol’talsimol, invested in this most wonderful of creations is truly astounding. He has joined with our unjustly imprisoned god, so it is up to me, Susain Carun, to finish this work. What joy and secret pleasure I have derived from this. Our new master will realize in time that it is I who should have been given the rank of Third. The one who holds this position is a gift from the prince, but has she earned this title? Has she brought such gifts forward? No! It is not so. Did I not pass through the reverie?! Have I not brought greatness and honor to the Imprisoned One? It is of no matter. All will be set right in time.

(In the margin next to these opening comments)
This is most interesting. Is Mistress Carun so foolish that she did not think anyone would read these notes after she left for the excavation project. This sort of petty rivalry is beyond the First or Second, but I imagine that the Third would be interested in this bit of news. Once I have joined the dreamer’s ranks, this will be another tool for my advancement.

That these elhoriads are the perfect union of undeath and entropy is not in doubt. Their form of burned bone and cloaked darkness will strike fear in the most stalwart priest. Vol’talsimol did not complete his work, but I have made the necessary steps to ensure that the destructive energies do not overwhelm the frame of these creatures. Greatness surrounds all that I do!

I have created the first generation of these creatures. They will serve as guardians for our temple in (words deleted). The (word deleted) environment should not pose any difficulty for them.

(margin notes)
Are we now giving away our hidden temples? Has she not considered who might one day read this? Her power has blinded her reason.

The next two generations of this great creation are now complete. They have been sent out into the world. The fools who think they are encountering the weakest of the walking dead will find their vim and vigor sucked from their worthless bodies.

The third generation has developed a cunning intellect. What an interesting side effect of keeping the subjects alive until the last moment of the transformation. Perhaps a more liberal use of healing followed by liquid pain will even further enhance the elhoriad’s mental capacity. The cries of the supplicants are like singing!

(margin notes)
She certainly seems happy with these creations. I have seen them, and they are impressive, but they are hardly the greatest of the undead which she portends.

The fourth generation is complete! The rapid flensing of the flesh while healing of the wounds was a master stroke. The subject's minds remain stimulated until the point of death. This allows a full transfer of the cerebral functions into the elhoriads.

All will praise my name! These are easily the most powerful of the whole lot. Vol’talsimol’s dream is realized in me. If he were still with us, I would be elevated to his right hand. They will be placed in the blasted yard securing our inner fane forever. When the Imprisoned One is freed, I will stand before him. He will look down upon me and say, “Well done my most faithful servant!”.

(margin notes)
Tychon’s opinion of Susain has merit. It is good that she has been assigned to oversee the excavation. Her incessant ramblings about the skeletons was grinding. Though the horde of them in the blasted yard is impressive.

The Black Sun

19th Day of Fireseek, CY 592

The Library
After leaving the illithid’s chamber, we found a library. It had nearly 700 books on various dark topics related to summoning, magic and an assortment of religious topics. Safadin found one book in particular detailing the creation of a new form of undead called elhoriads. They are skeletons who have entropic power fused into them.

We then followed a staircase leading down to a study. It appeared that someone had left the room recently, because we found an open book and a recently snuffed pipe. The book was a study of stone giants. It had a section on how to approach them, and various theories on diplomacy with giantfolk. The pipe had a mixture of tobacco and tanbrosh.

The Shrine
The next room appeared to be a shrine, because it had simple pews facing a small enclosed room. The room had a transparent glass wall with a purple stone in the center of the door. Beyond the wall was a black ball with a purple and red corona hovering in the center of the room. Its form was slightly different, but Vannay recognized it as a sphere of annihilation. Vannay knew that these balls of entropy can be controlled, so he attempted to move it mentally. He was sure that he gave it the proper command, but it completely ignored him. It began slowly moving towards us. We fled the room with all due haste. Victor waited until he was sure everyone was safely away, before he left. We waited in the study to see if it was still following us. After a short time, we could see that it was. Safadin and Vannay teleported us to the dwarven temple in the ridge mines.

We returned to the room, and we found that the flaming black sun had returned to its original position. Victor remembered seeing an engraving of this flaming sun on the floor of the obelisk chamber in the moathouse. After some pondering on the matter, we thought that maybe the purple veins running through the walls of the fane were a ward against the destructive power of the ball.

The Vestry
A small room off to the side of the shrine had an assortment of ceremonial items. There were six ochre colored robes and four purple robes hanging on hooks in the vestry. The purple robes matched the attire worn by the Third. Vannay identified these robes and determined that they are meant to protect against unnatural cold. These robes were seen on Varachan, Hedrack and Tessimon when Vannay scried on them. They were in some sort of temple, and it was obviously cold because he could see their breath. We took the robes.

A locked iron box was on a table in the center of the room. Vannay opened it with his wand. It contained an iron torch and a black censer. There was also incense that was meant to be used in the torch and censer. We used a torch like this in the moathouse, and it revealed some hidden features of the obelisk.

Naquent
We left the vestry and continued east, where we encountered a woman in full plate. Just before the encounter, someone attempted a greater scrying on Vannay, but it was not successful. The woman had four bugbears and two dark nagas with her. She identified herself as Naquent, and she told us that her master, Hedrack, was aware of our presence in the fane.

Safadin started things off by exploding a ball of lightning in their midst. One of the bugbears evaded the damage, but everyone else was hurt by it. One of the nagas charmed Creden, but Victor called upon Kord to give Creden another chance to resist the enchantment. The other naga attempted to counter Victor’s spell, but it failed. Creden was freed from the enchantment, and we all breathed a bit easier. It would have created many problems if we had to deal with him as well. Vannay suspected that Naquent had some buffing spells in place, so he targeted a dispel magic against her. It was also successful. Delvanos began telling a story to inspire our courage, and Creden called upon divine power to boost his attacks. The bugbear scouts used a spring attack against us dealing some damage. Naquent cast corrupt weapon on her flail and moved in.

Another group of bow wielding bugbears came into view just before Safadin cast arc of lightning. They tried to disrupt his spell, but were not successful. Vannay decided to take the nagas out of the battle by placing a wall of force between us and them. The nagas discovered that they were cut off, and they cast some buffing spells. Uthgar went into his defender’s stance and killed one of the scouts. Naquent filled the gap in the scout line by charging Uthgar. She made a vicious strike against his neck dealing a sizeable amount of damage. Creden saw the bleeding wound on Uthgar, so he stepped back five feet and cast heal. One of the scouts stepped into the position vacated by Creden and attacked Vannay. Victor activated his flaming fists, and Delvanos took down one archer and severely damaged another.

The battle came to a swift conclusion. Naquent attempted a full assault on Creden, but only connected once. Creden’s aim was true. His maul made short work of Naquent. Uthgar and Delvanos combined their efforts to take down all but two of the bugbears. The nagas fled through a set of double doors at the end of the room. The last two bugbears surrendered.

We questioned them quickly to find out if the nagas were going to try and circle around. They said no. They said the nagas were going to the room with the turtles. We spared their lives, and said they could leave the fane through the fire door. They seemed surprised that the dragon was no longer guarding it. We searched the fallen foes, and then began discussing our next move.

