The Campaign Thus Far

Thorngood and Máusa make Devlin's acquaintance
On the day following the of the tragic return of the Tempest, having lost 3 members of her crew, Thorngood and Máusa are at One Eyed Jack's, a tavern on the pier. The patrons, many from the remain crew, are sullen and pensive, Devlin is drunk and irascible at the bar. After her first attempt to start a fight with one of the other crew members, she attacks Máusa and a bar brawl commences. The city guard is on site in moments, and stops the fighting, but not before two more crew members lay dead, and Devlin lays unconscious.

The party was brought before Lord Captain Hazelwood who sentenced the remaining crew, except Devlin, out on the next ship to be confined to the brig at the discretion of the captain. Devlin was ordered to accompany Thorngood and Máusa to investigate the recent exodus of Melorian Marsh.

Melorian Marsh
At the edge of the Marsh, the party comes upon two marsh dwellers who evade questioning and eventually reveal themselves to be wyrmlings. The party dispatch the two and several others waiting in ambush and continue into the marsh.

The party encounter a group of marsh creatures performing a ceremony at a circle of rocks. After communicating through a dead wyrmling, the creatures indicate that a dark force is corrupting the Marsh. They provide a guide in the form of a glowing moth that the party follows into the depths of the Marsh.

After following the moth through the day and into the morning, the party encounters twig blights on a path that seems to lead to a large mound at the heart of the Marsh. After dispatching the blights, the party are seen by a wyrmling who flees toward the mound. Máusa overtakes the lookout, but not before being seen by two others guarding a bridge where the path crosses a swiftly flowing river.

The Heart of the Marsh
As the party deals with the wyrmlings and minions guarding the bridge, they are joined by Ender, the Seeker, also sent to investigate the disturbance in the marsh. Together, they obliterate their enemies and continue toward the mound.

The lack of any sign of life becomes ever more apparent as they draw nearer, and find the Moth waiting for them. As they reach the summit, the Moth flies on toward the the next rise (a higher hill, thick with trees and vegetation.) As the companions reach the place where the Moth was seen to descend they enter a clearing and find a huge creature of roots, vines and malice surrounded by smaller, writhing, vine creatures.

The fight inevitably ensues and the party seems just up to the task when a voice of immense power calls a halt to the festivities. From the sky appears a green dragon, Marais, and questions our faithful party on their motivations and purpose. When informed of their mission, Marais reveals that it is her power that has corrupted the marsh, but only at the hands of those who dwell in the marsh and who sow corruption when reaping power. Marais assures that those responsible will be dealt with now that the matter has been brought to her attention. She sends apologies and and invitation to return to those who fled their homes.

Marais looks upon each of our intrepid warriors and asks, "who do you serve?" Seaming content, if not pleased with the various answers, she gives the party a new mission. "Return to the city and tell the Priests that Melora has sent a champion, and a reckoning is at hand." She also warns the companions of her hope that they never meet again.

Return to Greenstone
Back in Greenstone, a wandering dwarf cleric, Grim Keenclaw , is drawn to One Eyed Jack's by a force he has not felt in years. He meets an elf there who departs with little talk, but does leave a mysterious letter.

Malek Thorn, a member of the guard, finds himself engaged in swordplay with three other guards; a match he agreed to the night before in a less realistic frame of mind. The younger of the three taunts him with the return of Devlin Shellcrusher. Is there something between Malek and Devlin? Yes, these is. They sleep together.

Upon returning to the city, our four companions are brought before the full court, attended by Malek and Grim. All attempts by Thorngood and Máusa to gain a private audience before they reveal Marais' ultimatum for the priests are wasted when Devlin gives the warning directly to the enraged priests with all the venom that was obviously intended my the Dragon. After the priest slaps her, Devlin breaks his nose and is seized by the guards.

