Del Ron

On the shores of Larthyn Lake, lies Del Ron. The fifth largest city on the continent of Straag. The city is home to craftsman, fishermen, loggers, and timber men. With trade, excellent natural resources, and a strategically important location, Del Ron is considered vital to the strength of the larger cities of Straag.

4012 people call Del Ron home, and nearly half of them are woodcutters, wainwrights, or wood craftsmen. Despite frequent but minor clashes with the forest elves, the city is highly involved in conservation efforts to make sure that the forest is around for many generations to come.

Del Ron also sits in the shadow of the Chimera Mountains and more importantly the mountain fortress of the march lord, Marquis Gran Cadoc. As one would expect, Del Ron is not without its defenses. Defenses that have been tested of late. With a sudden outbreak of undead and their ilk rising to wreak havoc on the citizenry, the Baron has recently traveled to Straagor to plead his case for aid.

Previously on Straagor nights.

As we can see Queg had quite the experience, he is now firmly back on the material plane. Through no small expense of his companions including quite a discount from the priests of Pelor, he has rejoined the group and is anxious for action.
The companions make ready to face D'gru uth Dunne. The hunter becoming the hunted. The only question is on whos terms will this battle be on.

Acheron?

The mist began to well up, seemingly from his very feet. Queg knew something wasn't right, his hand flashed to his bastard sword. The very sword wrested from the depths of Khundrukar. Queg's eyes bulged, furiously, he tried to draw breath from a mouth that no longer could and nostrils that had been rendered useless. He was as vaguely aware of the cold metal that had just past under his chin and the life blood that now washed the floor as he was of the melodic voice, bidding him to be quiet, behind him. Queg saw the floor rushing up at him but he never hit it. The blackness that overcame Queg was impenetrable, or was it? A distant voice, a far away voice, yelled unintelligibly. It became clearer and clearer, as if Queg was rushing towards it or it to him. No sooner than Queg could decipher what it was saying, a great flash of white light and a sharp searing pain shot through the half-orc.
"Dwarves and elves, elves and dwarves!" came a scream, an impossible scream, in the deep guttural tongue of the orcs. Again, a crack and the sudden coolness in the stifling air told Queg that he had just lost another swatch of skin. Flayed to the bone, Queg gradually became aware of his surroundings, the iron under his feet and the battles raging all around him could only mean one thing...Acheron. Acheron, the home plane of his deity, Gruumsh. Constant battle was waged here, vast war cubes with infinite armies engaged in constant strife against one another for no other reason than bloodletting. Queg's eyes snapped to their fullest diameter, as a wet splash announced another crack of a flesh rending implement. Daring a glance over his shoulder, Queg saw his god, or his god thing.
Shorter than Queg but twice his bulk and outfitted in black full plate, Gruumsh assailed Queg relentlessly.
"Dwarves, wretched friend of dwarves. Elf lover, stinking elf lover." Gruumsh spit.
His unblinking eye, centered on his cauldron like head, fell on Queg and promised an eternity of pain.
"I will tear out the half of you worth beating and leave the other half for the devils, elf lover!" Gruumsh howled as his blows fell faster and faster.
How many blows fell? Queg could not tell. The pain, or the planar qualities of Acheron caused time to stand still. His ruined flesh lie in piles at his feet. Sweat mingled with tears stung Queg's eyes. The battles raged ever on around him. How he longed to trade places with the warriors, a stand up fight. He saw, to, that the combatants were too busy being ran through by swords or impaled on pole arms to witness Queg's shame and torment at the hands of his god. His god, the one he followed more out of tradition than any faith based calling. The one thing they had in common, the only portion of Gruumsh's dogma that Queg subscribed to, was battle. Queg, loved it. He had tried to take up smithing, to scare away his demons. The war mongering, the blood lust that comes over the half-orc. He had tried, and failed to deny these urges. But no longer, he would walk onto the infernal fields of battle that are Acheron, and he would die a thousand deaths, he would fall a hundred times but would fell ten times that many. If only the torture would end.
"Don't you dare!" the tone of the god thing changed from rage and elation to confusion and trepidation. Gruumsh heard it. A calling, a voice somewhere off plane. The god double his efforts, no longer wishing enduring torment, but to keep the traitorous half-orc here, on his plane.
Queg barely understood, the scourge whistled wildly on and around his shattered form. Each attack landing with gut wrenching pain and skin flaying destruction. The blow, the last one, the first one, Queg couldn't tell anymore, landed with a finality that rocked the warring plane. The hooks of the scourge sank into unprotected meat and bone. Anchoring him to the spot. Queg heard it then, what was obviously a fell voice to Gruumsh was music to him. The barbarian knew that his friends were calling. They needed him and he intended to go.
Reading his thoughts, knowing his every move Gruumsh raged on. "If you go half breed, you only prolong the inevitable. Your suffering will be the thing of songs and nightmares of children." Gruumsh stamped and snorted. He pulled on the scourge which was now more a part of Queg than the god thing's weapon.
It was too late, however, because once called the choice became Queg's. The path back had been laid out before him. A hand of hope had been extended into this unholy place with the sole intention of ripping Queg back from death...and rip it did.
The curses spewed from Gruumsh like lava from an angry volcano. His voice growing more and more distant. Queg's mouth fell open in horror and pain as the scourge finally tore from him, the sinister weapon's reach extending long after the angry god's voice had died away.
Queg's eyes fluttered open, a glowing staring priest of Pelor standing over him. The horror filled visage of Queg Bor a stark contrast to his companions smiling faces.

The Chronicles of Mordek Vol. 028

Gameplay Date 11-25-07

Players present: Mordek, Taneus, Brynn

It's good to be home

When we could at last see the buildings that comprised Bumfor, I began telling my companions that Bumfor was primarily a mining town made up of dwarves, but also humans, gnomes and halflings, and that the buildings were mainly for their benefit, as we dwarves lived in the tunnels and warrens that we had carved into the mountains. There are some half-orcs here too, as I point toward their encampment on the north end of town as we are approaching. I turned to Arda and said that I would take my friends to the Inn and get them settled, and then I would come to the temple to explain things. Arda & his group continued south toward Penneck's Stables while I led the way to The Brimstone Inn. It's a three story tall building, with a tavern on the main level and 6 rooms per floor above. Inside there are about fifteen, very thick and sturdy, square tables and a very low bar, that comes up to my waist. It's quiet in here at the moment... it's usually a riot of drinking and laughter and a few games of chance... Goblin Bones and The Three Maidens being a couple of the more popular dice games. Behind the bar are a couple of doors that lead to a storage room and to the kitchen. Falaan, a female halfling and owner of The Brimstone Inn, comes out from the kitchen when she heard the noise of us entering. Her eyes lit up at the sight of my companions as she tells us how ecstatic she is to see cultured elves to share a drink with, and she quickly goes to one of her locked cupboards and pulls out a bottle of fairy wine. As she's insisting that we share a quick drink, and rummaging to find some glasses, I can't help but think to myself that fairy wine is made by wringing fairies of their juices just like you'd wring out a wet dishcloth... HA!!! When I tried the wine though, it was much too fruity for my tastes, so I asked Falaan for a mug of Dwarf Spirits instead to quench my thirst. Falaan looked at my elven companions and muttered "You see what I'm dealing with around here!"

We inquired about getting rooms during our stay here in Bumfor. Falaan says she's still got 8 rooms vacant and that it'll be 2 gold pieces per night. I dig into my coin purse and pull out enough coin to cover my drink and a room for myself. The others did the same, as Falaan handed out keys to each of us. My companions decided to turn in early to get some rest, while I told them I had to pay a visit to the Temple of Moradin and clear up a few things. As I was heading out the door, Falaan was leading the others up to their rooms. Walking across the short distance between the Inn and the temple, I marveled again at the craftsmanship of it's construction... carved right into the side of the mountain itself. Stopping in the open doorway, I gave a curt bow before entering into the Great Hall. There isn't a single column in here, the ceiling being supported instead by a giant stone arch reaching from the middle of the wall to my left, to the middle of the wall to my right. There are doorways carved into each base of the arch... the left door leads the rooms where the priests are housed, while the right door leads to a banquet hall, a school for dwarven children, a sparring chamber and several training rooms. Ahead of me on the far side of the Great Hall is a raised dais with 3 steps leading up to an ornately carved stone seat. Arda and the group he had been leading to Nerom are in here waiting for me, as are several dwarven priests, and presiding over all of them is a very old dwarf... Scale Sledgemore, the High Priest of Moradin here in the temple. They gesture me forward before them and appear to settle in to hear what I have to say. It was a few hours later when I had finished explaining everything that had transpired in Nerom and had finished answering their questions about those events. I had mentioned that the town did in fact seem receptive to having a temple to Moradin joining their ranks, at which I handed over the plans I had drawn up, and suggested that they continue pursuing the matter. They told me they would look into it, and that for now, they were content with my explanation of events. They appeared to be finished with me, so I bid them all a good evening and made my way back to the Brimstone Inn to get a decent night's sleep.