Lair of the Illithid

8th to the 19th Day of Fireseek, CY 592

Verbobonc
We spent about ten days in the viscounty getting to know our new companions and selling off the hoard we recovered from the dragon. Some of us had our magic items upgraded as well. Delvanos gave a few performances at the Rook’s Cove, and they were well received. We learned that King Belvor of Furyondy has died, and there is a lot of tension regarding who will be named regent in place of the missing crown prince. We also learned that there was a large industrial fire in the Caronis, capital of the Reach. Apparently there is an investigation underway, but it seemed clear to us that there may be demonic involvement. Why else would the major producer of cold iron in Furyondy be targeted for destruction?

The Tapestries
We teleported back to the temple of Moradin, and the next day we entered the Outer Fane. We decided to follow the path where the ogres came from. There was a large chamber with purple and white tapestries along the east and west walls and a table with foodstuffs, a keg and other various items in the center of the room. The tapestries depicted various scenes of demons ripping the hearts out of humans, and then taking their prizes off to a large mountain in the distance. Upon closer inspection, we found questions embroidered into the tapestries.

In order they are:

1. Who are you?


2. What do you bring before me?


3. Where are you now?


4. Why have you come here?


5. When shall I be free?


6. Who am I?

The Illithid
We took the eastern staircase which lead to a black stone door with a demon head over the lintel. The eyes of the demon were glowing red, and the door had no handle. Creden was preparing to bash the door in, when Vannay ordered the demon to open the door. The demon tried to overcome Vannay’s will, but was unable to. The door slowly slid open.
The room was quite large with a pit dominating the eastern side of the chamber. Thurlkosij moved to investigate the contents of the pit when a mental blast struck the party. Vannay, Creden, and Delvanos were stunned by the blast. Levitating out of the pit was a humanoid creature in a black form-fitting suit with an obex displayed prominently on it. It had greenish-purple skin that seemed to glisten. The defining feature of the thing was four tentacles extending from its head.

Safadin attempted to disintegrate the creature, but the creature’s innate resistance prevented it from working. Victor cast mass resurgence and everyone but Delvanos was freed from the stunning blast. The creature then crushed Uthgar’s mind dropping him to the floor dying. It followed up with an attack on Vannay attempting to rob him of his breath, but Vannay resisted. Vannay cast fly on Creden, but before Creden could close with the creature he healed Uthgar. The dwarf drank his potion of flying and Victor cast righteous might. Safadin attempted to turn the creature into stone, but once again its resistance protected it.

The creature, who was identified as an illithid by Vannay, then gave Victor an urge to kill himself, but Victor resisted the power. Vannay was not so lucky with the next attack. He disappeared in a shimmer of silver energy. Safadin correctly deduced that Vannay had been sent forward in time. Safadin targeted the creature with an orb of electricity, which damaged and sickened it. Creden cast recitation to help our attacks and bolster our ability to resist its attacks.

The illithid was able to cloud Uthgar’s mind, so that he could not see the creature, and then attempted to charm Victor, but was not successful. Vannay was able to stop his passage in time and reappeared, and he began summoning an air elemental. Victor and Creden closed with the creature. Safadin was very successful with a targeted dispel. The creature lost both of its protective auras and levitation ability, so dropped to the bottom of the pit.

The illithid then attempted to stun both Credin and Victor, and he followed that up with an attempt to charm Creden. None of it was successful. The creature knew that its time was drawing to a close as both priests descended into the pit to engage it in melee. Safadin hit it with five magic missiles. The elemental appeared and slammed the creature. Victor began a grapple and dealt severe damage to it, and Creden crushed its tentacled skull with his maul.

We collected ourselves and began searching the pit area. It was larger at the bottom, and it was clearly the mind flayer’s living quarters. Along the walls of the chamber were areas that gave strange visions of illithids and vast subterranean cities. Vannay identified these things as psychic statuary. He surmised that the illithid used these visions as a form of meditation. The table in the center of the chamber had bits of bone and other tools of divination. Vannay found a secret door on the east wall. Creden was not able to force the door open, but Uthgar easily opened it.

Uthgar entered the room and immediately found himself bound in ropes in the middle of six illithids. Two of them were moving in to consume his brains, and the other four were watching and clapping. Uthgar resisted the illusory effect. On the east wall of the smaller room was an ebony table with a silver ewer. There was magical dust in the ewer that radiated a moderate conjuration aura.

We then began making our plans on where to go next.

Fire in Caronis

From the Furyondy Beacon
16th Day of Fireseek, CY 592

In the early morning hours yesterday, an intense fire ripped through the industrial district of Caronis.  Many of the morning work shifts had just arrived for the day, and several people are missing and presumed dead.  An early report of casualties stands at 33 dead with over one hundred injuries.

Before containment measures were effected, several buildings were destroyed.  The major businesses included Jonvar Textiles, Allison Boats and Barton Iron Works.  Initial reports said that the devastation was total.  Investigators believe that a series of explosions occurred at Barton, and the conflagration spread to the surrounding area within a matter of minutes.  The intensity of the fire hindered rescue efforts and kept firemen out of the area for over two hours.  The fire marshall, John Henry, said that arson has not been ruled out.  

Barton is the premier iron works in Furyondy, and it is well known for its low point iron smelting.  Allison Boats is known from Mitrik to Greyhawk as a top tier producer of river craft and large vessel keels.

A representative of the duke gave the following statement, “This is a tragic loss of life, and the economic impact will be felt for years.  If this was the work of vandals, we will use every available resource to track them down.”

Rethgon Stromburrow, head of Carnalion Mines, said, “Barton was the main client for our cold ore, and they supply markets all around the Flanaess.  Obviously, this is a setback, but we expect to have replacement forges ready within six to eight months.”

Regent of Choice

Furyondian Power Structure
Furyondy is a feudal monarchy. There are eight distinct provinces in the kingdom. Farwain province is the home of the capital city of Chendl. There are four regions in the south – The Reach, Gold County, Littleberg and Willip. There are three regions in the north – Crystalreach, Crockport and the March. The Seven Families rule over these regions and the king rules over Farwain province. The king represents the country in all foreign affairs, and he is the titular head of the army. The noble council is made up of the Seven Families, church officials and ranking members of the Order of the Hart. The provincial governors are the only ones with voting rights, and the power to sign treaties. The king does not normally vote, but he will when the need arises. He normally relies on the weight of his office to accomplish his goals.

Frequently a coalition is formed, and this group will have enough support to push their agenda through the council. For nearly the entire reign of Belvor IV, the ruling coalition consisted of the northern margraves with the strong support of church prelates and the Order of the Hart. Baron Jemain of Littleberg, one of the southern lords, was occasionally a swing vote on the council. This proved to be enough for the king to ensure his agenda was kept on track, but it also alienated the southern lords to a degree.

Whillom Stronbillet, Duke of the Reach

Stronbillet was appointed duke by the noblemen of the Reach in CY 576. He has worked hard to solidify the support of the southern lords and create the most powerful faction in Furyondy. Like many of the southern lords, he is less interested in religious crusades. He has long courted the support of the nonsectarian noblemen of Veluna. He is quite open about his goals to make Furyondy the dominant economic presence in the north central Flanaess. He opposes Iuz like all the people of Furyondy, but he also believes that Iuz’s power was broken in CY 586 during the Flight of the Fiends. He supported the Great Northern Crusade to reclaim the lost lands, but was outspoken in his criticism of the proclamation of eternal war that followed.

