They're still alive?!
Somehow, our heroes are still with us. Since the last adventure, they travelled across the lands, visiting the Red Wizards of Thay (which turned out to be a complete mindfuck), took an entire army to the Well of Dragons (which didn't turn out so well), failed to stop Tiamat entering the world (oops!),then jumped through a portal to escape Tiamat's wrath (headlong!), found themselves prisoners of those sneaky bastards, the Red Wizards (oh, you meanies) and then, with some remote magical aid, escaped a Thayan prison (leaving Sigurd behind), and finally, used the Harper Underground to teleport back to Waterdeep (barely escaping a fireball up the bottom)!
Starring, in no particular order:
Rodin Halfbeard, (played by Lorne) the dwarven axeman (missing tonight).
Venmir "Angrypants" Rythorn, (played by Brett) an elven clergyman, somewhat disturbed.
Nyvan, (played by Jason) a
Sigurd, (played by Iain) a travelling swordsman (missing tonight).
Nandrin the Naughty, (played by Hilton), the elven mage, most likely to ask, "what does AoE mean?" after casting a spell.
and The DM, (played by Alex), who loves to comment in blue. And writes this blog. He's also a bit of a git and likes to make life difficult for his players.
We're using this game as a stopgap between sessions when we don't have the DM (Iain) for the Temple of Elemental Evil. This is the second game since our return, and I thought I'd write it up again. Much as happened since my last entry - and I summarised it above.
Our intrepid heroes found themselves in the teleport circle at Leosin Erlanthar's monastery in Waterdeep. They were quickly offered seats, while Leosin filled them in on current events; Tiamat and her minions controlled the entire southern Sword Coast, the army sent to the Well of Dragons was destroyed, Baldur's Gate (not Boulders Deep!) had been razed to the ground and every citizen put to the sword, King Melandrach and Lord Neverember were dead, and magical communication with anyone outside of Waterdeep was impossible, and the remaining Council army was several hundred miles away, trying to stop Tiamat's advance.
They were fed and offered cells (haha!) to rest in, which they did, and the next day Leosin took them shopping - using the Council's meagre resources to try and re-equip the heroes appropriately (and did a decent job!). They went to the Council meeting where the remaining members, Lady Silverhand, Ontharr Frume, Remalia Haventree and Thunderspells went over the current plight of the Sword Coast once again - before Thunderspells, the archtitect of their escape from Thay (and unthanked!) began to tell them a strange, seemingly unrelated tale using the power of illusion....
Thousands of years ago, when the Inner Planes were the domain of the Illithid race, a powerful device was created, The Hourglass of Amari. It's main power, among others, was to allow its user to travel through time - but once used, it would disappear from the user's view for the rest of time, and send itself to a random time and place. Thunderspells had foundd the Hourglass, but it was located in a place called Oryndoll, thousands of miles away, and 26 miles beneath the surface of the Shining Plains - it was an abandonded Mind Flayer city, destroyed by the Githyanki a hundred years past. Sadly, their destruction had been incomplete, leaving a Neothelid behind (a monstrosity which grew from the unimplanted tadpoles of an entire mind flayer collective) that could sense intelligence within a mile (it would be unlikely to find this lot though!). Remalia Haventree would send them to the Shining Plains, where the Emerald Enclave still had a stronghold. the party were given a week to recuperate, and they were given rooms at the replacement for the Golden Nut, destroyed over a year ago, now called The Heroes of Greenest.
After a few days of bed rest, they decided to go for a walk outside the walls (despite advice not to), and encountered an elven patrol, as well as a Bulette, which they made short work of. It seems that they had recovered their touch. They returned to the inn to finish their rest.
On their 6th night, they were talking quietly in the quiet common room when the door to the front patio slammed open. The party quickly checked their gear and watched the inner door. It too slammed open and there in the doorway stood a massive figure, upper chest and head covered in massive plates of armour, it stood over seven foot tall. It turned to the heroes and gave a chilling warning, "The Heroes of Greenest are nothing but cowards and betrayers!"
The Inn's bard, attempting to sneak out behind the figure, was cut in half in one blow. The figure threw the nearest table into one being used by merchantmen, crushing their bones and leaving them trapped. He walked towards the party...
The response was instant, arrows flew and he kept coming - he scream in rage, "BETRAYERS!" and the light from his eyes turned blood red. He slashed at them with his axe, missing. Moments later, he was paralysed by Nandrin's magics and the party relaxed and whales on him for a few seconds, but he didn't fall. When he regained his strength, he lashed out, causing Nyvan to stumble, such was the power of his blows. Nandrin sent a lightning bolt slamming into him , but still he came - the lightning bolt flew across the room, snuffing out the trapped men under the table and flinging logs from the fire into the room and starting several small fires. The stranger swung his massive axe above his head, causing a whirlwind of ice and snow to lash out at all three of them, smashing Nyvan to the floor, unconscious. Venmir sent healing power through the group, allowing Nyvan back to his feet, just in the nick of time. The monstrous man had turned on the others and his blows were no less vicious - it was getting desperate when a well-timed arrow from Venmir knocked the man's helm aside - it was Sigurd! Taller, more powerfully built and with a strange, twisted snarl on his face - but it was definitely their friend (well, perhaps some in the group remembered he was once their companion - but definitely not all!)!
