The Valley at War

Ned opened her eyes and saw Chen kneeling over her. "What happened??"
"There was a blast of energy soon after the white lady disappeared! It was so strong that you passed out!" Her headache seemed to confirm the last bit. Chen helped her up and they went to the nearest window. The battle seemed to be over and the ground was covered with slain wolves. There was a moment of relief when they saw Durin and Mendez walking from body to body to make sure it stayed that way.
They walked down the tower, constantly watching out for the night hag. They met Durin and Mendez near the portcullis where the guards were carrying the bodies of their dead friends towards the tower. They spent half a day carrying and burning bodies before going back up the tower where they decided to stay over night. Ned led them to rooms that she remembered from the earlier search and that looked like guest quarters. Mendez who was the first to look out of the window urged the others to come and look.
In the distance to the west they could see the battle. The twilight was illuminated by huge magical lights and explosions; the whole north-western part of the valley was a warzone. After watching the spectacle for a while they were able to make out huge elementals and even the giants near the green tower. It seemed as if they slowly moved north.

The next morning they decided to leave. The war was still raging in the distance and the party wasn't good at sitting and waiting. The grateful guards gave them horses and only Ned decided to fly and scout. After half a day they reached the village they stayed at the day before. Slowly riding through crushed defenses and smoldering ruins they saw women and children crying over the dead bodies of men lying in a row near the village centre. They had had no chance and the wolves had completely raised the village in under an hour. Filled with rage the four heroes moved on, determined to join the forces who fought against this abysmal evil. They met a few stray wolves who seemed to have fled the battle, most of them heavily wounded. The travelers made short work of them and moved on quickly. Resting on a small upheaval later afternoon, they saw the battle concentrating on the area around the black tower. The rest of the valley seemed calm with only columns of smoke giving evidence of the recent fights.

The next morning they reached the black tower. Throughout the night they had hunted down wolves that tried to escape the battle or had assisted hunters and druids taking down groups of fugitives. The ground was covered in bodies - humans, animals and wolves alike. Every creature seemed to have joined the fight. Groups of fighters moved towards them checking the bodies on the ground indicating an end of the fights. They arrived on the yard of the black tower just in time to witness the final showdown. They could see the white and the green lady together approaching a huge werewolf lord who was kept in check by five huge earth elementals. One of the giants was lying heavily wounded near the group, surrounded by at least 30 dead werewolves. With the elementals opening a corridor, the lord slowly turned, looked at the two women and with a roar started to charge. The two women stopped, looked at each other and in unison, raised a hand. The werewolf, suddenly surrounded by white and green energy, slowed down in agony and was forced to the ground a few yards further. Slowly, his convulsing body started to levitate. As the two women moved closer, they raised their hands, moving the hybrid body upwards. With a sudden burst of energy emerging from the two, the body was dashed against the wall of the black tower where it was fused into the obsidian material, leaving behind a grotesque wolf shape above the entrance.
"Looks good, don't you think?" The white lady started to smile. Both women looked at each other and bowed. They turned and while the elementals vanished one by one and the remaining fighters cared for the wounded the white lady approached the group. "Loranna told me about your heroic actions. Without your help, this valley would have descended into darkness. We owe you a great debt of gratitude! Please join us for the celebrations at sunset the day after tomorrow."
Lorna appeared next to her "My mother invited you to stay at the green tower till then!" Surrounded by so many beautiful women, Mendez immediately accepted the offer in the name of the group. Lorna bowed to the white lady and turned to the group. After a few debates, the group decided to be eagles this time.

Cry Havoc and Let Loose the Dogs of War

It didn’t seem like much; Rescue the ‘White Lady’ before the wolf army arrived.
What Mendez hadn’t bargained on was the swiftness of the wolves and the impregnability of the ‘White tower’.
The daughter of the ‘Green Lady’ summoned huge creatures of earth, wind and fire to block the innumerable wolves, but hundreds still made it to the outer wall.
Torn between running and trying to save the human soldiers, Mendez looked to Durin. The choice was clear; Mendez and Durin had to hold the gate while the unarmed Chen and Ned attempted to rescue the powerful ‘White lady’.
His life in the hands of the Monk and the Druid, Mendez fought with bow and sword until exhausted. Durin lasted longer but they were soon overwhelmed. Death was imminent and while still defiant, Mendez was weak with fatigue and facing too many opponents.
Submerged under a pack of wolves, Mendez anticipated the fatal bite…
And then there was light. Blinding but liberating. The wolves that weren’t killed instantly, fell back or fled outright.
Mendez and Durin were saved.

Saved by the Belle

After going in seriously undermanned, the situation was looking pretty bleak for Mendez and Durin.
Swamped by supernatural wolves of every description, they were exhausted and bloodied. Both of them were scant moments from death and dismemberment.
If it wasn’t for Chen’s quick thinking and Ned’s support, the 'White Lady' would have remained unconscious and therefore unable to save our skins.