I awoke in the morning to the lively sounds of lots of dwarves downstairs having breakfast. After getting dressed, I met Taneus in the hallway... the women though, were taking their time getting ready... something about finally having a hot bath... and said they'd meet us downstairs. As we came down the stairs, the appearance of an elf garnered a lot of laughter from the dwarves, as well as several not-so-whispered snide comments about my being back in town too. We grabbed an empty table and ordered up some breakfast, and while we were waiting, the door to the Inn opened. In walked Tilik, the owner of the general store in Bumfor. He looked around for a moment, taking in everyone... until he spotted me! Then he made his way through the busy tables with his gray hair and beard all in a huff. He came right up to our table, pointed his walking stick into my face and said "I've got something for you!" Whoa there... easy Tilik! He went on to say that a message arrived for me just last night, carried here by a hawk no less. As he didn't know I was back in town, he didn't have the message on him, but rather that it was back at his shop. I still didn't see what had gotten Tilik's ire up until he told me that the hawk killed & began eating one of his carrier pigeons before it left. And as the message is for me, he wants me to pay to replace his bird. Fair enough I suppose... not sure who would be sending me a message here though... maybe Fazu... he's got all of them animal friends. I dug into a pouch and tossed Tilik a gold piece, saying that I'd swing by later to pick up the message. He took the money and seemed a little less angry as he turned and headed off to get his own breakfast. As I turned back to Taneus to resume our conversation, I noticed that everyone seems to be keeping an eye on us... that is, until Brynn & Kiri came down the stairs. There are other humans in Bumfor, so Kiri wouldn't be too out of place, but when everyone saw another elf, someone yelled out "Well, there goes the neighborhood!!" and another round of riotous laughter filled the Inn.

Brynn & Kiri joined us at our table, ordering breakfasts of their own. Taneus though, had caught some talk by other patrons, and when Falaan came to our table again, he asked her if she could tell him more about the gryphon attacks he'd overheard. Falaan mentioned that right now it is hatching season for the gryphons, up among the various peaks of the Jagged Mountains. That people go in search of the eggs because they go for about 3,500 gold pieces on the right market, and that some animal trainers are offering double that for a live, young gryphon that they can train. Taneus's eyes seemed to glint when she mention how much they were worth. Falaan mention that Tinker, he's kinda the local guide for travelers, a jack of all trades, had just left yesterday leading 3 humans up into the mountains. She thought they were just another group of people hoping to score big by finding a gryphon nest, but she had overheard something that had her a little worried. One of the humans had said "Hag," and though it was too loud in the bar to have heard the rest of their conversation, and they could've been talking about anyone, there where rumors of a Night Hag living up in the mountains somewhere. She warned us to stay away, and was praying that Tinker's group wasn't going anywhere near her either. Falaan went off to tend to her other customers, and we started talking amongst ourselves. 3,500 gold... for an egg! Gotta admit... it'd put a nice heft to our coin purses if we could find a few ourselves. We talked it over for a bit and decided that we were gonna go for it. I told them that we'd need to go to Tilik's store to equip ourselves for some mountain climbing, and that we'd need to find "Skunk." I tell them that Skunk is... well... he's... he's kinda like Tinker... does a lot of everything, and while not as good as Tinker, is still a capable guide. The thing is though, if the group runs into trouble, you're on your own as he's already long gone.

We paid Falaan in advance, to hold our rooms for us for a few more days, then we made our way to Tilik's store, where it just so happened that Skunk was inside having a discussion with Tilik. There conversation died down as we came in, so we approached Skunk first to see if he'd be willing to guide us up into the mountains in search of gryphon nests. He said as long as he's getting paid, he'll do it. He asks when we'd like to leave and we tell him as soon as we get some things here at Tilik's. He excuses himself to go and get his own gear, saying he'll meet us at the base of the mountain path. Tilik asks what he can help us with, and we start asking for the basic camping supplies & rations, along with lots of rope and a grappling hook. I added a hammer and several pitons to our list, and a spear that I saw leaning up against one of the walls. Before he started gathering up all the items we were requesting, Tilik handed me the message he had told me about. I opened it and started reading as Tilik went back to work. I glanced at the bottom to see if it was indeed from Fazu... nope... Degarren. Oh this ought to be interesting!

"Mordek...

First I must commend you on your skillful ruse. Gaining poor Aglum's trust, playing to his hubris, and taking advantage of his desire to help the good peoples of Nerom. All under the guise of collaboration and prosperity... truly masterful. I applaud you.

But enough commending. Let's get on with the condemning. That's right, I condemn you Mordek to a life of fear and pain.

Undoubtedly, with the aid of that insolent Tyrellian elf, you managed to destroy a mutually beneficial endeavor. Robbing the people of Nerom, the temples of Erythnul, and the wizard Vexx of desperately needed tools of fulfillment and advancement. For this blasphemy, I will make you famous. No, I will make you infamous.

From this day forward, every priest of my Order, every assassin, every dark, sinister, wicked thing will spit your name like bitter poison from their lips. Just as Aglum's name will be spoken with reverence, your name will be spoken in hushed tones in dark places. As a plague, your name will spread over the face of Caldor. Like a Stygian black stain, those of the foulest pits will striveto cleanse the world of your wretchedness.

However, I do hope you survive this curse. For I fully intend to fall on you with the full weight of Erythnul's might. I will do everything in my considerable power to see to it that you and I meet again. Then, will begin the slow torturous end to your unnaturally long dwarven life.

Aglum's name will ring with the sounds of martyrdom. The laments and cries to one, who in the midst of his holy and humanitarian deeds, was struck down by the murderous Mordek.

Your name, however, will become synonymous with pain and despair. I vow to you that your suffering will be legendary.

Till we meet again,

Degarren"

When I finished reading, I gave a snort and asked Taneus to come over, handing him the message so he could read it as well. "Looks like we made somebody mad!" Brynn & Kiri also read through the message. When they were done, I turned to Brynn and said "don't know why he's got it in for me so bad... you're the one that killed his buddy Aglim!" Guess we're gonna have to keep on our toes.

Once we had finished gathering supplies for our trip up into the mountains, we headed over to the Temple of Moradin. The priests greeted us as we came through the doors, asking how they could be of service. We inquired if they had any healing potions that could sell us, in case we ran into some serious trouble on our little excursion. They came back with 6 Cure Light Wound potions, which we happily paid for and thanked them as we went back outside. I handed two to Kiri, two to Brynn, and was going to give one to Taneus, but he declined, so I kept the other two myself. I then led my companions through town to the base of the paths that led up into the mountains. Along the way, we passed some ore carts as they were brought down from the mines and taken to the smelters. Taneus overheard them talking about "Dark Iron" and asked me what it was. I just told him that it was an iron ore that the gnomes had discovered, and that it had a high carbon content. We found Skunk waiting at the foot of the mountain path. He tells us it'll be about a twelve hour climb before we'd reach the top, then turned and started leading the way. We fell in behind him and got ourselves a good workout as we made our way uphill, hour after hour. We finally decided to stop for the night and make camp at a point near to where we would have to start using ropes to make further progress. The watches went by without a problem, but just after first light, we could see a gryphon heading in our general direction. It flew past, taking us in before heading off again. Brynn asked if we might encounter Tinker's group, but Skunk replied that they had taken a different path, heading left while we had gone to the right. Skunk thought they were in search of something else, to have taken that route, but as we were after gryphon eggs, this was the direction we needed to go. We had some rations for breakfast, then readied ourselves for another day of climbing. We broke out the ropes, knotting them for easier climbing, and attached the grappling hook. We had a 200 foot climb to make and it was slow going for a while as the elves were obviously not used to such rugged terrain. When we reached the top, we paused to take in the sights. Skunk said that there were gryphon nests on the next peak over, but first we'd have to climb back down the other side about 250 feet to a ridge that connected the two peaks. Problem was, we only had 200 feet of rope with us. Fortunately, we spotted a good sized ledge about halfway down, so we could take it in stages. Once we reached the jagged & rocky ridge, it was about 300 feet across to the next section of mountain we'd have to climb.

To be continued...

Map of Bumfor, on the Island of Wolfguard

I'm not sure how big the map will actually display, so you may not be able to make out all of the numbers. In any event, here is the list of prominent buildings in Bumfor.

Population: 400

Scale: 1 square equals 15 feet

1. The Brimstone Inn (later to be renamed The Slagstone Inn, later renamed again The Clanging Anvil Inn)

2. The High Temple of Moradin

3. Togan's Smelting

4. Tug Tanay's Office

5. Meger Lorentz's Mining Office

6. Queg Bor's Smithy (a large pile of raw ore sits outside his shop)

7. Penneck's Stables (houses all of the horses, ponies & dogs of the village)

8. Unger's Monuments (as an artisan, he's considered a laughing stock by the dwarves)

9. Headquarters for The Shovels (a group of dwarves who clear out new tunnels of monsters)

10. Tilik's General Store & Supply

There is a half-orc encampment on the northern edge of town.

Human homes make up the majority of the town, as the dwarves live in caverns and warrens carved into the mountains. There are also Gnomes and Halflings in the town.

Two winding paths lead up the mountain. One to the summit and the other to the Gnomish Mines.