The story is told again to the court without omission at the order of the Lord Captain. No one is impressed by the claims that dragons have returned to Widmyr after so many centuries. The priests are livid, and claim heresy. Eventually, with assertions by Malek and Grim, the Lord Captain agrees to a more private audience and dismisses the court apart from the Priest's, the party, and the two newcomers. No resolution comes of the dialog, though High Magistrate Batas Uwak and Ravenhold are named by Thorngood as the two possible sources for information on the Dragon, and her presence in Wydmyr. Hazelwood concludes the audience by sending Devlin to be imprisoned and dismissing the others from his presence and his service.

Our newly unemployed companions hit it right off with their two newest friends. Together they decide that the world would be a better place if Devlin was less in jail.

The party, all 5 now ... and the 2 wolves ... and the sparkly spider, all pack into the small jail atop Thea's Stead with the Warden and three guards. Malek's valiant attempts at subterfuge are fruitless though he manages to unlock the cell after Grim awakens Devlin. With no other apparent option, they beat the guards into submission and flee the Stead without incident.

To the Halcyon Court
Devlin seems to have come to some conclusions about her path in life while laying unconscious in the Cell at Thea's Stead. This path, it seems, will lead her far from her rescuers, and closer to the sea. She departs with little fanfare to catch passage on an amicable ship.

Our formidable party decides to depart for the Halcyon Court, rather than risk passage to Ravenholm, to share the news of a Dragon's return to Wydmyr with the High Magistrate and perhaps the other representatives there.

On the road to Fort Brackish, they are ambushed by a Priestess of Melora, her Paladin and two Acolytes. The party spring the trap and prove to be a formidable force. The unconscious priests is roused by Grim as her companions lie dead around her. Her resolve is complete and she gives no useful information to the questions asked. She believes the witnesses to the Dragon to be heretics on their way to spread sedition against Melora. Proving to be of no further use (and much possible harm if left alive) Malek sends her to discuss the matter with Melora directly.

As they near Fort Brackish, a plume of smoke can be seen rising from it. The Companions decide to rush to investigate despite the fatigue of the three who started the day in the marsh. They find the upper floor of the fort burning, and the grounds around it strewn with the scorched bodies of recent battle between the guards and merchants of the fort and an unknown band of elves. By the sound, it seems that some little fighting is still going on inside. Passing by the open entrance they clearly see a lone elf running through the last of the guard. The elf looks up at a shout from Máusa, gives a loud, piercing whistle and darts down the stairs to the basement of the fort.

As the party enters the light of the entrance, they notice a strange symbol on the tunic of a fallen elf. As Malek leans to grab the symbol, Grim lunges and stops him. Grim warns the party that he recognizes the source of this symbol, and that this is not a fight they want any part of. He refuses to elaborate, but the vehemence of his warning is enough to take the party back out onto the road and headed east.

Having made camp a good distance from the massacre at Fort Brackish, the party are awakened early by Ender who took the last watch of the night. One of the wolves seemed to smell something in the morning air, and growled for a while before settling down to sleep. The party could find nothing of note in the forest, but Grim was able to find enough ingredients to make a loose batter. Máusa, noticing his efforts revealed his custom shin-plates, which, when removed and connected atop each other were placed atop the fire to cook the batter into waffled cakes.

Later that day, while crossing the plains that lay between Fort Brackish and the Halcyon Court, they came across a large tent to the north of the road, a single guard standing outside. When the guard noticed the party, he signaled and several bandits rounded the tent with ill intent. Joined by a bugbear, the bandits fought ferociously, but fruitlessly. When the bandits lay dead, the tent was searched and found to hold several bound and grateful merchants. Saved and freed, the merchants were congratulated on their luck and told of what would have been their doom at Fort Brackish had they not been delayed by the bandits.

A Brace of Bastards
As the party continues their journey, they begin to notice the lack of what would normally be steady traffic of traders and merchants along the road. They come across the remnants of a bandit raid, the slain bodies of the merchants on the ground beside their ruined wagon. Deep wheel ruts lead north, away from the road. After tending to the dead, they continue down the road.

As darkness falls, they make camp and set a watch. In the hours before dawn, Máusa hears a wagon approach along the road, then stop. As he passes the watch on the Grim, he tells him of the noise, and Grim sends the wolves to check it out. Finding nothing but humans, Grim takes his watch in turn. More noises are heard closer to hand, and Grim calls out for identification several times. Finally, a tentative answer is heard claiming to pose no threat. As the others awake, Thorngood sends the floating lantern toward the newcomers. A wagon and three traders are illuminated in the surrounding dimness.