The other southern lords are as follows:

Countess Kyaren Rhavelle of Gold County
Baron Jemain of Littleberg
Baron Xanthan Butrain of Willip

Lord Benval Throstin II, Grand Knight of the Hart

The family of Throstin is primarily responsible for the reorganizing of the Order of the Hart. Until about seventy years ago, it was a small religious order. Lord Jovar Throstin reorganized the order making it into a political force in Chendl. His alliance with Prince Belvor III greatly strengthened the position of the future king, and once Belvor ascended the throne, Throstin was a key advisor. He assumed the regency upon the death of the king, and he served in that capacity for six years. The new king, Belvor IV, came of age and formed a strong alliance with the Church of Heironeous. This marked a new age in Furyondian politics. Throstin was slow to give over his power to the young king, and his position as Grand Knight of the Hart and friend to the northern margraves ensured his political power would not diminish. His son Benval Throstin assumed leadership of the order upon the death of his father. He was clearly cut from the same cloth as his father, and he maintained the strong ties to the northern margraves. The dual purpose of the Order of the Hart as a political and military force has given him great power on the council. He is an active proponent of the war on Iuz, but his strengths lie on the battlefield more than political councils. He may not be the politician that his father was, but he does surround himself with good advisors.

The northern margraves are as follows:

Count Artur Jakartai of Crystalreach
Baroness Jelleneth Kalinstren of Crockport
Viscount Luther Derwent of the March

Matters of State

From the Furyondy Beacon
13th Day of Fireseek, CY 592

Canon Heldenster, Prelate of Heironeous, announced today that the body of the king will lie in state in Belvor Hall for twelve days. The royal funeral will take place on Godsday, the 25th of Fireseek. Details of the grand procession and services will be released within the next few days.

Security will be a high priority over the next few weeks, because of the number of heads of state attending the services. Belvor Hall will be under the supervision of the Order of the Hart, and regular army forces will provide security around the capital.

Lord Marten, chief royal advisor, issued a statement indicating that the Noble Council will not convene until after the king has been interred. It is expected that a regent will be named at this meeting. Considering the influence of the southern lords, it is likely that Whillom Stronbillet, Duke of the Reach, will sit as regent until a king has been crowned. The northern margraves will probably put forward Lord Throstin II, Grand Knight of the Hart, as the new regent.

Death of a King

From the Furyondy Beacon
12th Day of Fireseek, CY 592

King Belvor IV, passed in the night. According to sources in the royal house, he died peacefully in his sleep. Months of rumor and speculation regarding his failing health have now ended. He was in his 65th year.

King Belvor ascended to the Furyondian throne in CY 537, and he ruled over the good and noble kingdom for nearly fifty-five years. He was in his tenth year, when his father, Belvor III, passed away.

The king inherited many problems stemming for the original rise of Iuz in CY 479. Rumors had spread to Furyondy of a road paved with skulls stretching from the Howling Hills to the capital in Dorakaa. Fear gripped the northern lands of Furyondy.

The power structure in Furyondy gave much independence to the nobles of the Seven Families, and this proved to be a problem when the external threats grew. The southern lords, whose lands were in no danger from Iuz, used his threats to wring land concessions from King Avras III. This deprived the king of much needed taxes and control. The northern lords felt betrayed by the king and the southern lords, so they took this opportunity to build an army loyal to them. They bolstered the ranks and eventually took over leadership of the Order of the Hart.

By CY 505, a three-way split occurred in Furyondy. The Great Lords of the South ruled the largest faction. The Order of the Hart was second in power, and they were controlled by the margraves of the north. King Avras found himself nearly crushed between the two factions. He could not appease both, and his power base was dwindling fast.

At this point a great stroke of luck befell the lands. Iuz was captured and imprisoned beneath Castle Greyhawk by Zagyg the Mad. The coalition of Iuz’s forces, dissolved along the borders.

Prince Belvor III actively courted the Order of the Hart, and he brought it into the royal fold. Upon the death of his father, the king used his power to bring the southern lords back into submission. His reign was cut short by his untimely demise in CY 537. The tenuous faction he formed held up during the years of his son’s regency.

When Belvor IV came of age in CY 543, he assumed full control of the kingdom. The Regent Lord Throstin was slow to surrender his power that he held for the last six years. As the head of the Order of the Hart, Throstin was able to slow the rise of the new king. Belvor IV strove tirelessly to strengthen the lands of his kingdom, and his goal of conquest over the lands of Iuz focused the might of the kingdom.

The construction of the Temple of Elemental Evil in CY 568 gave rise to a new threat south of the kingdom. In joint coalition with Veluna and Verbobonc, an army under the leadership of Prince Thrommel IV defeated the evil hordes at Emridy Meadows in CY 569.

The opportunity for a lasting alliance with Veluna was at hand. Prince Thrommel was engaged to Jolene D’Amphere of Veluna. The grand celebration never took place. On a campaign in the Kron Hills in CY 573, Prince Thrommel disappeared. Years of searching for evidence of his whereabouts yielded no results. Until recently, nearly everyone assumed he was dead.

War broke out across the Flanaess in CY 582. The next year saw the invasion of Iuz, who had escaped his prison some thirteen years earlier, into Furyondy. King Belvor IV had spent some time in preparation for this, but by the month of Reaping, Chendl was besieged. The coffers of the kingdom were nearly empty, and the noblemen chafed against the king’s rule. The king personally led an elite unit that struck at the leadership of the besieging force of goblinkin. It worked and the siege was broken.

The winter was harsh and difficult for both sides. The king used the temporary respite from warfare to build a stronger alliance with neighboring kingdoms. By the coming of spring, new armies were on the march. A stalemate was drawn along the northern border of Furyondy. Other nations continued to make war until a peace treaty was drawn up in the City of Greyhawk in CY 584.

In CY 586, Canon Hazen of Veluna used an artifact to cause the Flight of Fiends. This stripped Iuz of much of his leadership, and opened the way for Furyondy to act. King Belvor declared the Great Northern Crusade to wipe out Iuz and his remaining forces. Many of the southern nobles protested this declaration, so tensions within the kingdom began to rise again. Within two years, all of the Furyondian lands lost to Iuz were reclaimed.

The planned funeral for Prince Thrommel was delayed when news that he may still live reached the king. A group of crusaders working to bring down some remaining forces from the original Temple of Elemental Evil brought the ancestral sword Fragarach to the king during Needfest a few weeks ago. Details about their news were sketchy, but Belvor and his advisors were apparently convinced.

With the death of King Belvor, a lot of questions need to be answered. If the crown prince is not alive, who will rule the kingdom? Will the faction of the southern lords under Whillom Stronbillet take control? Is the Order of the Hart still strong enough to oppose the southern lords? If the prince is alive, who will serve as regent until he returns? What reaction will Iuz have to this news?

Canon Heldenster announced this morning that funeral services will take place on the 18th. He also called for representatives from the Seven Families to meet in Chendl to sort out all matters of succession.

Funeral and Farewell

5th - 8th day of Fireseek, CY 592

Skullcrusher’s Demise
The battle against the skullcrusher ogres took a decided turn for the better. Lucas was able to blind two of them with a glitterdust. Vannay’s acid orb made a direct hit on one of them melting his head. Delvanos took one of them down with three rapid arrow strikes. Victor stunned one and proceeded to pummel him. The only one that was not under the slow was kept from moving into a flanking position by Vannay’s summoned air and earth elementals. The slowed and blinded ogre’s were not able to do anything useful. Another round of attacks brought the remaining ones down.