The Chronicles of Mordek Vol. 027

Gameplay Date 11-04-07

Players present: Mordek, Taneus, Brynn

The road to Bumfor

I woke up with one hell of a headache, still lying on the ground with one foot caught up in the cords I had tripped over last night. I disentangled myself, then took a minute to get my bearings. Then I slowly got to my feet and started heading to the Inn. Taneus, Brynn, Kiri and Corny were all gathered at a table having breakfast, though Corny still looked like he was suffering from last night's drinking binge. "'Bout time you turned up! Where have you been? You never came back last night." Oh, whoa... not so loud. I told them I was holding a prayer meeting at the Temple of Moradin and that it ran long. Taneus told me I better eat some breakfast quick and get my gear together, as they were all ready, and waiting on me so we could stop by the Temple of Pelor before leaving town. I ordered some food from Kaela, then ran upstairs to grab my stuff and brought it back down to the table with me. I quickly cleaned off my plate and washed it down with a mug of water. Then we paid Kaela for our meals, returned our room keys and bid her well, thanking her for her hospitality.

Once we were outside, we started heading for Briar's Stable to retrieve our horse and load it up with our supplies. I suddenly remembered that I had left something behind. I told the others I'd catch up with them at the Stable, then headed over to the "Temple" of Moradin. I started winding up all of the string and put it into my pack, then pulled up the stakes to return them to Kelper's shop, and finally grabbed the shield I had put out as a marker. On the way to Briar's, I quickly stopped at Kelper's and dropped off all of the stakes. The others were finishing up as they tied our extra gear to the horse's saddle and saddle bags. Adding my own extra gear to the horse, we settled up our bill with Briar, then led the horse across town to the Temple of Pelor. The priests were waiting for us when we arrived, and they motioned me forward so they could complete the spell. A few words of prayer to their deity... and it's over? ... they say I'm cured. Don't know why, but I was expecting something more... like when they exorcise demons outta people. We paid them for their services, thanked them and then went back outside. We'd said our goodbyes to Luvana yesterday, so now we wished Corny well and made our way out of town to start heading for Bumfor.

It was going to be a couple of days of walking before we'd get there, and thankfully, the fresh sea air was helping pass the effects of last night's drinking binge. By late afternoon, it started to get much darker, as the sun was setting behind the mountains and casting us into shadows much sooner than normal. Out to sea, there were storm clouds closing in on us, so we found an overhang under which we could make camp for the night. We huddled there as the rains started coming down, until we heard a really strange sound. "Wharrgarble! Wharrglblaarglflrrrngnaarble!" A few flashes of lightning revealed a writhing mass of grey flesh covered with dozens of randomly placed eyes and mouths, all of different sizes and shapes, sliding down the mountainside toward us. What the hell is that thing?!? It continued making it's way closer into the light of our campfire, gibbering incessantly from all of it's mouths, as Taneus, Brynn & Kiri started slinging spells and shuriken at it from beneath our overhang. It got close enough to loose a stream of spittle that ignited on contact with the air. It flashed brightly, but we managed to avert our eyes enough to keep from being blinded. One of it's mouths even lashed out and attached itself to Kiri. I started swinging at the tentacle to sever it as Taneus & Brynn fired off a few more well placed spells and finally that thing fell silent. Kiri had some acid damage where it had latched on to her, but other than that, she seemed fine. We pushed the mass over the cliff edge so as not to draw any more predators to us, then went back to our campfire to heal Kiri's wounds and eat some rations before turning in for the night. We set a watch order for the night, and fortunately, nothing else came calling.

The next morning, it was still dark, cold and windy as we gathered up our camp and got back on the road. We walked until it was nearing noon, when we spotted a few pebbles and stones fall down a nearby slope. A big cat-like creature came into sight... and man is it ugly! It's four or five feet long, has a shaggy, spotted coat, a bristling mane along its spine and a long bushy tail. It also has a long narrow head, but it's like all the fur on it's face was pulled back to it's ears revealing the muscles and bony structure underneath. It cut loose with a loud screech, which made us all start heading away from it. It hopped down from it's rocky perch to give chase as we headed back along the way we had come only to find 3 more of the creatures as they jumped out in front of us. What happened next was all a blur as the 3 new ones surrounded me, sinking their teeth and claws into me. I was a bloody mess when my friends finally managed to kill off the last of them. Brynn came over to heal some of my wounds with her magic, and wrapped up the rest saying I'd heal better with some rest. She even thanked me for keeping those things... Krenshars, she called them... busy and off the rest of the group. I quipped back, "Well of course they were gonna go for me! You three are too scrawny... no meat on your bones!" To which Brynn replied, "Yes, but we taste sweeter! We're a delicacy!" and I couldn't keep the smirk off my face, shaking my head in amusement.

We continued on until it got late again, and we found a decent spot to make camp. After eating some more rations, the others let me turn in without having to take a watch so that I could try and heal up by morning. When I finally woke, all of my injuries had healed up nicely. We ate some more rations for breakfast, then packed up and got back on the road again. After about an hour, we met a group of 7 dwarven riders on ponies as they were heading from Bumfor to Nerom. They came to a stop as their leader recognized me. He got down from his pony, came over to me, pulling out a piece of parchment from his coat, and asked me what in the blazes this was about. I took the note from him... the one I had sent by courier pigeon... and turned to my companions to introduce them to Arda Sparkburst, a cleric of the Temple of Moradin in Bumfor. I then told him about the trouble that had been going on in Nerom, and how I had concocted plans for a Temple of Moradin to be built in Nerom, as a way to get close to the troublemakers, and had sent the message in order to make it look legitimate, in case they were watching me... but now that the problems in Nerom had been dealt with, I was on my way to Bumfor to explain all of that to the Temple elders, and clear up any confusion. Arda just looked at me with a "not another wild scheme" look on his face, then said I'll have a lot of explaining to do once we got back to Bumfor. He then remounted his pony, turned his group around and escorted our little group the rest of the way back to Bumfor.

To be continued...

The Chronicles of Mordek Vol. 026

Gameplay Date 10-28-07

Players present: Mordek, Taneus, Brynn

Nerom - the aftermath

Morning came too early as far as I was concerned. Rolling out of bed, I began getting dressed. After putting on my armor, I started reaching for my weapon belts, then remembered something... I had Aglim's rather nice looking belt in my pack. Pulling it out, I gave it a once over... heavy duty, thick leather, double width, 2 buckle closure, seemed nice and sturdy... but would it fit? Wrapping it around my waist and over the armor, it was gonna be a little snug, but I managed to hitch the last notch on the belts... might have to lay off the mutton for a while. I gave a few twists and bends to see how it moved given it's double width... comfortable enough... so I took it off again and started transferring my weapons, scabbards & pouches from my old belts to this new one, then put it around my waist again. Next I grabbed the knife sash I had gotten off of that Greyfinger. In the thick of things last night, I had just thrown it over one arm and around my neck. It had been a little tight as well, but now I had more time to adjust it's straps to fit better. The normal buckle closure wasn't going to fit comfortably around my larger chest, so I pulled out some leather cords and created a couple of tie straps to cover the extra distance. I drew out one of the identical looking daggers to gauge their heft, balance and sharpness... not bad... well balanced for throwing... good edge to them. Doing a quick count, I had 20 of the 25 knives that the sash could hold. The others had been left on the ground where we had faced off and are probably long gone... unless... maybe Vidgath had collected them last night. Might be worth stopping by his shop later to find out... besides, I needed to swing by Zelnus's place anyway to purchase that warhammer he'd reserved for me. Scooping them up, I put my old belts into my pack, then went to put that on... odd?!?... feels lighter than it should... did I lose something out of it? Putting my pack down on the bed, I started going through the contents, making sure that everything was accounted for... nothing's missing... hhmmm! Maybe those ales from last night haven't quite worn off yet.

As I came downstairs, I spotted Taneus & Brynn already at a table with that woman who had accompanied the man that Malward the Mad had killed in front of everyone. I went up to the bar and ordered some breakfast and an ale from Kaela, who only handed it over as long as I promised not to pour it on the floor again. I nodded sheepishly and took my ale over to join the others. Taneus introduced me to Kiri as I took a seat. Then, as we all ate some breakfast, we filled each other in on what we each had gotten up to last night. Sounds like they had taken the Tome of Helgar to the Temple of Pelor, found Gohla and got him and a few others to go with them to the High Temple. While there, he read from the Tome, and from what they described... removed Nerom from the sight of the Gods... all of them... and thus made all religions balanced in Nerom. And then everything went to hell!! The priests & clerics of Pelor decided that without the power of Erythnul backing them up, now was a good time to storm the Scarlet Jester to rescue their captive brother. Taneus & Brynn went along with them to help, but Brynn got jumped by Aglim as they were leaving the High Temple... that's about when I had seen her fighting him and gone to help her. The Temples of Hextor & Heironeus had each started marching on the Scarlet Jester and Temple of Erythnul. The Greyfingers made a break for it, but started a fire to the Jester before leaving. Taneus and a few others went inside the Scarlet Jester to rescue the missing cleric, and also found Kiri in the process. But before they could leave, they were attacked by a succubus, who had transformed from the woman who ran the place.

Outside, DeGaren had his back up against the flaming building of the Scarlet Jester as Brynn and her wolf arrived, repeatedly attacking him, even scorching him with a little fire of her own. When he saw the 2 groups from the Temples of Hextor & Heironeus closing in, he began stalking his way toward the cliff. Brynn stayed on his tail, pounding him again & again with her quarterstaff, but when he got to the cliff's edge, he just stepped off and was carried by a sudden wind right to the deck of one of the ships out in the harbor. He had turned and looked back up at her with a look of foreboding menace as they severed the mooring ropes and began readying the ship to depart. Around that time is when the skies opened up and everyone sought whatever shelter they could. Taneus said that the clerics described it like the Gods came together, saying "How dare you mortals presume to dictate to us!" and they let loose the heavens upon us. Sounds like Nerom is under a very watchful eye again. Everyone had gone back to the Grove after that, where we all met up again.

