Characters
- Malik – Fighter 1 – a Thalazian blade master, with a spiffing helmet decoration.
- Jassan Al` Nadir – Cleric 1 – A Dervish gentleman posing as a trader, known for dark whispers.
- Cleitus – Magic-user 1 – a thin young man with a fascination for the moribund.
- Aetos – Magic-user 1 – An Urr experimenter in the arcane.
Retainers.
- Antifus – Ranger 1 – wise walker of the wild.
- Niarchos – Paladin 1 – his oath, “To aid as much as he can those who protect the weak and fight against the arrogant who try to rule the world by violence and cunning”
- Sharif – normal human – cunning dervish man.
- Brutus the wardog.
The party had a week of downtime where they gathered rumours and did some magical crafting. I shall try to keep this campaign journal concise, because quite a lot happened.
Rumours & hooks:
- Offered a quest by Hel of the Temple of Arien. To see if rumours were true about a dragon to the south. If evidence was returned, such as dragon dung or scales, a good chest of gold was offered as reward.
- The Crimson beastmen of the jungle have been attacking from their grotto of crucifixion. The party were asked to investigate this place, and a reward of 25gp per beastman head was offered.
- Eos was approached by a MU named Urian Faqu who wants his rival assassinated. The rival is currently in Grand Alum to the south. He will pay 360gp to have him killed and his ear brought as proof. Double if his spell book is collected.
- A peasant came looking for help. Three witches have been harassing him. He was told his land would be blighted unless he paid them.
- A glass cutter approached the party, his daughter had recently joined a cult of strange men in white robes who offered her ‘pleasures unbridled.’ He desperately wants her returned.
The team decided they would explore the Harrow Hills to the south. They recently spent all their gold on riding horses, so they figured they could explore the region a little, mapping its geography along the way. Entering new hexes awards xp.
They made good headway, riding east, cautiously avoiding the vineyard of Pralan, the cyclops. Riding south they noticed a gorge with wooden shacks, props, and scaffolding built around a large cave. The place looked abandoned. They noted it on their map and rode east. Soon they came into contact with the Red Jungle yet again. In the tree line they saw many figures lurking, hands gripping the trunks of trees, glistening eyes watching them. The party avoided this place and rode south, where they soon came upon a small town of around fifty houses beside a river. There were two notable buildings here, one a large stone building atop a hill plastered with military banners, and the second an ancient bathhouse.
Many goat herders grazed the lands around this town. The party approached one of them and milked him for information. He was terrified of a dragon he believed attacked his goats during the night. He also told the large building in town was a fencing academy, owned by an old warrior family who’d lived in the area for generations.
The party rode into this town, which they soon found was named Grand Alum, visiting the local wine-house; Horns A’merry. The party got fleeced by the local drunk, ol’ Ezekiel, who told them all the information they could ever desire to hear; just so long as they filled his cup with wine. He told how he’d seen the dragon eat at least twelve goats in a single bite, with his own two eyes no less. The proprietor of the inn, Silas, gave the party more nuanced information; three months ago several herders went missing in the hills, one returned saying a great beast swooped down and ate his goats. Silas wasn’t sure how true this was. The party then bought a goat to act as bait for the dragon.
The party went to the river to cross the ford, finding a warrior named Obelix, who was dressed in a shimmering bronze cuirass and plumed helm. He collected a toll of 2 silver pieces per person to cross the ford. He was impressive in stature, but gave bodacious claims about his virility, claiming to have fathered a thousand bastards around these parts. The party paid with haste and made away, giggling about Obelix’s claims that his member was as long and strong as his spear.
It was time to ascend the Harrow Hills; a tuft of ever rising scrubland. By the early afternoon the party decided they would make camp. Antifus, the party ranger began searching for a good covered to camp. For a few hours they searched for such a place, eventually finding a cave. The cave was around six foot wide and twelve high. Bones were littered around the mouth; some humanoid, some reptilian. The party searched for tracks and found at least five sets of webbed, bipedal tracks coming and going from the cave. Aetos bravely approached the cave mouth to see if it might be safe, but was stung by a shockingly malignant stench emanating from within. He’d never caught whiff of something so wretched before. The party decided to make away.