Victor moved towards Erwin and verified that he was indeed dead. Vannay placed his elementals as sentries on the two exits from the chamber. We did some healing and then decided to check out the trap door before we left the fane.

Chymon’s Hoard
Lucas and Thurilkosij (Vannay’s pseudodragon) went down the shaft. They found a large room with similar dimensions to the pit in the upper chamber. There were four alcoves on each side. We decided that it would be better if everyone was in the chamber before examining the objects in the alcoves. Vannay noticed that two of the alcoves had magical auras. Lucas moved towards the alcove with the open chest, but as soon as he crossed the entrance to the alcove a noxious poison gas sprayed out filling the chamber. Lucas took a full blast from it, and he fell to the ground severely weakened and nearly helpless. Victor’s strength was also severely diminished by the poison. At this point, we decided that it would be best to leave the chamber. Victor cast a bull’s strength and lesser restoration on himself. Lucas who had lost all strength was carried by Uthgar up the ladder.

We spent a day resting in Moradin’s temple. Victor received a sending from Canoness Y’dey. She said that there were two people in Hommlet interested in meeting our group. We arranged a meeting in the abandoned town of Rastor.

We returned to the trap room the next day. Lucas was able to disable two of the three remaining traps, but the last one dropped him into the floor leaving him encased in stone. Vannay used a dimension door to free him from the trap. We then collected the remainder of Chymon’s hoard.

The Funeral Pyre
We teleported to Rastor to meet the two fellows Y’dey was sending our way. Vannay had some mishap with the conjuration, which scrambled us a bit, but otherwise it wasn’t too terrible.

Victor had some knowledge of how to conduct a service for Erwin. We gathered wood and set his body on top. A blazing pyre was set, and we looked on as the smoke rose up into the night sky. We noticed some small woodland beings observing the service from the protection of the tree line, but they did not come forward. Delvanos thought they were probably fey creatures, but only Erwin could have told us what kind.

Delvanos and Lucas had been arguing privately for the better part of the day as brothers are known to do. Finally, Delvanos approached Victor about speaking with Lucas. Delvanos was very concerned about Lucas’ safety, and he knew that his brother would not listen to him. Victor took Lucas off to the side and spoke with him privately.

The next morning Lucas was gone without any goodbyes.

New Blood
Later in the morning, a cleric of Saint Cuthbert and a mage approached our encampment in Rerrid’s old church. They identified themselves as Credin Vigorian of Veluna and Safadin Gammel of Greyhawk. These were part of the group that journeyed out into the Sea of Dust to find the Air Binder. Apparently, their respective orders thought it was important to have representation in our group assaulting the fanes. They seemed like nice enough fellows, and we did need some people to fill in for our losses. After some consultation, we agreed that they could accompany us on our quest.

Chymon's Chamber

5th Day of Fireseek, CY 592

The Guardian
The battle had begun against the guardian of the fire door. The dragon had Uthgar in her mighty jaws, and before she flew back into the massive chamber, she swallowed him whole. Our mages cast fly on Victor and Erwin, and Delvanos cast haste on the party. Two rounds of preparatory spells would hopefully be enough against this huge wyrm.

The dragon, Chymon, breathed fire down on us as we moved into the chamber. Thankfully, our protective wards absorbed most of the damage. Victor and Erwin closed with the dragon remaining close to the ground, while Delvanos reminded us of our past glories. His tales always bolstered our morale, which was crucial in this pitched battle. Vannay targeted the dragon with a dispel magic, and it brought down a few abjuration wards. Erwin’s ice storm could not penetrate her scales.

After Delvanos fired off a volley of arrows at the dragon, she swooped down and picked him up in her jaws. Soon he would join Uthgar in her fiery belly. Victor moved quickly up to Delavanos, and cast freedom of movement on him. He fell safely to the ground. Vannay attempted to shock the dragon with a powerful lightning bolt, but once again it had no effect. Lucas was successful with an orb spell.

The dragon thought she could grapple our monk priest, and it was her undoing. He was cut by her razor teeth, but she could not keep hold of him. Delvanos aimed his arrows into her underbelly and pierced her several times. Victor moved into grapple the huge dragon. He grabbed her horns and established a firm grip, and then he followed through by locking on to her neck. A loud crack echoed through the chamber as Victor snapped her cervical vertebrae. The dragon’s lifeless body fell to the floor.

After some healing, we began searching through her nest of coins in the pit. Lucas found a hatch underneath the hoard. The hatch opened up to a large ladder leading down into the darkness. We decided that resting for the night was the best idea before seeing what lay below.

The Skullcrushers
Vannay created his magical hut for us to rest in for the night. Staying in the dragon’s chamber seemed the most sensible option. About an hour into our first watch, Erwin heard some loud clanking noises coming down the hallway. Apparently, the earlier battle had attracted attention. Vannay made himself invisible, while Erwin woke the rest of the party. He was still in his ape form, so it was mostly with grunts.

Six ogre-like creatures entered the chamber. They were all clad in black full-plate armor with sharp spikes, and they carried spiked steel shields and bastard swords. Erwin identified them as skullcrusher ogres. Lucas laid down some black tentacles, but they had no difficulty avoiding entanglement. Vannay fired a chain lightning at them, and it seemed to be quite effective. The rest of the party closed with the ogres, while Delvanos began inspiring courage.

The martial prowess of the ogres was soon evident. Erwin was severely wounded by their spiked shields. Victor cast righteous might and moved into melee. The dragon’s pit and the tentacles caused some movement problems, and this prevented Uthgar from getting to join the melee. Lucas cast slow on the ogres, which limited their combat options.

Erwin healed himself, while Victor began grappling. Delvanos’ precision archery once again dealt severe damage to the ogre closest to Erwin. It was not enough though. The ogre’s shield caught Erwin in the jaw and dropped him to the ground dead. He shifted back into human form.

A few of the ogres had dropped, and one of them was circling around the party to get to the casters. Vannay summoned a large air elemental to guard that flank. Uthgar had moved through the pit to get better access to the ogres, but he was knocked over by a charging ogre, just after he climbed out of the pit.

To be continued . . .

Old Journal

The following is scribed by the hand of Jorelu of Mitrik on the 24th day of Planting in the common year five hundred and ninety-one.

My travels took me to the town of Hommlet, where I met an interesting group of adventurers.  There are two elven brothers, Eladarion the fighter and Elennias the scout.  There is a wizard, Vannay, in the group, who postures himself a noble of sorts.  His clothing is from the House of Vannay, but I do wonder about his claims of nobility.  The leader of the group is a priest of Kord named Victor.  He is a good man and capable leader.

We met on the road into Hommlet, and they were returning from moathouse.  They were quite injured after suffering several attacks.  Apparently they had gone out to investigate the moathouse and found a young blue dragon a few days previous.  They did find the remains of a priest (slain by the dragon), who had a holy symbol of the Elder Elemental Eye.  

After dispatching the dragon, they came back the next day to the moathouse.  This time a well equipped group of gnolls assaulted them.  After that they had a battle with a cleric of the Elder Elemental Eye and a group of skeletons.  Victor was terribly wounded, so they began the journey back to town.  They had kept the priestess, Gren, alive for later questioning.  They were ambushed by an assassin named Chatrilon, and he critically wounded Eladarion before they killed him.  This was their first indication that the priests at the moathouse had friends in Hommlet.