After that, we started discussing what we were going to do next. The Crimsons Spears had been wiped out here in Nerom, so Brynn was open to suggestions. Taneus didn't really have any pressing concerns. Kiri, healing well from her imprisonment, even asked if she could accompany us, given that her reasons for being here had been taken care of. In the end we decided to make our way back to Tyrell, but make a stop in Bumfor first, to let me explain the cryptic note I had sent to the Grand Temple. Luvana was going to be staying to continue her studies, so we'd have to swing by to say goodbye to her. We were also going to have to get some supplies too. Taneus suggested that maybe I should swing by a temple and get my Wererat problem cured. At which Brynn snickered, "ahh... you've got a tail and whiskers under all that hair!"

We paid Kaela for our breakfasts, then started heading through town toward Corna's General Store. Vidgath's was nearby, so I told the others that I'd catch up with them in a bit, and made my way toward his door. He greeted me as I came in and asked what he could do for me. Pulling one of the knives from the sash, I showed it to him, asking if he came across any that looked like it last night as he was cleaning up the battlefield, as I pointed at the empty slots of the sash. He said I was in luck... that he had found 4... and that they could be mine again for a gold piece each. I told him it was a deal, but that I wasn't done. I was also eyeing a short sword, and reached out to grab it. Pulling it from it's scabbard, I gave it a couple of swings to feel it's weight and balance. It still had a decent edge, though the whole thing had obviously seen some use. I asked how much and Vidgath said "7 gold." I pulled out enough coin to pay him for the items and thanked him as I went back outside, putting the knives into the sash and tucking the short sword in my belt.

Zelnus's Armory was right next to Corna's shop, so I went there next. He asked if I was here for that warhammer he was holding for me. I said I was... and more. I put the polished warhammer back onto his counter and pulled the morningstar, the one with the agate, out for his inspection. He ended up agreeing to take back the polished hammer, the gold I had given him to reserve the other one, and the morningstar as an even trade. He took my weapons off of his counter and presented me with one, very sturdy, very finely crafted warhammer that was quite obviously the work of a master craftsman. Oh, you are a thing of beauty... aren't you! Then I asked him about armor, and what he might have that would fit a dwarf. He points toward a suit of half plate on one shelf, a suit of dwarven plate on another, and a suit of studded leather behind the counter. Neither of the suits of plate armor interested me, as I want to remain quick on my feet, so I asked him how much he wanted for the studded leather... 200 gold pieces he said. I asked if he'd be interested in taking my well used leather armor in trade, and he said he'd give me a credit of 10 gold for it. Then I reached into my pack and produced Aglim's heavy, blunt, well decorated morningstar. Giving it to him for inspection, he offered another 112 gold of credit. Pulling out another 78 gold pieces to cover the remainder, we had a deal. I started shucking my old armor and putting on the new, marveling at the master craftsmanship of it as well. Thanking him as I left, I went next door to Corna's shop to rejoin the others.

As I entered the general store, Taneus, Brynn and Kiri had already amassed quite a pile of gear for the road. Taneus had even started a pile of things he knew I would be needing... basically everything that we had lost when the 2 ogres attacked us and we had to leave it behind. We only had one horse for the 4 of us, so we were going to be walking to Bumfor this time, and using the horse as a pack animal. We paid Corna for her goods, then hiked everything back to our rooms at the Stone's Throw Inn. We had a few other things to attend to before we could leave town. Taneus said he needed to see Miranda, the woman who had barricaded herself in the basement of the High Temple, so we started heading that way to find her. As we neared the HIgh Temple, we could see that there was a gathering of people outside... it looked like a lot of the head priests and clerics along with their entourages. Several of the prominent shopkeepers and townspeople were there as well... and all of them seemed to stop and turn to look at us as we drew near. Oh... this can't be good! As it turned out... it wasn't bad either. They said they understood what we did and why and that they weren't going to blame us for recent events... but nor were they going to celebrate us either. They said there was going to have to be some restructuring done for the city to govern itself better and then they went back to their discussions. Luvana was here, near the edge of the group, so we went over to speak with her for a moment. We told her how we planned on leaving town soon, and asked if she was going to be alright on her own now. She said she would, that her studies were keeping her well occupied, and that Cornelius was still going to be around for a while yet, so she wouldn't be completely without friends. Taneus managed to get the attention of one of the many priests of Pelor and motioned him over to join us. He asked what we wanted and Taneus told him about my lycanthropy condition and asked if there was anything that the benevolence of Pelor could do to cure it. The priest looked me over as he seemed to be thinking about it. He said that Pelor could certainly heal me of my affliction, but it was not something that they were normally prepared for and that it would have to wait until tomorrow morning. We told him that we would be swinging by the temple in the morning before we got on the road for Bumfor. The priest nodded, saying that he would have things ready for us, then went back to listening to what the group was discussing. We gave Luvana a hug goodbye in case we didn't see her before we left, then we maneuvered our way around the group so we could enter the High Temple.

Taneus led the way down to the basement level and to the doors of Miranda's library, which are no longer protected by magic. Going inside, Miranda welcomed Taneus back as he introduced the rest of us to her. Taneus said he'd had to use his magic to turn himself into a gaseous cloud and slip through the cracks around the door frame. That Miranda had been the one to tell him about the Tome of Helgar and where he might be able to find it. Miranda was also a spellcaster and Taneus had previously asked if she was able to identify magical items. She had told him that it required a pearl worth more than 100 gold pieces, a drink of wine and an owl feather for each casting of the spell. He rummaged around in his pack and produced several of each of the items that she had asked for, having gathered them since his last visit. Taneus pulled out a horn from his pack... not sure where he got that... then turned to Brynn and asked for the hummingbird medallion... then he turned to me and asked for the belt I was wearing. I asked why and he said that earlier, he had cast a detect magic spell to see if any of the new items we had acquired had magical auras to them, and that the belt I had taken off of Aglim had radiated as such. He already knew that the medallion was magical from a previous casting of the spell, he just didn't know what it did. Brynn turned to him saying "I thought you said it was enchanted with luck?!?" Taneus just gave her an odd smirk as she scowled back at him. Miranda took the items and laid them out before her. She started grinding up a pearl into a pile of powder, which she then poured into a goblet of wine, and used an owl feather to stir the concoction together. I think it was about an hour later, when she said it was ready, and turned to the first item... the horn. She said that it was a Horn of Fog... that whenever it was blown, a thick cloud of obscuring mist would come forth from the horn and quickly fill the space around you. Useful to help hide or make a getaway, but not very quiet. Taneus took the horn back and put it back into his pack. Then Miranda started grinding up a second pearl... oh, good lord, it's gonna be 2 more hours before we're done here... wake me up when it's over!!! I made my way over to a chair, took a seat, crossed my arms, and let my head droop down to my chest. I told Taneus to wake me if my snoring was gonna disrupt what they were doing, then closed my eyes and took a little nap.

Two hours later, we had all three items identified. In addition to the horn, the medallion was enchanted to enhance the dexterity of whoever was wearing it while the belt did the same for the wearer's strength... no wonder my pack felt lighter, and why Aglim's blows hit as hard as they did. Brynn slipped the medallion back around her neck as I put the belt around my waist again. Taneus thanked Miranda profusely, as did we all, then, bidding her well, we made our way back outside. Since all of our errands had been taken care of AND we couldn't depart until the morning AND there wasn't anyone or anything actively seeking to kill us at the moment, we decided to relax for the rest of the day. Taneus led the way towards another building in town... The Monk's Wagon Inn... saying that he was buying the first round... woo hoo!! As we entered, the first thing that was easy to spot was the more upscale decor than that at the Stone's Throw Inn... aww man, you mean I gotta drink nicely in here lest I spill on their fancy dancy rugs?!? We should head to the Stone's Throw where we can really party! I was about to suggest that, when Taneus was greeted by the server and asked if he would like another bottle of elven wine. He said yes, with three glasses, and a tankard of Dwarf Spirits, as he indicated me. Oh-ho! Dwarf Spirits, now we're talking. Sorry Kaela, but since you don't have Dwarf Spirits on tap at your place, it looks like we'll be staying here for a while!