Sigurd lashed out again, and when he threw his axe, it flew straight back to his hands - leaving Nandrin and Venmir close to death. Nyvan used all of his power to lay hands on himself. Finally, another arrow struck Sigurd and he fell back onto his knees, defeated. Venmir stepped up to him, pulled back a nocked arrow and let fly from point-blank range directly into his forehead and Sigurd toppled backwards, sprawling onto the floor with an arrow jutting from his forehead. As he lay there, his body started to shrink and the hateful look on his face disappeared, to be replaced with one at peace.
"Where am I?" he asked, gently. They looked around awkwardly, "Where am I?" he asked again, this time quieter.
"You're with friends..." said Nandrin, in a soft voice, suddenly on his knees next to his old companion.
"I don't remember..." said the stricken swordsman, as his last breath left his body. Venmir looked down at his bow in horror, the realisation of his bloodthirsty actions settling in.
Rodin was by now stood on the stairwell. The innkeeper was staring in disbelief at Venmir standing above the body of Sigurd, who has an arrow in his forehead. "You.... you.... executed him! By the gods! He was defeated, and you shot him in the head! You're no hero! Bahamut preserve us all!" The innkeeper runs from the common room. Moments after he leaves the room, there is a massive explosion outside the innkeeper's body is flung back into the room, and disintegrates in the air. He shouted "By half my beard, what in the name of the Gods is happening? What have you done Venmir?"
"I...I... You should be more concerned with what just came flying through the door Rodin!"
Rodin, frustrated at his question going unanswered,walks across to Venmir and demands an answer "Did you kill Sigurd? Why do such a thing when dragons are battling in the skies above us- destroying the town and burning people in the streets?"
"Maybe if you weren't cowering upstairs in your room you would have seen that wasn't Sigurd. The last time I checked, the artist formerly known as Sigurd wasn't 7 foot tall able to cut people in half! We have bigger issues at hand, in case you also missed the innkeepers demise? "
Rodin examines the body more closely. "There is chaos outside," he announced. "Dragons duelling, and the people dying.. is this Sigurd or not?"
"Oh sure it's Sigurd now! But 12 seconds ago he was a murderous, demonic brute, intent on killing us all"
It's around that time that they realise they could hear the sounds of combat from outside. Mixed in amongst the clash of swords and unearthly cries, the screams of panicked city-folk carry into the inn, focusing theirr attention.
Moments later, Leosin Erlanthar appears in the doorway. A spear has been thrust through his upper chest and he's breathing heavily, covered in blood. He reaches up and snaps the haft, then takes a moment to compose himself.
"They're here. The forces of Tiamat are inside the city. Our forces in the south are destroyed and we were deceived. Quickly, we must retreat to the keep. Bring what you must."
He turned back into the night.
Rodin grabbed Sigurd by the ankle and walks out as Nyvan and Venmir run into the street. Nandrin looks at the inn burning around, shrugs his shoulder and follows.
They were fed and offered cells (haha!) to rest in, which they did, and the next day Leosin took them shopping - using the Council's meagre resources to try and re-equip the heroes appropriately (and did a decent job!). They went to the Council meeting where the remaining members, Lady Silverhand, Ontharr Frume, Remalia Haventree and Thunderspells went over the current plight of the Sword Coast once again - before Thunderspells, the archtitect of their escape from Thay (and unthanked!) began to tell them a strange, seemingly unrelated tale using the power of illusion....
Thousands of years ago, when the Inner Planes were the domain of the Illithid race, a powerful device was created, The Hourglass of Amari. It's main power, among others, was to allow its user to travel through time - but once used, it would disappear from the user's view for the rest of time, and send itself to a random time and place. Thunderspells had foundd the Hourglass, but it was located in a place called Oryndoll, thousands of miles away, and 26 miles beneath the surface of the Shining Plains - it was an abandonded Mind Flayer city, destroyed by the Githyanki a hundred years past. Sadly, their destruction had been incomplete, leaving a Neothelid behind (a monstrosity which grew from the unimplanted tadpoles of an entire mind flayer collective) that could sense intelligence within a mile (it would be unlikely to find this lot though!). Remalia Haventree would send them to the Shining Plains, where the Emerald Enclave still had a stronghold. the party were given a week to recuperate, and they were given rooms at the replacement for the Golden Nut, destroyed over a year ago, now called The Heroes of Greenest.