It was shortly after this that they met me, and they related the preceding events to me over the course of the next few days.  I witnessed the remaining events first hand.

That same night Eladarion was attacked by a large viper in his room at the Inn of the Welcome Wench.  The subsequent investigation turned up no information regarding who was behind the attacks.  Elmo, the militia captain, began helping by looking around town for any suspicious people.  

Gren was not forthcoming at all with information, and the party turned her over to Canoness Y’dey of the Church of St. Cuthbert.  That evening we met with Master Dunrat and his group.  Dunrat demanded the return of some items the party recovered at the moathouse, and the return of Gren.  Obviously we refused to comply, so Dunrat suggested that we all meet in a clearing west of town to “sort things out”.  The next morning we found evidence leading us to the local mill, where we found evidence that Dunrat and his minions had been in town for several weeks.  We then travelled out to the clearing where we fought and defeated Dunrat.

The remaining forces at the temple were waiting on us.  We had a tough battle with a troglodyte cleric named Ysslansh, who had animated several gnolls as zombies.  We suspect that he killed the gnolls for the purpose of animating them.

In some old catacombs we found an altar, large statue and some implements that were apparently part of some dark ritual.  We decided to leave that area after the altar became a translucent purple and black color.

The next area nearly stumped us.  We knew from a journal we found that an obelisk was underneath the well.  The problem was the well was filled with water and the bottom was solid stone.  We looked through the items we found earlier and discovered a spell to reshape the stone bottom allowing access to the large cavern beneath.  Eladarion lowered the rest of us down on a wooden platform.  We were ambushed by an abhorrent tentacled creature, who gave us quite a scare.

The cavern was enormous.  It turned out that the place where the wooden platform came to rest was actually the top of the purple and black obelisk.  We found another platform, and I proceeded to lower the party down to the bottom of the cavern.  Again we were ambushed by an insane priest, who forced me to drop the rope holding the party on the platform.  Luckily they survived the long fall to the bottom.  The priest then began assaulting them as I made my way to the bottom.  Easily the toughest battle so far, but we were able to overcome him.  We found two symbols carved into the floor of the cavern.  This priest, Festerath, had a strange note on him saying that “the forces of the Water Temple will soon make their move against the Fire Temple”.  What does this mean?

One of the symbols was a flaming black sun, which Victor identified as one of the symbols of the Elder Elemental Eye.  The other was a black obex, which we were not able to identify.  There was also some sort of summoning portal, which brought through another one of the tentacled beasts, but it was much easier this time around.

The most interesting portion of this enounter with the obelisk was when Elennias used the strange torch and incense to reveal a purple gem at the tip of the pillar which held the obelisk.  Elennias was transported into a dark room, where a strange hollow voice spoke to him.  It said, “Seek the heart of the four moons.  Together, they can sunder the walls of my prison.  For now, eat of my fruit and be blessed.”  Who was this speaking?  What was he talking about?

This marked the end of our adventures in the moathouse.  What were these cultists doing here so long after the original temple fell?  We never encountered Geynor Ton, so I presume that he left with the wagon that arrived from Rastor.  Did they take something with them when they left?  The wagon was sent by a man named Tal Chammish.  

I feel we only found more questions at the moathouse.  Master Dunrat spoke of business in Nulb, a small town near the old temple site.  Rumor has it that the town is haunted and should be avoided.  Who are the Masters of All Consumption mentioned in Dunrat’s letter?

We met a paladin named Xaod while visiting the battlefield of Emridy Meadows.  He is interested in finding out what happened to Prince Thrommel, who lead the forces to victory on that field twenty-five years ago.  I believe that I will travel with him and see what we can discover.  The party spoke of visiting the old temple site, which hopefully can provide some more clues about the rising of the cult after so long a span of time.  Hopefully, we will get a chance to sit around the campfire some time down the road, smoke our pipes and tell tall tales of our glorious deeds.

At the Fire Door

1st - 5th Day of Fireseek, CY 592

The festival in Chendl was over. It was time to turn our attention once again to mounting an assault on the Fanes. A couple months had passed since we updated Canoness Y’dey on our progress, so a short trip to Hommlet was in order.

Hommlet looked the same as ever, but there were some guards posted outside the Church of Saint Cuthbert. They questioned us about our business, but apparently had been given notice of who we were. We were ushered into the Canoness’ office after a short period. We had expected (based on previous visits) to receive a stern rebuke about our tardiness in reporting. She seemed unusually kind. Apparently, the destruction of Rastor and word of our exploits had changed her views towards us.

We gave her a full report regarding the fate of Prince Thrommel, Fragarach and other news. She responded by giving a report on the quest to retrieve the air binder. She gave us a curved ceremonial dagger, a black obex holy symbol and some magical purple robes. These were the same robes that Vannay saw when he scried on Varachan, Tessimon and who we assume was Hedrack.

The reason for the extra security soon became apparent. She was in possession of the binder. She said (and we agreed) that the binder was not safe in Hommlet. She only saw two options for where to send it. The first was to give it to Fistan Nolro, because he could keep it safe. The second was to give it to us. The archmage has been very helpful, but we also know he has his own agenda. We felt it might not be safe with him. Taking it with us seemed dangerous, but we would know where it was at all times, and it had the advantage of being a crazy plan. Y’dey suspected that the cultists’ search for the binder would eventually lead them to her. She did not want to be able to tell them what happened to the binder after it left her possession, so she gave Delvanos a scroll of Modify Memory. He changed her memories, so that she could not tell them. We left Hommlet with Victor carrying the binder.

The next day we teleported to Verbobonc to purchase a Legend Lore. We needed to find out how the keys that we found on all the temple leaders worked. Vannay purchased the scroll and spent that day scribing it into his book. The next day, he prepared the incense and began the incantations. He was performing the divination on one of the fire keys. After a short time, the following appeared in his mind:

Fire burns away my enemies
From the Lesser comes the Greater
From the Greater comes the Master

We tried to do saying these words without success. Vannay realized that the words needed to be spoken in ignan. The key turned bright red, gave off a little heat and the taste of sulfer appeared briefly in his mouth, but it turned quickly back. We decided that it would only work near the door.

We then teleported to the Temple of Moradin in the ridge mines. We rested up and made our way to the western bridge complex. We found evidence of some creatures lair there, but no evidence of creatures. We also found a corpse of a priest. Erwin searched for tracks, but did not find anything useful. In his belongings, we found an old book called, “The Many Facets of Torture During Worship”. It was written by Unariq Vol’talsimol. There was an inscription on the inside cover and several margin notes in Varachan’s hand writing. There was also a particulalry large poem or lyric written in Varachan’s script.

From realms of madness come,
In time all things undone,

Read the signs and all shall know,
Every beast and man brought low,

Darkness swiftly down,
Over city, village, town,

Order is now past,
Reap the future’s caste.

Destroy the foundations,
Raze the nations,
Absolute end of all.

Go forth and spread word,
Of what we have heard,
Nothing escapes the call.

Lucas came to the conclusion that there was a code written into the lyrics. Vannay realized that the first letters of every line formed the words, Fire Door Dragon. We decided to head back to the dwarven temple and prepare for the dragon.