We ordered some dinner as the drinks went by one after another and I was feeling really good... looking around, I thought we needed a few more dwarves in here to get some good songs going. The elves were drinking their wine more slowly... something about... hic... letting it breathe... hic. Ah, they just don't know how to cut loose and celebrate... somebody needs to pull that stick out of their arses. A server came over to the table and I asked him for another round, this one on me... "Mordek, it's me... Corny!" Squinting at the server, I was amazed how much he looked like this kid I know. "Hey kid, join us for a drink... our server was just here... now where did he... hic... get to?" The kid shook his head as he gave a soft chuckle and took a seat at our table. Another server came by and I asked for another round, including a tankard of Dwarf Spirits for the kid. When it arrived, he couldn't quite stomach it, so I took it off his hands. Corny had a glass of the elven wine instead, chugging it down, trying to keep pace with me... much to the astonishment of Taneus, Brynn & Kiri. After a few more rounds, the kid was a little drunk... I could tell by the way he wazzz sslurrring hiz wordzzz. He was complaining a bit about his nose, how one of the Greyfingers had gotten in a good punch last night and broken it, but with all the other, more serious injuries being attended to, he figured his nose could wait. He asked how it looked, as to him it felt crooked. I leaned in for a closer look... sure enough... his nose was bent sideways... so I reached over, took hold of his nose and straightened it for him. He gave a short gasp and suddenly passed out... guess the kid's had enough. I told Taneus that I'd take him back to the Stone's Throw Inn so he could sleep it off, and got to my feet as Taneus dubiously asked "are you sure?" Throwing down a handful of gold coins to help cover our bill, they all had another incredulous look on their faces as I hoisted the kid over one shoulder, regained my balance and replied "yep... I'll be right back! I believe it's Brynn's turn for the next round." Grabbing my tankard, I started heading for the door with Cornelius. The cool evening air felt good as I carried the kid across town. I reached the Stone's Throw Inn to find another large crowd in here, enjoying their own dinners and drinks, though the revelry was still a bit subdued. I took the kid up to the room I had gotten and put him down on the bed, then went back outside. Turning left, I started to make my way back to the other Inn only to find myself tripping over the stakes & string I had put out to mark the edges of my fake temple. The sudden shock to my equilibrium, combined with my current level of inebriation, caused me to pass out right there on the ground.

To be continued...

The Chronicles of Mordek Vol. 025

Gameplay Date 10-21-07

Players present: Mordek, Taneus, Brynn

Even more hell breaks loose

As I was making my way toward the Scarlet Jester, I munched on a couple of Draugh leaves to heal up a bit from my injuries. Glad I did, as along the way, I spotted Luvana in trouble by the main reflecting pool. She's standing over a prone form... I'm guessing it's Teresela... desperately swinging her quarterstaff around to ward off a couple of acolytes of Erythnul. I quickly made my way over to help her, coming up behind one of them and taking him out with my spear, distracting the other one just long enough for Luvana to knock him cold. Reaching into my pouch again, I pulled out a couple more Draugh leaves to try and force feed to Teresela. As we're rousing her, a group of Greyfingers and orcs pass close by. One of the Greyfingers points at us and two of the orcs break rank and start heading for us. I tell Luvana to get Teresela out of here any way she can, then I turned back to face the orcs. The were smirking as they slowly advanced... well, I'll give you bastards something to smirk at... gripping my spear tightly, I trotted forward a few steps and let it fly... right through the chest of one of the orcs. As he fell over dead, I could see the spear sticking in the ground some 60' away... right at the feet of the Greyfinger who had pointed at us. The other orc was now being a lot more cautious as he approached us. Luvana had managed to get Teresela on her feet and they were slowly retreating, with Luvana half dragging & half carrying Teresela.

The Greyfinger that had pointed, now decided that he was going to join in and started coming our way too. Now I got my first good look at him... he's got a knife sash strewn over his chest chock full of daggers... aww crap! Gotta deal with the orc first as it finally closed the distance to take a swing at me. It missed, but I didn't, driving my hammer into his chest. As it fell to the ground, a dagger went whizzing by, just barely missing Luvana. She & Teresela were not getting away fast enough, so I interposed myself between them and the Greyfinger, using my shield to help deflect any more knives thrown their way. Pacing them as they retreated, it was all I could do to stop the knives from getting by, but if I really intended to stop this guy, I was going to have to change tactics. As he wound up for another throw, I charged at him and knocked him off his feet, then attacked him as he tried to get back up. He might have stood a better chance had he kept his distance, but up close like this, I wasn't about to let up. Gotta give him credit though, he didn't go easily, having managed to stick me with his blades before dying. I reached into my pouch and scarfed the last couple of Draugh leaves I had as I knelt down next to the Greyfinger. His sash, nearly full of daggers, could come in very handy, so I started pulling it off of him, and throwing it over my own chest. Then the sound of running feet caught my attention, and I spun to face whoever was coming at me now... so imagine my surprise when I see Cornelius skidding to a halt next to me.

He's breathing hard and asking where Luvana is. I had no more than pointed in the direction they had been going when he took off again. I tried to catch up, but damn, the kid's quick. He had caught up with Luvana and was assisting with carrying Teresela, and they were nearly back to the Temple of Obad-Hai when I finally managed to catch up with them. Once inside, Luvana led us into the teleportation area, saying we can get some healing from the clerics at the other destination. I'm all for that, especially if there's more carnage to be wrought. Corny says he'll go and help Taneus and I take Teresela off of his hands. I gave him quick directions to the Scarlet Jester based on where he had first seen me, then the kid took off again. One of the acolytes then casts the spell to take us to the real temple. Once there, we ease Teresela down where she can be treated. As the clerics come over to see to her wounds, another one comes over and offers Obad-Hai's healing touch to me & Luvana as well. The head cleric and several others are planning to teleport back to the Nerom temple and motion for us to join them. As we arrived back in Nerom, the clerics told us to spread the word that healing could be found here at the Grove.

Luvana stayed behind to help treat any wounded that came there. I meanwhile set out to inform the townspeople to make their way to the Grove if they could. I picked up another abandoned spear along the way as I headed for the backside of the High Temple... I knew there were still people back there, probably several injured thanks to the orcs. I was just about to tell everyone to make for the Grove, when the sky suddenly became VERY dark & cloudy. Then the sky cut loose and we were bombarded with thunder, lightning, hail, rain, fireballs and meteors... something tells me the Gods are really pissed. What the hell did Taneus do now?!? I yelled over the din, telling everyone to make for the Grove. Most began heading that way, several others merely sought the nearest shelter they could find. I followed a group of townspeople as they headed around to the front of the High Temple and went inside seeking shelter just inside the main doors. As we're watching the forces of nature wreak havoc outside, I realize that with Aglim dead, and most of the orcs running away from the Temple, anything Aglim may have been working on in here is know most likely unguarded... and another slow smile spread across my face.

I slipped away as the townspeople continued to watch the storms raging outside, and made my way upstairs. There are 4 doors up here on this level, the first led to a raised platform and the next two led to balcony seating. The last door opened to reveal private quarters... probably Aglim's room... so I went inside and started searching. Not much of interest beyond clothing and everyday items, but there was a locked chest, and it didn't take me long to pick it's lock. When I opened the lid, my eyes got wide at the sight of lots of gold coins. The first thing I did was get back the gold that I had given Aglim as a downpayment, then pulling out a sack from my pack, I transfered the rest of the gold from the chest to the sack and then put them all in my pack. Nothing else caught my eye, so I headed back downstairs. Sounded like things were quieting down outside. The people who had taken shelter inside the High Temple were now just outside surveying the damage. As I made my way to the front doors, I could see that Vidgath had his cart with him and he was searching around, scavenging the area for discarded weapons and armor. There was a big crowd gathered at the Grove, so I wandered over there. I found Luvana tending to the injured townspeople, with Corny close by. I reached into my pack and pulled out the bag of gold. Figuring that Aglim had pilfered it from the townspeople, I gave the bag to Luvana and told her to redistribute it to the people... hell they probably earned it through all the blood & sweat they put into Aglim's project. Plus maybe it would give Luvana a kindly light in the eyes of the people if she was going to be sticking around for a while. While I asked Luvana if there was anyone that could see to my own wounds, and she pointed me toward a man she identified as Bucor, Corny had grabbed ahold of the bag and was taking a peek inside. He had a look of utter astonishment and disappointment on his face as he said " ...but... but... there's gotta be... almost a thousand pieces of gold in here!!"

As I left Corny behind, almost looking like he was gonna cry, and made my way over to Bucor, waiting patiently for him to finish tending to others, I spotted Taneus, Brynn and that wolf entering into the Grove with some priestly looking fellows. They're looking a little ragged as well. Bucor looked me over, cast a minor healing spell to deal with the worst of my injuries, then treated the rest so they'd heal more quickly with a decent night's rest. Well that sounded good, as I was beat... been a long, damn day! I went over and checked in with Taneus... sounds like everything's settling down... the orcs & Greyfingers are either dead or fled the town... the Gods can see Nerom again... wait... what?!? No, don't tell me... save it for tomorrow. I tell Taneus that right now I need a stiff drink and lots of sleep, and if he needs me, I'll be at the Inn. Leaving Taneus to deal with the priests, I left the Grove and went back to The Stone's Throw Inn. Kaela was still there, having stayed inside and out of the conflicts raging all over town. I came right up to the bar and asked her for 2 tankards of ale. When she placed them before me, I grabbed one in each hand, offered up a toast for Moradin and those that had fallen today, and started drinking heartily from one as I poured the other out onto the floor... which got a stern "HEY" from Kaela. I dropped a gold piece onto the counter, which she scowlingly took as she began mopping up the mess I'd made. Draining the last of my ale, I put the tankards down and headed up to my room. Wasn't long before I wazzZZzzzzz... ZZzzzzz... ZZzzzzz...

To be continued...