The merchants are invited to hearty breakfast and offer to pay for the protection of the party for the remainder of their journey. The offer is accepted and soon they are back on the road.

As darkness falls, yet again, as it tends to do each day, they come upon a camp of large tents set up along the road. For such a large encampment, it is quite obviously too quiet. As the party begins to take a defensive posture, Ender notices a group of bandits flank from behind one of the tents. He lets fly with his chatkcha before anyone else is aware. A battle begins in earnest as more bandits appear from among the tents. Several of the Bastards are slain is short order as Grim and Thorngood lay about them with spells and incantations. Malek darts into the fray, blades awhirl. Máusa wanders off into the tents, and is tied up my a halfling bandit's bola and busies himself with untying knots for the majority of the battle. When the outcome seems certainly to be victory for the companions, the halfling shouts, "These must be the ones!", and flees into the night. Grim and Ender pursue as Máusa finally enters the fight to take on the last combatant. In the confusion, the wagon begins to head down the road in earnest as a heretofore unseen bandit appears at the reigns. Malek attempts to vault onto the wagon, Ender attempts to slow the horses and Thorngood blasts the bandit to the Raven Queen.

Meanwhile, Grim has set the halfling on fire in such a way as to knock him unconscious. Just as the wagon seems to be under control, another bandit, slightly smaller than the first, appears at the reigns as if the first bandit were comprised of ever small bandits stuffed inside. The three pursuers attempt to stop the wagon once again, joined by Máusa who, having subdued the last of the bastards, grabs the back of the wagon and drags it to a halt as Ender steers the horses into one of the tents.

The battle over, the party assesses their surroundings. They find the three merchants dead inside the wagon, and two dozen merchants bound and gagged in one of the tents. Two of the bastards lay unconscious. Searching them, they find a bounty notice from Seven's Court for a portly bandit called Irongut. On the back of the paper is meeting place, two hours north of their location, and the direction, "Wait for the sign."

Malik and Máusa question the prisoners and learn from the leader, Simon Snaketongue that they came from the east of Seven's Court to join with "portly bandit Someone". The note on the back of the notice gives the instructions for the meeting. Irongut is recruiting and organizing a syndicate. The group decides to leave the captives in the custody of the freed merchants and to travel north to the meeting.

The River to Irongut
Traveling north in the caravan along the road, our companions stop as they hear a call to "Halt" from the somewhere ahead. A bandit is there, well hidden in the brush. "Ho there! Simon Snaketongue says that Irongut is recruiting. We come to wait for the sign and meet with him. Is this the sign?"

"Why did Simon not come along?", replied the bandit.

"The last we saw of him, he was inured and quite drunk.", said Malek.

At this, the bandit came out of the cover and ran north along the road approaching a wider part of a swiftly flowing river. As the party pursues in the carriage, Ender leaps down and ahead, swiftly overtaking the bandit. As they come to the edge of the water, the bandit leaps deftly out over the surface and nimbly dances across the waters surface. Following, but finding the water's surface to be far less substantial, Ender sinks beneath the surface.

While the others climb down and pursue on foot, Grim and Thorngood bring the wagon along. In the middle of the river there are two small islands and bandits waiting there in ambush. As Malek flings his blades and the cart quickly catches up, Máusa leaps for the fleeing, water-walking bandit and lands a blow that knocks the bandit into the water. Standing where his target was, Máusa finds himself perched atop a platform submerged just below the surface. One of the bandits begins throwing explosives, one blowing Máusa into the water. Grim leaps down from the cart and leaps for one of the platforms but finds himself in the river with the rest as Máusa begins to climb onto the next platform. Approaching the shore, Thorngood and Malek are attacked by giant rats disturbed from the reeds. Máusa and Grim struggle to make their way toward the islands amid more explosions. Finally making the last leap to one of the islands and landing a blow to the bandit there, Máusa watches as Malek dances across the platforms and gains the other side of the river with seeming ease. As the last of the Bandits flee, Grim and Thorngood make an end of the rats.