After a few days of bed rest, they decided to go for a walk outside the walls (despite advice not to), and encountered an elven patrol, as well as a Bulette, which they made short work of. It seems that they had recovered their touch. They returned to the inn to finish their rest.
On their 6th night, they were talking quietly in the quiet common room when the door to the front patio slammed open. The party quickly checked their gear and watched the inner door. It too slammed open and there in the doorway stood a massive figure, upper chest and head covered in massive plates of armour, it stood over seven foot tall. It turned to the heroes and gave a chilling warning, "The Heroes of Greenest are nothing but cowards and betrayers!"
The Inn's bard, attempting to sneak out behind the figure, was cut in half in one blow. The figure threw the nearest table into one being used by merchantmen, crushing their bones and leaving them trapped. He walked towards the party...
The response was instant, arrows flew and he kept coming - he scream in rage, "BETRAYERS!" and the light from his eyes turned blood red. He slashed at them with his axe, missing. Moments later, he was paralysed by Nandrin's magics and the party relaxed and whales on him for a few seconds, but he didn't fall. When he regained his strength, he lashed out, causing Nyvan to stumble, such was the power of his blows. Nandrin sent a lightning bolt slamming into him , but still he came - the lightning bolt flew across the room, snuffing out the trapped men under the table and flinging logs from the fire into the room and starting several small fires. The stranger swung his massive axe above his head, causing a whirlwind of ice and snow to lash out at all three of them, smashing Nyvan to the floor, unconscious. Venmir sent healing power through the group, allowing Nyvan back to his feet, just in the nick of time. The monstrous man had turned on the others and his blows were no less vicious - it was getting desperate when a well-timed arrow from Venmir knocked the man's helm aside - it was Sigurd! Taller, more powerfully built and with a strange, twisted snarl on his face - but it was definitely their friend (well, perhaps some in the group remembered he was once their companion - but definitely not all!)!
Sigurd lashed out again, and when he threw his axe, it flew straight back to his hands - leaving Nandrin and Venmir close to death. Nyvan used all of his power to lay hands on himself. Finally, another arrow struck Sigurd and he fell back onto his knees, defeated. Venmir stepped up to him, pulled back a nocked arrow and let fly from point-blank range directly into his forehead and Sigurd toppled backwards, sprawling onto the floor with an arrow jutting from his forehead. As he lay there, his body started to shrink and the hateful look on his face disappeared, to be replaced with one at peace.
"Where am I?" he asked, gently. They looked around awkwardly, "Where am I?" he asked again, this time quieter.
"You're with friends..." said Nandrin, in a soft voice, suddenly on his knees next to his old companion.
"I don't remember..." said the stricken swordsman, as his last breath left his body. Venmir looked down at his bow in horror, the realisation of his bloodthirsty actions settling in.
Rodin was by now stood on the stairwell. The innkeeper was staring in disbelief at Venmir standing above the body of Sigurd, who has an arrow in his forehead. "You.... you.... executed him! By the gods! He was defeated, and you shot him in the head! You're no hero! Bahamut preserve us all!" The innkeeper runs from the common room. Moments after he leaves the room, there is a massive explosion outside the innkeeper's body is flung back into the room, and disintegrates in the air. He shouted "By half my beard, what in the name of the Gods is happening? What have you done Venmir?"
"I...I... You should be more concerned with what just came flying through the door Rodin!"
Rodin, frustrated at his question going unanswered,walks across to Venmir and demands an answer "Did you kill Sigurd? Why do such a thing when dragons are battling in the skies above us- destroying the town and burning people in the streets?"
"Maybe if you weren't cowering upstairs in your room you would have seen that wasn't Sigurd. The last time I checked, the artist formerly known as Sigurd wasn't 7 foot tall able to cut people in half! We have bigger issues at hand, in case you also missed the innkeepers demise? "
Rodin examines the body more closely. "There is chaos outside," he announced. "Dragons duelling, and the people dying.. is this Sigurd or not?"
"Oh sure it's Sigurd now! But 12 seconds ago he was a murderous, demonic brute, intent on killing us all"
It's around that time that they realise they could hear the sounds of combat from outside. Mixed in amongst the clash of swords and unearthly cries, the screams of panicked city-folk carry into the inn, focusing theirr attention.
Moments later, Leosin Erlanthar appears in the doorway. A spear has been thrust through his upper chest and he's breathing heavily, covered in blood. He reaches up and snaps the haft, then takes a moment to compose himself.
"They're here. The forces of Tiamat are inside the city. Our forces in the south are destroyed and we were deceived. Quickly, we must retreat to the keep. Bring what you must."
He turned back into the night.
Rodin grabbed Sigurd by the ankle and walks out as Nyvan and Venmir run into the street. Nandrin looks at the inn burning around, shrugs his shoulder and follows.