The Chronicles of Mordek Vol. 024

Gameplay Date 10-14-07

Players present: Mordek, Taneus, Brynn

All hell breaks loose

Ragnat had waited for us outside the Mausoleum, and he followed along as we made our way over to the Temple of Pelor, where we were going to ask to speak to Gohla. But as we were heading across town, there was a large commotion coming from behind the High Temple. We decided to split up... Taneus & Brynn would head on to the Temple, while Ragnat & I would go check it out. I pulled out my small shield and morningstar and handed them to Ragnat in case there was trouble. When we came around the side of the High Temple, we saw that the orcs up here were killing some of the townspeople. Even as we watched, one worker was thrown off the cliffside while a second was dragged to the ground and speared. Ragnat & I didn't need more reason than that, and we gave out a dwarven war cry and charged headlong at the orcs. The responded by grabbing a few of the other workers and using them as living shields, much to my shame as my first swing at an orc was instead taken by a woman the orc pulled in front of him. Switching tactics, I reached out myself and grabbed the woman, pulling her free from the orcs grasp and yelling for her to run. As she did so, the orcs around us started slaughtering everyone they could. Ragnat & I each managed to kill an orc as the workers on the project started fighting back, ganging up on the orcs and bringing them down. The group up here at the top had better odds and put up a better fight and they managed to kill Ragnat as I was bringing down another of their number with my hammer. Then the orcs started running away, and I saw why... the workers were beginning to come up from the dock project en masse now, and the orcs would've quickly been overwhelmed if they hadn't run.

Going over to Ragnat's body, I knelt down saying "Be at peace brother!" and reached down to retrieve the morningstar, slipping it back into my belt, put the small shield on my left arm and held my hammer in my left hand for a quick grab, then picked up an orc spear. The townspeople had started chasing the orcs through town in the direction of the Scarlet Jester. I started following the crowd, but as I came around the High Temple again, there were sounds of combat coming from the front side of the Temple. Looking over I saw Brynn... and a wolf?!?... fighting Aglim, very near to the raised dais in front of the High Temple. I didn't see Taneus anywhere in sight and Brynn looked like she was having a little trouble with Aglim as both she and the wolf were a bit bloody. And she was about to be outnumbered, as 4 orcs came running out of the HIgh Temple to help Aglim. They maneuvered around the side of the dais and out of my direct sight as I headed in their direction. Racing up the steps of the dais, I saw that I had a clear shot at Aglim, about 15' away, with Brynn and her wolf off to one side, and so I took a running leap off the top of the dais in order to land right next to him. As I was coming down, I hurled the spear I had in hand at him and stuck him pretty good... but he was still standing and swinging his morningstar back at us. Brynn yelled for help, saying "We're going down fast!" as she and the wolf turned to fight off the orcs. I grabbed for my hammer as Aglim got in a damn hard strike on me... he hits pretty good for a human! Then the next few moments were a bloody dance as Brynn and I were set upon by the orcs, allowing Aglim to retreat a few steps to remove the spear that was sticking out of him. We took some hits, but we gave better than we got and soon there was only one orc left. Aglim reentered the fray and Brynn & her wolf turned to face him as I finished off the last orc. When I landed the final blow and he gave out a death gurgle, dropping to the ground, I turned to help Brynn finish off Aglim. But before I could get close enough, the combination of the wolf biting at his legs and Brynn's repeated blows from her quarterstaff finally brought Aglim down. Dammit woman! I put a lot of time and effort into being able to get close to him... I will not be denied the death blow!!! And I promptly pounded his skull flat into the ground with my hammer.

I asked Brynn where Taneus was and she said he had taken off with the clerics of Pelor, heading for the Scarlet Jester to rescue another cleric that was being held there. I asked if she was alright as she looked pretty beat up, to which she said she was still able. I told her to go and help Taneus if she could, and that I'd be along in a moment. That I wanted to check and see if Aglim had anything important on him that might be able to help us. Brynn took off with the wolf close behind as I knelt down over Aglim's body. He's got a ruined suit of plate mail, and a very nice looking belt with a money pouch hanging from it. Doesn't look like he'll be needing those any more, as I removed the belt and coin purse, putting them into my pack for the time being. There's also a bloody short spear nearby, the one I had stuck him with, and there's a heavy, blunt, well decorated morningstar lying on the ground where he had dropped it. I stuffed his morningstar into my pack as well. Then holding my hammer in my shield hand, I picked up the spear again and started off for the Scarlet Jester.

To be continued...

The Chronicles of Mordek Vol. 023

Gameplay Date 10-07-07

Players present: Mordek, Taneus, Brynn

Searching the Tomb for the Tome

The secret door turned out to be a block that pushed inward 5 feet and revealed a small hallway. The floor of the hallway slanted downward as we followed it and we came across a locked door on our left after about 15 feet. Ahead though, we can see a cross corridor and decide to take a look before taking a crack at the locked door. As we neared the intersection, the spider webs were a bit thicker than in the rest of the hallway. Looking left, right and forward revealed even more webbing, along with several webbed corpses and various desiccated remains littered all over the place. Loud clicking noises began to emanate from all around us and suddenly half a dozen, watermelon sized spiders started coming after us. I started using my hammer to pound 'em flat while Brynn was using her quarterstaff to do the same. Just as we finished squishing the last of them pesky bugs, their momma showed up at the far end of the left hand passageway. She was BIG and she was not happy!! Stepping in front of the others, I managed to quickly pull out a flask of oil, threw it at her and was relieved to see it smash open, coating her in oil. Taneus took quick advantage of what I had done and sent a blast of fire over my head and down the hallway at the big spider, setting it and the nearby webbing ablaze, screeching in pain and rage, but not killing it. It began charging at us, and I was able to dive into one of the other cross corridors. Taneus & Brynn weren't as close to the intersection and had no where to go but backwards into unexplored territory. Momma spider continued her charge straight on past me as I was getting back to my feet, and began attacking Brynn & Taneus. While they kept it's attention focused on them, I came up right behind it's burning butt and buried my hammer into its backside, dropping it to the ground where the legs continued to give off a few more twitches before stopping completely.

Looking back in the direction it had come from, there is a freshly web-wrapped body lying in the passage. Going over to check, I recognized Ragnat, the dwarf I had spoken with during our "prayer meeting." He's alive, but barely... probably from the spider's paralytic venom. We got him free of the webs holding him and gave him a few draugh leaves to help with his injuries. Then we checked out where momma had come from. The left hand passage opened right out onto the cliff face with the sea below us. So... this is where the workers have been disappearing to! Snatched up by a huge spider and brought back to it's cave to feed her little ones. Well, hopefully Ragnat will be the last worker to go missing, though the possibility of more big spiders lurking about is still there. Going back over to the dead spider, I borrowed a metal flask from Taneus and started collecting some of it's venom. Never know when you might need something like that.

Satisfied that we weren't going to be set upon by anything else, for a while at least, we returned to that locked door we had passed. We told Ragnat to continue on up this hallway and he'd come out below Helgar's Mausoleum. Once he had gone, I began using my thieves tools to pick the lock. But when I opened the door and took my first step inside, the floor crumbled out from under me. Fortunately, I was able to catch myself on the door frame before I fell into the spiked pit below. Probing the floor around the hole using Brynn's quarterstaff, we didn't reveal any more pit traps, so we made our way cautiously around the hole and to the far side of the room where there were two chests. They didn't appear to be trapped and when we opened them up, we discovered a whole lot of copper coins. But there was also a copper medallion with an image of a hummingbird carved into it. Taneus grabbed it to examine it, saying that it was giving off an aura of magic. We didn't find anything else in this room, so we made our way back to the 4-way intersection and tried going straight, but the hallway ended in a dead end full of spider dinner remnants. We headed down the right hand passage and pretty soon it made a turn to the left which opened up onto a 30' x 30' room.

We were on a ledge, the ceiling in here was 20' above us, while the floor of the room was 50' below us and covered in a yellowish mold. On the far side of the room was a raised platform about 10' higher than we were, with what looked like an altar and a sarcophagus upon it. Between us were rows and rows of wooden posts or columns spaced evenly about 4' apart from each other. The posts had flat tops about the size of a dinner plate. The row closest to our end was even with the height of our ledge, and each row farther away from us gained a little in height to form a precarious stairway up to the altar's platform. This was gonna be one hell of a balancing act, made even worse by the look of the rotting wood the pillars had become over the years. We dropped a small stone to the floor below, and the mold burst into a cloud of spores that covered about 10' in all directions... still well below us though, but not something we wanted to mess with. As we stood there, an idea sparked in my head, and I made my way back to the last room and used my tools to take the door off of it's hinges, leaving the 2 elves to discuss ways across the room. Hauling the door back to the ledge, I started taking the door apart into the planks it was made of. The elves were giving me strange looks as I laid one plank from our ledge out onto one of the nearest pillar. Grabbing another plank, I laid down on the ground and slid out onto the first one so that I could lay another plank from the first column to the second, saying to the others that I was distributing the weight across several posts. Taneus handed me a third plank as I continued to slide forward, but when I eased the far end of the 3rd plank out onto the next column in line, the column crumbled from rot and came crashing down to the floor below, setting off another cloud of spores. Ok... so maybe this wasn't the best idea!