Meanwhile, Ender finds himself washed into a sinkhole where the river flows underground. The bandits washed with him are dead or nearly so. Binding the less dead, it's not long before he finds Malek descending a rope into the sinkhole. Finally having someone conscious enough to appreciate the observation, Ender comments on just how incredibly horrible this place smells. They ascend to rejoin the party with the bound bandit in tow. The bandit, one Karl Boomsack, runs with Snaketongue. They were sent north to wait at the river crossing while Snaketongue laid the ambush.

As Boomsack is secured in the wagon, the wolves return from scouting the area. They have found something of interest to the south, along a wagon path. Thinking that this must be an entrance to the caverns below, they decide to use the sinkhole to come at whatever may lay in the cavern unawares. The wagon is hidden as best they can and they all descend into the putrid darkness. As the party begins to explore, Máusa ventures ahead to the north into a large, empty cavern. Over the constant roar of the falling water, he shouts back to the party that the path is clear. The floating lantern drifts into the cavern then revealing this to be far from true. A dais along the west wall holds a disturbingly large pile of corpses. Irongut is crouched on the edge of the dais. A squat undead dwarf whose distended, iron-plated belly asserts his name.

The battle starts in earnest. Ender's chatkcha whizzes across the cavern. Irongut befouls the ground around himself, absorbs life with a touch, and dominates Máusa several times. Just when the tide seems to be in the parties favor, he vanishes into mist only to reappear just behind Thorngood. As the fight follows the trickster, Malek is laid low by a blow and Grim takes a uncontrolled blow from Máusa. As Thorngood's burning light rains down on Irongut and the party surrounds him again, Grim finally overcomes Irongut and he falls, double-dead.

Seven's Court
When the party finally arrives at in Seven's Court, the Dark Sky Days has begun and the Halcyon Court will not open for 2 days. They take a room at the Kingfisher's Inn in Bridgetown, on the east end of the city. Durring the night, Malek and Grim (having elected to sleep with the cart) are awakened by a groaning from inside the wagon. Upon further investigation, they find that it's just the captive bandit messing with them. Malek handles the situation with his head, as usual.

When morning comes, they head to the City Guard Something to claim the bounty for Irongut. While Mausa speaks with the guard captain, the others speak with an obviously distraught older woman asking for help in finding her missing daughter, a student at the Healers Academy.

Their business concluded, they head to the market to buy some blinged-out wrist bands for Malek, and sell the wagon and tapestries. They ask around about the Healers Academy to find more information about Lara. This leads them to The Greenest Grass and it's proprietor Edna Greengrass. They learn little of Lara, but the local bakers wife seems to have been missing for two months (Stone Cutter's Bakery). The baker leads them to Volant, a spice merchant. At some point, Mausa is asked to join in the arena fights at the The Dark Sky Fair by a halfling named Lok, staying at the Foul Wing Inn. Anyway, They accost Volant in the street, but learn little. Malek follows him while the others go in search of more information. Volant ends up at a large house in the southern quarter where he speaks with a young woman, then leaves. Malek stakes out the house. The others meet with Master Anku, a teacher at the Healers Academy. They gain little info on Lara, but Grim gives the sample from Irongut to Anku for study. Growing worried at Malek's absence, Grim sends the wolves to search. They soon lead the party to the Bad District. As they approach a certain house, the wolves become very excited, and it is clear that something untoward waits inside. Mausa kicks in the door to find Volant everywhere. Literally. He seemed to have exploded with no sign of a struggle, or someone else being in the room. They search him, find his stock of herbs, and leave in search of Malek, informing the city guard of the scene.

The wolves lead them to Malek as dusk falls. They approach the house and knock on the door. The young woman who answers is less than helpful so they force their way in. There seems to be a religious meeting going on, and all falls quiet as they enter the main room of the house. A man calls for the others to remain calm. "They will be wanting to speak with the Master." When they are lead into the basement they find a ritual in progress. A young woman, the one who spoke to Volant, stands with a man with the air of one known to his companions as "Master." Along the far wall, 5 young acolytes kneel.