The next morning we began crossing the fire bridge. We saw a strange mounted creature flying near one of the blue metal towers surrounding the outer fane. Apparently we were spotted, because a light went up over each of the blue towers as we approached.

We tried several times to get the key to open the door without success. Lucas came up with the idea to try and combine the two fire keys. It worked and the door began opening. Over the noise of the door opening, some of us heard the sounds of a large creature diving down to meet us. Just as the door opened, Vannay was able to see an invisible huge red dragon. Its powerful bite ripped into Uthgar. The bite seemed to completely ignore his armor. The dragon became visible to everyone else, and it did not let go of Uthgar.

Chendl Festival

From the Furyondy Beacon
Week of Needfest, CY 592
By Livernia Brognan

At the dawn of every new year, spectators, nobles and champions gather in our fair city of Chendl. King Belvor decreed that even in the midst of war, we should still celebrate what the gods have given us. This year proved to be more exciting than usual, and that is saying something considering the “cockatrice” incident two years previous.

Rumors had circulated for months regarding an announcement from the royal house. Lord Marten had assured this reporter that there was no substance to the rumors. The sudden appearance of Fragarach, ancestral sword of the royal house, made Marten’s claims seem at best unfounded. It was during the arena fight on Sunday that a real fight broke out. A quick, bloody and magical exchange involving the participants and some spectators cleared the Chendl Coliseum. One of the offending parties was quickly escorted by security to the palace grounds, and the other group escaped authorities. No official announcements were made regarding the skirmish.

Lord Heldenster announced that the missing crown prince was officially declared dead early in the week. Funeral services were to take place on Midwinter’s Night. The royal decree was rescinded two days later, but no further information was given. Many experts say that it was the reappearance of Fragarach that changed the king’s ruling.

In place of the planned funeral services, a large feast was given on the night of the shortest day of the year. It was one of the strangest nights in recent memory. A full eclipse occurred when no astronomers had announced one. Signs of fire in the sky and spontaneous combustion at various places in the Grand Pavilion went unexplained. An anonymous source in the Stargazers said that it involved the shifting of planes. They went on to say that events such as this are rare, but not unknown. The appearance of the legendary Mordenkainen on this night seemed an odd coincidence, but no official announcement connected the two events.

Another event that will be talked about for years to come was the misguided effort to increase fan excitement at the King’s Archery Tournament. Massive creatures brought to the city in secret were unveiled for the event. One spectator described them as “land sharks”. These horrific beasts made quick work of the champions, and it was only with timely intervention by the attending priests that a wholesale slaughter did not ensue. Several concerned nobles have called for new legislation regarding the transport and care of “dangerous animals”.

As always, the Chendl Players gave incredible performances in the various arts of the guild. Winterdance led by Master Kimbar Po was a true display of theatrical dance. Master Po’s near death by drowning a few days later was not able to overshadow his performance. The recounting of the Battle of Emridy Meadows was tremendous as always. The final arcane display called, “Fire in the Sky” was a bit of a letdown after the real fireworks three days previous. The most talked about performance came from a member of the Riverwalk Society of Verbobonc, Master Caelith. It was a stirring recount of some exciting battles in a dormant volcano near the Kron Hills.

The tournament results were as follows –

• King’s Joust – Lord Anton Hargamac, Order of the Hart, Chendl


• Trithereon’s Gambit – Lord Stephen Vannay IV, Veluna


• Crescent Cup – Lucas Caelith, Verbobonc


• Duel Arcane – Jeron Gammel, Grey College, Greyhawk


• Arena Fight – Victor Nikeas, Church of Kord, Verbobonc


• Spire Chase – Erwin Muir, Old Faith, Kron Hills


• King’s Archery – Delvanos Caelith, Riverwalk Society, Verbobonc

Congratulations to all the winners. May next year bring the same level of competition, and may it be in more peaceful times.

Campaign Journal #12 - What We Know

Editor's Note: This is the last of the campaign journals. The journals were the method of chronicling the campaign prior to the Temple Blog. They were sent out over email, and they are republished here for reference.

1st Day of Fireseek, CY 592

Overall Plot - There is a group of cultists attempting to free their imprisoned deity, Tharizdun. He was imprisoned sometime before the Age of Man. Apparently this requires the calling of some or all of the Elemental Princes, who are the offspring of the Elder Elemental Eye. The EEE is an aspect of Tharizdun. (source: Fistan Nolro). Other details of how they plan to free him and the part the Elemental Princes will play is not known.

Locations of Note
Hommlet
Trade route crossroads village in the Kron Hills; ruled by Rufus (warrior) and Byrne (mage); prominent Church of Saint Cuthbert (Canoness Y’dey); Captain of the Watch is Elmo; group of cultists stationed were under the command of Master Dunrat

Moathouse
Outpost of the original Temple of Elemental Evil (ToEE); large black obelisk found under the moathouse; originally commanded by Lareth the Beautiful; cultists apparently were looking for artifacts related to the Elder Elemental Eye (according to the journal of Geynor Tom)

Nulb
Ghost town near old temple site; Lareth was found here, stated he was raised from the dead by Hedrack following the events of the destruction of the original ToEE

Old Temple
Site of original ToEE; originally commanded by Hedrack; built by priests of Zuggtmoy, Lolth and Iuz; built to honor Elder Elemental Eye

Sacked by army from Veluna and Furyondy under the leadership of Prince Thrommel in 569 CY; rose again ten years later under Hedrack, group of adventurers defeated it, lower levels collapsed, Zuggtmoy banished

Rastor
Old dwarven mining town in Lortmil mountains; ruled by Rerrid Hammersong until Ready’reat 591 CY; main supply line for cultists through Tal Chammish until Reaping 591 CY; devastated by vampires and abandoned

Temple of All Consumption
Large temple complex consisting of Crater Ridge Mines, Outer Fane, Inner Fane

Originally known as Kuluth Dun, when it was a dwarven mining stronghold (ended about one hundred years ago)

Crater Ridge Mines
Massive cave network surrounding a crater lake called the Stalagos; home to four cultist temples and four bridge complexes

Air Temple – High Priest Fachish (human)
Earth Temple – High Priest Uskathoth (troglodyte)
Fire Temple – High Priestess Tessimon (human)
Water Temple – High Priestess Kelashein (human)
North Bridge – Commanded by Oomarthis (duergar)
East Bridge – Commanded by Eeridik (wererat sorcerer)
Water Bridge – Commanded by Poolidib (kuo-toa)
Western Bridge – Commanded by D’Gran (half-demon ogre mage)

Party responsible for destroying all temples and bridge complexes except for water temple whose fate is unknown, but there is information indicating they were punished for allying with the party to attack the fire temple. All high priests and commanders are dead, but Tessimon’s body was taken by Eeridik; he was later seen returning from Outer Fane.

At various points, the party has found cryptic phrases associated with each temple.

• Air - "Wind scatters those who oppose us"
• Earth - "Stone crushes the weak"
• Fire - "Fire burns away my enemies"
• Water - "Waves pound relentlessly"

Large tomb complex near the fire temple, contains gate to ethereal plane. This is where the party met Galgaliel, the solar, and saw the Indomitable Gate. The main crypt room was for Unariq, who was previously one of the high priests.