Taneus had me crawl back to the ledge saying he had another idea. He had that copper medallion in hand and was giving it to Brynn, saying something about that it had been enchanted with "luck" and that she, as the lightest of the three of us, would probably benefit the most from it given the situation. I think Brynn was just as skeptical as I was, but she put the medallion around her neck and took a tentative step out onto the first pillar. It held, so she followed the outer edge of the room, looking for handholds along the walls by which to further lessen the pressure upon each column. Using a slow and steady pace, Brynn finally came to the platform on the far side of the room, and began telling us what she could see. She pushed open the lid of the sarcophagus and found the remains of a body buried along with a book... The Tome of Helgar? Stowing the book in her pack, Brynn retraced her steps until she was back on the ledge with us. Then we all gathered around to take a look at the book. It's written in a language I'm not familiar with. Taneus can't read it either, but he thinks it might be written in Celestial. We began making our way back above ground, taking the book with us. The priests were still there, waiting for us, as we climbed back up the rope and into the mausoleum. Taneus showed them the book, asking if either of them knew the Celestial language. They took a look. They admitted that neither of them could read the book, but there was a preface to it in a language that they were able to read. It stated that the book had to be read while within the High Temple in order to even out the religions in Nerom. The said that perhaps one of the priests of Pelor knew the Celestial language, then they mentioned a few by name that they thought might be able to help us. Odias (though apparently he had gone missing a while back), Agin, or Gohla, the current HIgh Priest of Pelor.

To be continued...

The Chronicles of Mordek Vol. 022

Gameplay Date 09-30-07

Players present: Mordek, Taneus, Brynn

Touring the construction project

After the crowd had dispersed and only my dwarven brethren remained, I asked them all to gather round close and take a knee. Once they are all close by I start reciting a prayer, but then in a quiet voice that won't carry far, I start asking them what is really going on in Nerom. I tell them that I have more friends with me and we're trying to help but we could use more information if we truly want to disrupt Aglim's ulterior plans. I get some incredulous looks from those around me, but one of them, his name is Ragnat, speaks up. He tells me that everyone is being worked all day long so that everyone is too tired to do anything. That most nights, he and the other dwarves are kept under guard on the second floor of the Scarlet Jester and that there is some High Cleric of Pelor chained up on the ground floor. The Greyfinger's are keeping him alive so long as the rest of the Temple of Pelor stays in line. He also tells me that sometimes people go missing while working the cliff face, but no one has ever seen or heard anything to figure out how. I reach out and shake Ragnat's hand in thanks for his help, and slip the halfling-sized dagger into his palm at the same time. I tell him it's not much for now, but I'll try to get them more in the future if they can keep up the pretense of coming back here for daily prayers. With our prayer meeting ended, the dwarves then headed off for food and sleep.

After they had gone, I headed back to the Inn to grab some dinner and wait to see if Taneus showed up again. After a few hours, I gave up on waiting and headed upstairs to get some sleep. The next morning, I decided to take my own little tour of the town. Heading north, I wandered near to the Temple of Erythnul, where I counted at least 6 humans with shaved heads. Then I wandered close to the Scarlet Jester... there's lots of revelry coming from inside, both male & female voices. But the windows were shut, so I couldn't get a look inside. Continuing northward, I next came to the Temple of Wee Jas and Nerom's graveyard, which stretched nearly to the cliff face. Off to the side of the temple is a mausoleum... the name "Helgar" inscribed in the stone over the doorway. A priest named Merrancore, greeted me as I drew near the graveyard, asking if I'd come to pay my respects to anyone in particular. I told him that I was just interested in taking a look at all of the construction down the cliff face from the slightly wider vantage point that the cliff here provided. He went back about his business, pulling up weeds that were growing amongst the headstones, but I'm sure he was also keeping an eye on me while I was out here.

As I neared the cliff edge, I got my first good look at the stairs that Aglim had the people of Nerom constructing. It was a massive undertaking. A great winding stair made it's way down the heavily reinforced scaffolding to the sea below. Townspeople were suspended on ropes from above and lowered up and down chiseling away at rock faces that stuck out too far and were in the way, or breaking off large pieces, which were then lowered down to the base to help shore it up from the ever present waves rolling in against it. Their are 2 orcs down at the base, keeping the people working with cracks of their whips, several more on different levels of the stairs doing the same, and a group of them right at the top overseeing the ropes to which the people are hanging from. There are also two ships moored out a ways from the cliffs. Long thick ropes stretching from them all the way to the top of the cliffs serve as a cabling system for baskets on pulleys, which are being used to transport goods to and from the ships. I began heading for the HIgh Temple, thinking that maybe Aglim would allow me to tour the construction site. As I drew near the doors, I saw Kerg grudgingly listening to Zelnus complain at him. He's going on about how his money is no longer the right color, that they were platinum and now they're just copper. Kerg doesn't really seem to care and tells Zelnus to get lost, then he looks at me as I wait my turn... "What do you want?" I tell him that I'd like to know if I can tour the construction site and was seeking Aglim's permission to do so. Kerg let out a low snarl as he went inside to fetch Aglim. While the doors are open, I can hear small bits of conversation coming from inside as Aglim finishes up to come outside. He's telling 5 orcs to get lost, muttering something about Pelor that I didn't catch. But as he drew closer to the door, I was able to make out something else. Aglim was being informed that the female companion of the dead guy on the horse had been taken to the Scarlet Jester for rehabilitation... whatever that meant... torture? slavery? prostitution? Couldn't be good, whatever it was.

Aglim came out with a look on his face that said "Unh, this guy again." "And what can I do for you today kind dwarf?" I tell him that I was merely curious to tour the construction site and see firsthand human construction techniques. Aglim seemed happy that he could get rid of me so easily and quickly agreed and let me go on my way. Heading around to the back of the High Temple, I tried to take in as many details as I could... number & location of the orcs, potential items to be used against them, the routines of the workers, etc. There are about 8 orcs watching over about 30 ropes anchored to a single control point behind the temple. It'd be really easy for the orcs to cut the ropes, sending 30 workers tumbling into the sea in the event of an uprising... gonna have to figure out a way to secure that quickly should the time come. There's also a well close by, providing water for all of the workers. I wandered down the stairs to get a look at what the workers were being put through and if there were any weak points in the construction that could maybe be exploited. The orcs didn't take kindly to my being there and not doing any work, so they promptly urged me on my way with cracks of their whips. As I was heading back up, there was a basket nearing the top of the cliff, being hauled upward from one of the two ships out in the harbor. I made my way over to the place where the basket was being unloaded, trying to get a glimpse of what it was they were receiving, but to no avail... crates and sacks hid their contents from view. So instead, I casually asked what ships those were and someone spoke up, "The Culler" and "The Limp Maiden." The orcs didn't seem to want me interfering anymore and told me to either pick up a hammer and get to work, or to get lost. I decided on the latter.

As I made my way away from the construction site, a familiar looking raven lands in front of me and begins hopping around, heading off in one direction, coming back again, then repeating the motions. Looks like Taneus needs my help again. I start in the direction his bird had indicated as it takes flight again leading me on. Trying to hurry without drawing too much attention, I kept the bird in sight as it led me back toward the Temple of Wee Jas and eventually to Helgar's Tomb. The mausoleum doors were open, so I went inside and found Taneus standing there calmly talking with 2 priests and that female elf I met the other day at the Inn... what was her name again? Oh right... Brynn Brya. They are gathered around a 3' x 7' hole in the floor where the altar used to be as it's currently been pushed off to the side. Brynn squatted down looking at the hole, looks at me, then turns to Taneus... "Will the dwarf fit?" Oh, so we've got a funny elf with us now. I gave her a dirty look and a small growl, then turned to Taneus. I asked him what's going on and he tells me that he managed to get into the basement of the High Temple and past the orcs trying to break into the room down there. He said the room was protected by a Wall of Force, but that he managed to get into the room using his magics and met a woman trapped inside. Her name is Miranda and she was able to shed a little light on the situation in town. She might also be able to help us figure out the map we had found in Teryll, but not while she's defending her library. She said Aglim was after a book, and that he was under the impression that she had it hidden away in her library. From what she could hear through the doors, Miranda had pieced together that Aglim was after the rumored Tome of Helgar, but she didn't know where it was. She had suggested to Taneus that perhaps Helgar's Tomb might have more answers and so he had made his way here, having bumped into Brynn somewhere along the way. They had searched until they discovered the hidden opening beneath the altar. That's when he had sent his bird to find me.

Poking my own head into the hole, I could see that it opened onto a room about 15' x 20' in size, with about 15 caskets standing vertically around all four walls with just enough space left for a small altar in the middle of one wall. Grabbing the edge of the hole, I swung myself down to dangle from the ceiling and then dropped to the floor of the room below. Looking upward at Brynn with a smile, I said, "Not afraid of the dark are ya?" She gave me a wry smile as I turned to see if there were any torches down here. I had Taneus drop me a lit torch from above and used it to light the couple of wall torches I had found. Anchoring some rope up above, Taneus & Brynn descended into the room to join me. As I searched around the altar, the two elves found a doorway hidden behind several of the caskets and began moving them out of the way. I wasn't finding anything useful at the altar, so Taneus opened the door to reveal a passageway. I took the lead to keep an eye out for traps and the elves followed behind, bringing torches along with them for light. The passage ended at a small library. Would the Tome of Helgar really be that easy to find? We began searching the shelves, but that didn't reveal the book everyone seems to be after, but we did find a secret door built into the south wall.