The Master and His Master
It is soon apparent that they have stumbled upon a cult of Bahamut. The Master, if that is his real name, reveals that Lara is one of the acolytes. Apparently, her disappearance was voluntary due to her dedication to Bahamut and the causes of the cult. Questions of the purpose and activities of this group make it clear that something is being planned in secret, and even more clear that it's not a happy plan.

The cultists suddenly grow tired of the debate. Another follower appears as if growing from a seed right amid the companions. As the battle commences, the cultists prove to be a slippers lot. Each has the power to disappear or teleport about the room. The mysterious woman goes down first. Concentrating on the no-less-formidable, but much-more-visible Master, The tide seems to be turning in their favor. The acolytes begin chanting at the command of the Master and a large symbol appears on the floor of the room. Thorngood gives them a bit of a shock to stop the chanting, but the symbol seems to have coalesced. The Master and the skulker disappear once more. As Máusa steps across the room he treads on the circle and vanishes. The others stare aghast as the symbol grows, enveloping and vanishing Grim and Malek. With a glance and a shrug, Ender and Thorngood walk onto the symbol and vanish.

They find themselves in a void, slowly regaining a sense of themselves and the space, or lack of it, around them. They feel that they are moving, inexpertly, toward a destination that eventually begins to manifest as the proverbial light in the tunnel. Reaching it, they find themselves standing, more or less, at the shrine of Bahamut in the city. The shrine itself, a stone dragon statue, towers above four inscribed alters. Atop two of the alters lay the Master and the skulker. Some power, energy or life is flowing from their bodies into the statue. as they watch, the flow stops and statues begins to move, shattering and coalescing into the semblance of a dragon, towing above it's seemingly lifeless benefactors.

As the dragon frees itself from it's stone plinth, it speaks. "Blah, blah blah. Your interference with my affairs ends now." As gouts of fire surround them, Grim wets himself. The companions advance on the monster striking blows where they can. The stone giant's claws lash out. Many of the party stand dazed or stunned by the onslaught, but anyone who can move fights with all their might. As Mausa stands stunned, the dragon dominates his mind and he lumbers toward Malek, swinging wildly with his maul. The force of the dragon seems too much when the tide begins to turn. Blows land on the dragon with renewed force, and it begins to weaken. Seeing it's end draw near, it attempts to fly, but is brought low by a rain of final blows.

The Court

 * Thorngood: Shrine's religious energy is fading
 * Dream Weed
 * Edna's Rat
 * Liquidated assets
 * Lara's mom is leaving
 * Lara was seen wandering the old court
 * The Four Cups
 * Bartender
 * Acolyte
 * given some Dream Weed.
 * Discussion in the alley
 * The blue light is gone
 * Widmyr's Shield
 * Talking to the guards about what happened
 * Showed them the house
 * Tell them about the Acolyte
 * The party goes before the Court.
 * Thorngood is invited to dinner
 * Drinking with a Goliath
 * A conversation about dreams and Raven Queens
 * A conversation about gods and Godshards
 * The gods severed their connection to Widmyr when the dragons were banished.
 * The Godshards provide a conduit to speak with the gods.
 * The connection has been fading
 * Thorngood has been chosen to bring balance back.
 * Go to Ravenholm to speak with the priests there for advice OR use the Raven Queen shard to speak with her directly

A Warm Welcome
Superman dies. Episode one sucks for no good reason. Crystal pointy people crawling in your head.

Level 2

 * Falling through the void
 * Crystal platform 2
 * Chaos Beasts
 * Chaos Imps
 * Chaos Orb
 * Orb Shards: 740gp
 * The Library/Dungeon
 * The two-headed raven
 * Eight Queens
 * Malek and Mas get pets
 * 1 two-headed raven, 2 Skeletal ravens & 2 gargoyles.