Outer Fane
Temple complex in the center of the crater lake; three bridges connect it to the CRM

North – Air Bridge/Door

East – Earth Bridge/Door

West – Fire Bridge/Door

South - Water Door

• Master of the Fane – Hedrack; former priest of Iuz; looking for (and apparently found) the “champion” (source: Hedrack’s letter to Mavrilla Topart’tal); warned the party that if they persisted in their quest he would destroy Rastor
• 2nd in Command – Varachan; personally oversaw the breaking of Prince Thrommel (according to journal written by him); a note sent by him to Kelashein contained a hidden message apparently directed to the party; a second note carried by Eeridik seemed helpful by detailing the arrangement of forces in the ridge mines.

Other Persons of Note -

• Naquent, Assistant to Hedrack
• Thrommel, fallen prince of Furyondy (see full entry below)
  

Inner Fane
Little is known about this area, but according to Tarren the druid it is the home of the Doomdreamers. The inner circle of the doomdreamers is called the triad.

• The First – very old, human? (source Tarren the Druid)
• The Second – aboleth
• The Third – daughter of Yan-C-Bin

Persons of Interest

• Elemental Princes, Children of the Elder Elemental Eye (Tharizdun)
• Yan-C-Bin, Air
• Imix, Fire
• Ogremach, Earth
• Olhyrdra, Water

• Jorelu of Mitrik
  Aasimar bard who is leading a party investigating the fate of Prince Thrommel; explored the ruined moathouse with Vannay, Victor, Elennias and Eledarion.

• Xaod
  Formerly wayward paladin, who is working with Jorelu; Nephew of Jolene D’Amphere, who was betrothed to Thrommel

• Fistan Nolro
  Archmage who lives in Veluna and Furyondy; advisor to King Belvor of Furyondy; recently joined the Circle of Eight

• Prince Thrommel IV
  Crown Prince of Furyondy, Provost of Veluna; led the forces at Battle of Emridy Meadows 569 CY; disappeared from the Flanaess in 573 CY; strong evidence suggests that he is now a vampire

• King Belvor
  King of Furyondy and father of Thrommel, aging ruler with no heir giving cause for concern about the future of the kingdom; declared an “eternal war” against Iuz

• Galgaliel
  Powerful solar who is tasked with guarding the Indomitable Gate, which imprisons Tharizdun; said that two of the temple priests came to the gate, one came seeking enlightenment and found it (Varachan), the other came seeking his master and has joined him (Unariq); delivered a prophecy concerning the means to free Tharizdun

• The childe of nothing in the dark gate does slumber,
• His freedom unbidden but nothing shall cumber,
• For the walls will not hold when His blood is brought forth,
• The four moons unsealed by one of marked worth,
• Cry out the name, in His service draw breath,
• Unmake the world, praise Him, come death.
  
  Other Quests and News Items
• With the use of Fragarach, attempt to save Prince Thrommel from his vampirism; assigned by King Belvor.
• Report status of expedition; assigned by Canoness Y’dey.
• Recover Tulian’s Eye from Kuluth Dun ridge mines, dwarven journal found indicating the eye was near the destrachans; assigned by Khannenhelm Dwarves.
• Research possible connection between Iuz and the EEE cultists.
• Letter from Jorelu detailing possible connection between drow house, Topart’tal, and EEE cultists.
• Word of a separatist movement in Veluna with possible Scarlet Brotherhood ties.
• Word of increased orc activity in Veluna and Verbobonc with possible Pomarj ties.
• Track down the rakshasas who attempted to prevent Fragarach from returning to King Belvor.
• Determine the usage method of “keys” found in Air, Earth and Fire temples.

The Tower of Al-Harnala, Part II

16th - 19th Day of Ready'reat, CY 591

The priestess stepped towards Madoc and cast a death spell on him. He was able to resist the spell, but he was weakened in the process. She seemed to do this in an instant, and was able to follow it up with a windstorm centered around her blowing out in all directions.

Safadin was able to resist the high winds, and he sent an explosive ball of lightning at the priestess. She dodged most of the electric attack, but still took damage. Madoc made several attacks against the priestess landing a single blow. Creden grabbed the binder and crossed back over through the planar breach. The priests of light followed him over, but were immediately knocked over by the power of the winds.

The priestess then spoke the words of anathema inscribed on her obex holy symbol, and a destructive power surged through Creden. He resisted the spell, but he was still damaged by the attack. Safadin attempted to cast another spell at the priestess, but he was not able to overcome her resistance. Madoc landed several blows against her this time, but at the end of his attacks she seemed to gain much of her strength back. Creden said a prayer to Saint Cuthbert shielding everyone from her attacks. It did not seem to affect her though. He then moved in to melee range. The priests tried to attack her with light rays, but the power of the wind and her resistance stopped their attacks.

The priestess stepped towards Creden, cast a necromancy spell and touched him. He was saved from the majority of the damage, but was nearly dropped by the effect nonetheless. Creden brought his maul down on her head. It split her skull and drove her brain pan into her spine. Killing her instantly.

The priests said that the binder was no longer safe, and that it was our duty to protect it. They passed back through the light field as it was dissapating.

We searched the priestess, but we did not find any evidence of who told the cultists about our mission. Safadin began deciphering the ancient text inscribed on the wall of the main chamber.

The text can be read here.

Madoc went upstairs to check on the status of our exit from the temple. He noticed that the bones were missing, and tracks led into the bedchamber nearby. As he started going down the stairs to warn us, he heard footsteps following us. He hid in the shadows of the stairwell, and saw a skeletal figure of a woman in robes passing by. She entered the main chamber, and Safadin determined that she was a lich.

She identified herself as Al Harnala, and she congratulated us on the defeat of the priestess. She briefly recounted the story of her imprisonment by Lord Obender, and her association with Ibenala. She also confirmed that Ibenala is Tiamat, the Lord of Evil Dragons. She did not know who the priestess was, but suggested a possible connection to the Brotherhood of Tilvan. Safadin recalled from his study of history that this group eventually became the Scarlet Brotherhood.

She asked that we destroy the iron golem, which housed her phylactery.We did this the next day without difficulty, and then by request we destroyed her.

We decided that before we give the binder to anyone, we should ask for advice from Saint Cuthbert. Someone at the council meeting in Hommlet was working with the cultists. Creden communed with his deity and found out that one of the aids to Alarion Gantil, professor at the Grey College and mentor to Safadin, had been killed and replaced by a shapeshifter. This was the same shapeshifter who we killed in Blue. The commune said it was unclear as to whether the binder could be protected by Canoness Y’dey, but we decided that it was the best course of action.

We teleported to Hommlet by way of Blue and met with Canoness Y’dey. She was pleased with our work, and she agreed to keep the binder.

Our part in the quest is now complete.

The Tower of Al-Harnala, Part I

16th Day of Ready'reat, CY 591

We arrived at the Tower of Al Harnala and found a pile of bones and an iron statue, which Safadin identified as an iron golem. Madoc found some tracks in the accumulated dust, and this led him to a concealed door behind a tapestry. We descended down a staircase to the lower level of the tower.

We did some preparation and then opened the door into the main chamber. We saw a large room with a glass structure in the center. On top of the glass structure was a raised golden dais. A priestess wearing the black obex symbol was on the dais. Surrounding the center structure was a field of bright light. Everything in the room had a strange intensity about it. The retriever was not here.