As for treasure?
Well I suppose we are ‘heroes’ and not ‘mercenaries’ after all.
:(

A Reckoning

Another group of paladins arrived in the church yard. Eolar looked down at them from the balcony. "The group from Garontyr just arrived" "Good. Soon the strike force is complete. I just got news from Tlondir. He and his dwarfen knights should be here by tomorrow."
Cabal En turned towards Eolar and the other two priests in the room. "Our informants tell me that the priests of Hextor have taken the bait. We will continue as planned." He looked at Eolar and the others. "My friends of the council, in two days Seawell will be in order again and under the protection of St.Cuthbert. The evil forces that try to destabilise our new major will be destroyed once and for all! Come on, the others are waiting!"
On the way to the great hall the four priests were joined by the remaining members of the council. They entered the hall through the small side door and immediately the noise that was audible even in the corridor, died down. Cabal En went to the main podium while Eolar and the other council members took seats to both sides of it.
"Brethren and sistren! Many years have passed since the forces of St.Cuthbert and Moradin were united under a common cause: The defeat of evil and the upkeep of order!" He looked to the left side of the hall which was populated by around 50 dwarfs. "Thank you for coming all the way from the northern mountains my brothers! Both of our churches have fought the priests of Hextor in many battles and many good men have given their lives. Now the day has come to strike back. Seawell is in turmoil and the church of Hextor is feeding the flames to establish their own evil order. Thanks to brother Eolar, we were able to reconstitute the old and respected major in the nick of time. Needless to say that we have his trust. The last step now is to remove the forces that threaten this, as yet, fragile order in Seawell. Tomorrow you will spread out and take your strategic positions within the city. Your group leaders are going to instruct you. The day after, at sunrise, we are going to strike. May the power of St.Cuthbert and Moradin be with you!"

After the congregation, Eolar was on the way to his quarters when Elogyn caught up with him. "Eolar, wait!" He turned round and saw her running towards him. They walked a few steps before Elogyn started talking again.
"You knew of all the plans? Now I know why I barely saw you the last few days!"
"Yes, we worked on the plans for a long time and since the others arrived it was difficult to keep up!"
"How strong do you think they are?"
"They are not to be underestimated! But so far they don't seem to expect our attack. We have a good plan and with the guidance of St.Cuthbert victory will be ours! You are in my group which is leaving tomorrow morning. Get as much sleep as you can get tonight, you will need it!"
"What are our orders?"
"You'll find out tomorrow. But it will be difficult and much depends on our success!"

Death of a Bard Banner

'A victory is twice itself when the achiever brings home full numbers.'
(Shakespeare)

Treasure

It's Christmas after all soon :)
Durin has a good look through all the boxes and chests in the mine and after looking at every gem twice is left with a pile of valuable items (and a huge pile of stuff of questionable value) that he presents to the party.
Wer casts detect magic and the items with an (m) glow blue.

From the encounter with the wolves:
- 2617 gp
- 2 potions
- 3 scrolls (2x 1 spell, 1x 3 spells)
- composite longbow STR+1 (m)

From the dwarfes bodies:
- 5x Waraxe (dwarfen)
- Urgrosh (dwarfen) (m)
- Chain shirt
- 2x Full plate
- Full plate (m)
- Hide armour (m)
- 2x Shield (heavy/steel)
- 3x Shield (heavy/steel) (m)

From the dwarf mine (boxes/chests) after Durins evaluation:
- A fine selection of pickaxes, shovels, wheelbarrows, hammers, etc... :)
- Studded leather (m)
- Solid gold idol (10 lb.) (300gp)
- Cloth of gold vestments (130gp)
- Gold and topaz bottle stopper cork (1700gp)
- Carved harp of exotic wood with ivory inlay and zircon gems (500gp)
- Finely wrought small gold bracelet (10gp)

- And a list of valuable gems which Durin identified and estimated:
- 1x Emerald (500 gp)
- 1x Fire opal (800gp)
- 2x Blue Saphire (950gp)
- 3x Fiery yellow corundum (1200gp)
- 1x Star ruby (1500gp)

Christmas after all! :)
And as I said, Eolar is not there to calculate values and make an inventory! :)

Hi Hooligans!

New banner to celebrate our victory over the seven dwarves.
(Due to the shocking revelation about Telfis though, I'll be drawing a new one as soon as I can.)

Experience

Experience for the run on the dwarfen fortress. No extra points rewarded because you all went for the brute-force attack ;-)

Mendez: Level 11, 59475 xp
Telfis: Level 10, 52353 xp (RIP!)
Wer: Level 10, 50710 xp
Durin: Level 10, 46007 xp (UP!)
Thesis: Level 10, 45174 xp (UP!)
Bodush: Level 9, 40431 xp
Chen Yong: Level 8, 30096 xp (UP!)
Ned: Level 5, 13604 xp

Ok, so everybody but Bodush and Ned leveled now in this adventure with the big showdown still to come!