Herbert's Ash

 * 1 two-headed raven, 2 Skeletal ravens & 2 gargoyles


 * The "Raven Queen" and 5 attendants
 * Aberrant Wretches

Golden Showers Bring Lots of Monsters

 * 4 runes
 * Secrecy -> Raven
 * Darkness -> Fate
 * Manipulation -> Winter
 * Necromancy -> Death
 * Malek dancing on the chains

Gilded Horses

 * Horsmidas
 * The Orb is his eye ... and Thorngood licked it!
 * Secret Keepers
 * Lingering Monster Spirit (smell)
 * Shadow Speaker
 * "I don't want to count it, so I'll just move up." -Ender

The Queen's Thanks
At last, the Queen sits before the companions atop a gothic throne. Her majesty petitions silence as her voice rises to greet the victorious warriors. "The Winter Guard (Saviors of the Shard)" Choices the Queen of Fate presents to each of the Winter Guard. Spoken aloud but to each alone, a set of paths is made known. Each Guard's choice is know only to him.

With a god before them, the questions begin to flow. The answers, not so much. Much of what is said confirms the suspicions of the group. Marais, is appears, is allied with the gods in their goal to bring balance to the world. This balance is to be had by separation. The Meloran Priests have known of the dwindling influence of their god, but hide the fact to maintain their places of power.

The followers of Vecna, having no contact with the Shard, must have found some other way into the void.

Uwak summoned a demon, Ollegatu and was separated from the hope of Raven Queen presence in death. His unholy connection with the demon prolongs his life with this price. However, If Ollegatu is defeated, Uwak may be able to die cleansed, and still be honored for his sacrifice.

One decision, it seems, involved the Eye of Vecna, the Queen approaches Thorngood and takes the Eye from his hand. As she raises it to his face it seems to struggle, but inexorably, she replaces his right eye. Immediately, the Eye seems to attack it's new owner seeking some ill dominion. But, this is not a battle Thorngood will fight alone. Power surges into him from the Queen, and the Eye is brought to uneasy submission.

Decisions, decisions
The Guard find themselves suddenly back in Seven's Court.
 * "Um... Should that dead guy stop being alive?"
 * "Someone go get the hugger out of the park."

Old Hollow Manor

 * Thorngood used his new eye.
 * Weird bird things and more minions.
 * Oh, and more thrumming/chanting.
 * All the damn floors make noise in this town.

The Walls are Crawling

 * Chaos Knights, Beasts & Foot-soldiers

A swarm of demon lemurs

 * Ollegatu

Just Another Demon
His dragon shape reduces to ash, and left huddled on the floor is a charred corpse of an old man. You distinctly feel the malignant spirit drawn through the runes on the floor, back to the realm from which it was summoned - and it becomes clear that what remains is the vessel of the mortal man who was possessed. Around his neck is a pendant of a tree, a less menacing version of the daggered roots pictured in the Oldhollow family crest. It glows with a faint white light.

Malek, the soft glow seems to represent to you the virtue and promise of your youth, minus all of the frustration. At once it is clear to you that without demonic influence, your formative years could have been much different - the house of Oldhollow could have stood for more that noble posturing and entertainment at the expense of an outcast.

Your admiration of the token is drawn short with a kind of stirring - a strange feeling in the mood of the room that resolves itself into deep and eerie laughter. The runes glow again, this time emanating a bright light that seems to strain the floorboards themselves.
 * Sulvaugren, Bound Succubus, Fire & Ice servants, Twinkie demons.

Searching Oldhollow

 * Dead people
 * Art on both sides
 * Pianos with Kittens
 * The Old man's crypt
 * Dead Animals make Grim sad
 * Burning it to the ground

The Death of Uwak
As the Guard reenters the city, they find the populace before the Court, mourning the passing of the High Magistrate.


 * Priest of Ravenhold: Makaset
 * Keeper Tumang Datu (Library Monk)
 * The Four Cups
 * Brin
 * "... have a moments piece"
 * Don't trust the bartender, Jek
 * In the Basement
 * Tumang Datu and Makaset are raven-people
 * Salangsang: Champion of the Raven Queen
 * Terin: Steward of Uwak

Until next time...