The hills were getting steeper as they proceeded, and soon they were no longer able to ride their horses as the grassy hills gave way to more rocky and unstable terrain.
For a few hours they tread up the ever blackening stones. Until, during an argument on how they might proceed, the party heard a great roar to the north. In a plume of dust a huge dragon took to the air from atop a massive black hill. Some of the party scrambled to hide, others stood in shock, the horses began to panic. Luckily the dragon did not spot them. It circled once, then rose to the clouds, heading north.
The party decided this was their moment to rush up and gather the evidence they needed to complete their quest. Sharif remained at the foot of the mound with the horses and goat, the rest of the party ascended the hill as quickly and quietly as they could.
When they reached the summit they saw a huge pit, almost a shoot, descending into the earth. Next to the pit was a wretched hut made of animal skins. The party searched around the hut, and as they did a voice called out from within.
“So you’ve come to pay homage to the great lord of chaos.”
A man emerged, a massive Nord man wearing a horned helmet and jaguar hide. He held aloft a massive battleaxe. The party were shocked, but some quick thinking from Jassan saved them from a fight. He lied, saying they were local herders bringing tribute to the dragon. More quick thinking from Jassan convinced the chaotic brute that they needed some dragon faeces to enact a ritual of dedication to this dragon, which they’d learned was named Xoki. This Nord was named Gunnar the Merciless, dedicated worshipper of the dragon, whose plan was to build a temple here and force the region into chains.
Gunnar returned from the pit after a long while, during which time the party roasted the goat for him. They ate, and drank, and Gunnar watched as they caked themselves in dragon faeces, booming with laughter. Soon a roar came echoing over the bleak hills as night descended.
“The lord returns, soon you shall witness his great leathery wings, and his awesome plumes of poison.”
Cleitus, panicked, cast charm person on Gunnar. The spell worked, and he convinced Gunnar to not tell the dragon he’d ever seen them. The party ran off as quick as they could, but in the dark they only made it a mile or so before stopping, forced to make camp by the poor light.
In the night a strange man approached the camp and warned Aetos to leave this place. They didn’t take this advice however and camped throughout the night. In the morning they rode downhill towards the jungle and began traversing it on their horses, where they could.
They had several encounters in the jungle, most of which they managed to avoid. The first was the ruin of an ancient city. The second was a huge tower. The third was a wall of massive clinging lily plants. Finally they came across a massive circle cut out the jungle. The space was around 600 yards wide, and in the centre there was a great rune. Jassan recognised the script to be close to djinn, it might spell trap or prison. He warned the party to keep well away, but then a shimmering light in the circle began entrancing all the characters except Niarchos, the paladin. The mesmerised characters began walking towards the circle, as Niarchos desperately tried to slap his friends free of the spell. He managed to grab and pull a few of his comrades, but it was too little too late. Many of them had already entered the circle.
A great pillar of flame erupted in the centre of the circle as the entranced walked inside of it. They snapped out of their magical zombification, just in time to witness a massive Efreeti congeal in the flames. It told them its name was Dazmondi, and it had been trapped here by the wizard Callista. It offered a deal, free him by smashing a gem within the wizard’s tower, and he would become their servant for three moon cycles. Jassan, after just giving a lengthy speech on keeping clear from this place, jumped at the opportunity. The deal was struck with a flame upon his chest, which cooled into a sigil-like birthmark.
The crew then rode to Rubble Diamond to collect their reward.
Judges note: The party made way through a large number of hexes using their horses. I have marked their route with a red line. The mapping is theirs. Sharif the retainer has levelled to become a thief. The party will now have a little downtime and play by post.
Also posted at Dragonsfoot
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