To be continued...

The Chronicles of Mordek Vol. 021

Gameplay Date 09-16-07

Players present: Mordek, Taneus, Brynn

More newcomers arrive in Nerom

Corna greeted me as I arrived back at her shop. I told her I'd like to send a message to Bumfor through her courier service. She handed me a small piece of parchment that would fit in the pigeon's carrying pouch and told me to start writing my message. I addressed the note to Arda, one of the priests I was familiar with back at the Grand Temple in Bumfor. Knowing that my message would be received with a "What the hell is he talking about" attitude back in Bumfor, I tried to make it as intriguing as possible, using just a few sentences, in the hopes they would send a group to investigate.

Master Arda,

Negotiations for purchase of land successful.

Groundbreaking & Temple construction to begin soon.

Nerom's leaders eager to welcome Moradin into it's fold.

Mordek, Greyheim Mountain Clan.

Corna has one of her pigeons in hand by the time I am done writing the note. She tells me it will take about 6 days for a response to arrive back from Bumfor. Once the message was secured to the bird, I tell Corna that I will also be needing some supplies... about 600 feet of string, a whole lot of wooden stakes, and a sack or two to put them all in. Corna tells me I'll have to stop by Kelper's shop if I want any stakes, but she has the other items. After paying Corna for the items and the courier service, I thank her and head out the door toward Kelper's Wagon shop. He greets me as I come into his shop, asking what he can do for me. I tell him that I'm in need of several dozen wooden stakes... most about a foot and a half tall, and one or two stakes that are about 3 or 4 feet tall. I hold open the bag I got at Corna's as Kelper loads it up with the stakes. I paid and thanked him for his help, then set off in the direction of the little plot of land I had just made a down payment on.

Setting the bag down on the ground and consulting my sketches of the floor plan, I pounded a stake into the ground, using my nice and shiny war hammer I had recently gotten, to mark the first corner of the future temple. Walking out my estimated distances, I continued putting more and more stakes in the ground until the outline of the temple's walls had been created. Going back to the bag, I pulled out the first of several rolls of twine and began running a length of cord from one stake to the next until all of the walls and the pathway and the altar block were marked out about a foot off of the ground. Using the two longer wooden stakes, I pounded one into the ground in the center of the temple's "main room." Then I tied the other stake to it like a cross. Using some of the remaining cord, I then lashed the shiny hammer to the top of the vertical stake and hung the shield, bearing the symbol of Moradin, across the horizontal stake, so that any passerby would see that this was the beginning of a temple to Moradin.

Satisfied that I had done a good enough job, I started walking out of the town toward the stream, so that I could make a show of cleaning myself up in the river, while I was actually retrieving the gold I had buried under a rock in the stream back when we were coming into Nerom. Going back into the town, I headed for the dual Temples of Obad-Hai and Corellan Larenthian. Just wanted to check in with Luvana and see how she was doing. I find that she's back from her mission. She's with another woman as I approach. She's also bubbly with excitement as she tells me about the battle against the orcs. Then she remembers to introduce me to her companion... Terusella, a cleric of Obad-Hai that has accepted Luvana as her initiate and begun teaching her their druidish ways. Terusella apologizes, saying that she and Luvana must get back to Luvana's training, and politely escorts me back out of the Temple's entrance. At least the kid's okay.

I started heading back to The Stone's Throw Inn after that, and went up to my room. I needed to count out enough gold to give to Aglim at the town meeting this afternoon in order to conclude our deal. Once that was done, I made my way back downstairs and ordered an ale from Kaela. There weren't too many people in here at this time, so I grabbed a table for myself and sat down to think what I would be saying if Aglim had me address the crowd. While I was working on my second ale, the door of the Inn opened and in walked an elf... female by the look of her... sometimes it's hard to tell... all that long hair and their thin builds... carrying a quarterstaff and wearing leather armor. She turns back outside the door and says "stay" to someone or something, then proceeds on up to the bar where Kaela is working. She's asking for a hunk of raw meat on the bone and a plate of the house special along with a goblet of wine. Taken aback by the odd request, Kaela heads into the kitchen and comes back with shank of goat and says she'll be back in a minute with the rest of her order. The elf paid Kaela for the food, then took the leg of goat back towards the front door. She opened the door and tossed the goat leg outside, but I didn't hear it hit the ground... only some happy scarfing sounds. She said "away... but stay close" and then came back inside, closing the door behind her again.

The elf took a seat at a table nearby to wait for Kaela to come out with her food. As the only two people in here, she glanced my way and we caught eyes. I gave her a nod in acknowledgement and resumed drinking my ale, downing the last of it. She was eyeing me cautiously, and when I went up to the bar to get another refill, she decided to invite me over to her table. I was curious what she might want, so I paid Kaela for the ale and grabbed the seat opposite her at her table. She introduced herself as Brynn Brya (played by Kelly) and I introduced myself in return. Something told me that she wasn't a local, so I asked where she was from. She told me that she had journeyed here from Daegus Woods, following the trail of several orcs. I told her there's quite a few in town and that they seem to be helping the Priests of the Temple of Erythnul at the High Temple. I also told her that she might want to visit the Temple of Obad-Hai if she's looking for information on the orcs in town. She asked what I do, and I told her that I'm currently in Nerom to purchase land for the raising of a Temple to Moradin and to begin the groundwork for it's construction, and that this afternoon... pretty soon actually... it will be made official in an announcement during a town meeting.

We sat there talking for a while more, just killing time until in was nearly 5:00. I told her that I needed to be on hand when Aglim made his announcement, and began to excuse myself from the table, but said if she was interested, she could follow along to where the townspeople would be gathering. We left the Inn and made our way through Nerom toward the HIgh Temple. I bid Brynn well and parted from her company as we drew near and made my way toward the main doors to await Aglim. The townspeople began showing up from their homes and businesses, and then a huge group showed up, having just gotten off shift working on the stairway project. A horn blares out to grab everyone's attention and Aglim heads to the top of the dais to address the crowd. As he begins his speech praising their hard work again, Aglim gets interrupted. There is a man in full plate armor, helmet in hand, sitting astride a horse, at the back of the crowd. A woman in simpler clothes is standing beside him as he raises his voice saying "People of Nerom... Your plight is over. No longer shall you be enthralled by the forces of... ." He didn't get to finish his sentence as all of a sudden, a crossbow bolt was protruding out of his forehead, nearly between his eyes. As the man slumped to the ground from his saddle, his companion gasped in surprise and stooped down to his dead body. Behind both of them, another man with crossbow in hand, walked up until he was near the dead man's horse. He reached into the saddle bags, groping around until he pulled out an item out and held it high. It looked like a white cup. The man with the crossbow gave out a sinister laugh and threw the cup to the ground in disgust, then stalked away. The crowd nearest the spectacle began murmuring to each other and soon I was able to catch a few words as they rippled from the back to the front of the assemblage. "Alabaster Cup." "Malward." So that was Malward the Mad. I'll have to keep an eye out for him. And an alabaster cup... wasn't that the prize awarded to the winners of the Tournament of Champions held over in Straag? What would they be doing here? Had someone gotten a message out asking for help? Bloody shame... nasty way to die... and he was a sitting duck too! Did they know he was coming somehow?

Aglim quickly got the crowd's attention again and went on as if nothing had just happen, though the crowd was still a little uneasy. He motioned for me to join him atop the dais, and when I had climbed to the top, he began telling the crowd how Nerom was already prospering from their work efforts and beginning to grow with the addition of a new temple, this one to Moradin. The crowd was not as enthusiastic as I would have hoped, especially given recent events, and only gave out murmurs of approval. Stepping forward, I addressed the crowd, inviting them all to the future site of the temple upon leaving this meeting, and turning to Aglim in particular, I invited him to help me break ground to symbolize the coming together of Nerom & Moradin. He didn't look completely happy that I had put him on the spot like that, but he accepted, sent one of his orcs to bring a pair of shovels, and turned to the crowd, telling them that those who were not on the next work shift should follow along. He then turns and motions for me to lead the way. As we descend the dais, the crowd parts a bit to allow us to pass through. As nearly half of the crowd breaks off and heads toward the rear of the High Temple, the orcs surrounding the rest of the crowd start herding them along in our wake. Arriving at the array of string and stakes I had set up earlier in the day, Aglim follows me as I step over the cords and make my way to the shield & hammer I had set up in the middle of it all. Each of us had a shovel in hand as I turned and addressed the crowd. I said, "May the strength & wisdom of Moradin bring an added peace to Nerom and it's people," as I plunged my shovel into the ground. Aglim rather grudgingly followed suit. A slightly more enthusiastic applause rippled from the crowd. When it died down, Aglim turned to me and said we had some business to conclude and then he would leave me to my work. Pulling out the sack filled with the remaining portion of the gold I owed to him for the land, I handed it over, but made a final request of Aglim for tonight. I asked him if he wouldn't mind my dwarven brethren being allowed to linger for the first of many prayer sessions to follow. His eyes were on the sack now in his possession, but he said "as you wish," then left and began heading back toward the HIgh Temple. I raised my voice to the crowd again and requested my fellow dwarves to stay a moment as the crowd began to disperse. There were maybe a half dozen that lingered as everyone else left.

To be continued...