Our entrance into the room was blocked by a field of force. Safadin was able to destroy the force wall, and Jerric quickly entered the room. When he entered the light field, he disappeared. Based on the effects in the room and what happened to Jerric, Safadin determined that the light field was part of a controlled breach connecting the room to the positive energy plane. Travelling through the light field would be dangerous.

Madoc and Creden entered the light field to try and help Jerric. A blinding light hit them as they entered the positive energy plane. Luckily, they were able to avoid its effects. This room was a glass tower with the same dimensions as the place they just left. It had a white stone structure in the center with a blue dais. Madoc noticed a small silver ring on top of the dais. We had found the Air Binder at last. A battle was already in progress between the abyssal construct, Jerric and four strange, armor-clad light creatures.

The energy in the room was overwhelming. Jerric was consumed by the effects. Creden dismissed the retriever. The luminescent creatures cast protective auras on Madoc and Creden. Madoc returned to the light field and crossed back over to the material plane, while Creden went to the altar to grab the binder.

The session ended with Madoc standing on the golden dais near the priestess, and Creden standing on the blue dais near the binder. Safadin and the priestess were preparing to do battle.

Campaign Journal #11 - The Indomitable Gate

Month of Ready’reat

Drink to the Dwur in their halls,
Drink for the one who has fallen,
Pray to the one All Father,
Pray they be not forgotten.

5th Day – The Riverwalk Society

• Our party bard, Delvanos, gave a rousing account of our battle in the Fire Temple. The Riverwalk Society was pleased with his work, and he was made an official member. There was much talk about town concerning these wild tales of battle and evil cults in the Lortmil Mountains.

17th Day – Back in Rastor

• We spent the last few weeks enjoying a break in Verbobonc. Nothing much of note happened during this time.


• Rerrid had nothing to report.


• Thandain is still watching the activity around the ridge mines. The exodus from the mines seems to have slowed down.

18th Day – Battle at the Western Bridge

• We prepared ourselves for our second battle against D’Gran.


• He had a considerable force consisting of gnoll archers, hill giants and two trolls.


• We were able to overcome these forces and finally defeat D’Gran.

19th Day – Firre Oranac’s Playroom

• We began the process of clearing out unexplored areas in the mines.


• Further exploration in the Fire Temple revealed the depths of the gnome’s depravity. He had a fully equipped torture room, and to our horror a person was in the iron maiden.


• The man had no semblance of sanity, but he did have the mark of the Riverwalk Society.


• We also found a demon shaped stone. It seemed to speak to Vannay. We decided it would be best just to destroy it.

20th Day – Splitting Up

• Vannay, Victor, Delvanos and the torture victim teleported to Verbobonc. Once again we did not make it there on our first try.


• The man holding the purse for the Riverwalk Society was not very helpful with funding the restoration costs for their beleagured member.


• Once the man was healed, we discovered that he was a member of Tymerion’s party. His name is Juriketh. He decided to stay in Verbobonc.


• The rest of the party was making their way back to the Dwarven Temple, when they were attacked by the demon spider. We were able to defeat it.

21st Day – The Crypt, Part One

• We found a crypt near the Fire Temple with an ominous warning for those who would attempt to enter.


• While investigating some of the sarcophogi, Korthalis was cursed with a wasting disease.


• Another trip to Verbobonc was required to save him from being consumed.

22nd Day – The Crypt, Part Two

• Once again we entered the crypt. Through divination magic, we discovered that the guardian statues were the source of the curse effect. Uthgar and Korthalis destroyed them.


• We encountered a group of large bats in the next area, but they were quickly dealt with.


• The next room almost ended our adventures in the mines. A group of six shadows and four spectres attacked en masse.


• Victor was able to turn several of them, and we destroyed a few. After that we retreated to the Dwarven Temple.

23rd Day – A Day for Healing

• We spent this entire day restoring the power and strength we lost in the previous day’s fight.

24th Day – Unariq’s Tomb

• We returned to the crypt fully prepped for the remaining undead. The battle was much easier this time, but Korthalis still was drained of power by one of the spectres.


• The next room contained a sarcophagus that belonged ot Unariq Vol’Talsimol. This guy must have been pretty important in the temple heirarchy considering the size of his tomb.


• A statue animated when we entered and began firing magic missiles at us, but we were able to smash it to bits.


• The sarcophagus did not contain a body. It had a strange swirling black vortex.


• Korthalis touched the vortex and disappeared. The rest of the party followed him.


• A strange beast similar to an ethereal marauder fought us on the other side.

24th Day – The Indomitable Gate

• Then we saw a massive gate covered in sigils and barred with a massive chain.


• A celestial being appeared and told us his name is Galgaliel. His mission is to guard this gate for eternity. It is the prison of Tharizdun.


• The solar gave us some information about other visitors to the tomb. One of them was Unariq. The solar said that Unariq is “with his master now”. The other visitor was Varachan, who came seeking understanding. Varachan is the second in command of the Outer Fane, but he has passed us two helpful bits of information along the way.


• Galgaliel also spoke of a prophecy given by Tharizdun to his worshippers. It details how they should free him.

The childe of nothing in the dark gate does slumber,His freedom unbidden but nothing shall cumber,For the walls will not hold when His blood is brought forth,The four moons unsealed by one of marked worth,Cry out the name, in His service draw breath,Unmake the world, praise Him, come death.

24th Day – The Longest Night

• We explored a bit more of the ridge mines after leaving the Solar.


• Along the way we encountered a gray render, who had strange arcane markings inscribed on him. He used these to increase his power.


• We also discovered the terminus of a rail system, which the Kuluth Dun dwarves must have used for transport during their mining operations.


• Before we were able to explore the mine rails, Vannay received a message from Jorelu that Rastor was in trouble.


• Vannay, Victor, Delvanos and Uthgar teleported to the temple in Rastor.


• Korthalis and Erwin began the long hike to Rastor on foot.


• The town had been attacked by one or more vampires, and Jorelu said that many of the townsfolk were now spawn.


• Jorelu showed us what became of Rerrid. He had been crucified just outside his temple. His beard had been torn out, and he was horribly maimed.


• We had to be sure that Rerrid was not a vampire, so we staked his heart and beheaded him.


• Victor discovered that one of the children who took refuge in the temple with his family had been bitten by a vampire.


• The mother insisted that he had been sick, but he was much better. The father accepted the fate of their son, and he performed the necessary work to give his son peace.


• The blacksmith shop appeared to have the capability of making silvered weapons, but none were found there.


• Xaod and Jorelu began doing house to house searches for signs of vampires.


• We also began this work, and we encountered several vampire spawn.


• Tymerion had also been overcome with vampirism. She attacked us, but she was able to escape before we could put her down.


• Korthalis and Erwin encountered Thandain on the way back to Rastor. She was behaving somewhat strangely (even for her), but it was not until Thurlkosig (sp?) arrived that we new the truth.


• She was too much for us, and Korthalis fell under her axe blows. Erwin healed him, and they began trying to escape.


• Erwin did not see the final outcome of Thandain’s pursuit of Korthalis, but it is assumed that we was able to catch him.


• The other party members tracked Tymerion to her home and destroyed her.


• We then searched Thandain’s home and found the cache of silvered weapons in her cellar.


• When Erwin made it to town, we rested for the night in the temple.


• The next day we searched the area of the battle with Thandain, but no sign of Korthalis or Thandain was found.