The Mourning After (read the last kiss first!)

Alerted by an immense wave of power followed by a deep, loud bang, the group rushes into the room. The sarcophagus stands open and Mendez, who's gaze naturally went towards the girl first, is almost stunned by the beauty of the women slowly trying to sit up. "It worked!! Telfis, you made..". Just now he realises that something isn't right. The slumped down body of the young bard sits motionless next to the stony structure.
Chen reaches Telfis' body as first and puts his hand on the bard's shoulder "Telfis are you ok?!?"
The body slowly falls to the side. Chen's expression freezes instantly. The body feels cold. Way too cold! He just tries to shake the body again when Durin pushes him away!
"Telfis, what's the matter? Wake up! What happened??"
Thesis also caught up and doesn't need his cleric knowledge to know their friend left to another plane. Sadness and anger mix in his eyes while his head slowly sinks on his chest.

Mendez, as if turned to stone, stares at the group kneeling around the dead body. Why didn't he stop him? Why Telfis? A female voice abruptly ends his paralysis.
"Who are you?"

The Last Kiss

The two dwarfen bodies fall to the ground; the electricity of the lighting that struck them down still in the air. Wer smiles satisfied and flies along the corridor to look for the last two dwarfs that ran this way a minute ago. The only thing she can hear is the distant noise of 4 feet running somewhere in the mine. Impossible to tell the direction. She turns round to tell the others about the girl in the sarcophagus. The battle seems over.
Chen still hangs from the ceiling looking at the slain bodies when Telfis and Mendez enter the room. Apart from the locusts that still attack every person in the room, all opponents seem dead. He turns to see Thesis and Durin enter the room through the fog. The look of relief can be seen on the fighter's faces when they realise there is no opponent left. Finally they can treat their wounds.
Telfis looks around the room. Seven beds, seven chairs and seven cupboards. Seven possibilities to hide gold. As he tries to open the first cupboard, the bird next to him changes into Wer.
"I've found the girl! She is in a chamber not far away."
Mendez looks up from the body he is examining "Is she ok?"
"Can't really tell, she is locked up in a kind of sarcophagus and is either dead or in a deep sleep!"

After a final look around for more dangers, the group follows Wer to the chamber. Entering the room, Telfis is immediately struck by the unearthly beauty of the slender figure laying motionless before him, enshrined in her crystalline prison. Looking at her it is hard to tell whether she is dead or simply unconscious, held by some evil spell.
He takes a dreamy step forward, overwhelmed; his mind engulfed in a silent contest of awe and sympathy alternately trying to sweep him away. Telfis' hand gingerly traces the surface of the young woman's pristine prison when, suddenly, a sharp tingling feeling, extending from his neck and creeping all the way down his spine, shakes him out of his reverie. His hand remains extended on the crystal surface, frozen, as he once again becomes aware of the room around him. Behind him, he knows his friends are crowding up, with varying degrees of impatience trying to get a look at the sarcophagus. Trap.
Telfis sharply raises his other arm to signal his friends to remain where they are.
"Its trapped. I don't know how but its big."
His friends can see the the adrenaline rush in Telfis' boyish grin. They can also see that he is terrified.
"I think this is a tricky one, it's probably better if I am the only one in the room while I have a look at it."
Telfis can see the objections working themselves through minds and facial expressions in all of his friends. Nearly simultaneously. The train of thought, as usual, travels a bit slower in Thesis and the dwarf. He knows they will be concerned. All but Wer, she will just be annoyed not to see what's happening.
Before anyone can voice their objections, Telfis says:
"Please. Trust me, it's the safest way. Just give me ten minutes to study it. If I can't find anything we think of something else."
Something in his voice, a rare kind of determination for the young rogue, gives his friends pause. Grudgingly, they grant his wish, and close the door from the outside.

The room once again silent, empty but for the dormant lady and himself, Telfis expertly takes stock of the situation. He cannot see any obvious traps. Stone and crystal are both completely featureless, cut and polished to smooth perfection. Telfis approaches the young lady. Once again, the feeling of danger makes the hair on his neck stand. He is sure there must be a trap; quite probably a terrible one.
His eyes closed, he lets his fingers glide over the contraption while his mind probes for any clues he might get from subtle irregularities, mechanical or other. Then he feels something. It is nothing but a vague threat, a lingering sense of dread. He knows he has found something. He probes on, but learns little. Telfis feels both terrified and exhilarated; he knows nothing about the trap but one thing: he is hopelessly outclassed.

Just as he considers to give up and tell his friends that he failed, something, in a vague yet final way, goes the mental equivalent of 'click' and instantly, with a sudden insight he is not sure is entirely his own, Telfis knows he has made a terrible mistake. He has triggered something which cannot be undone. Without moving, he slowly opens his eyes. His numb mind has no capacity to feel surprised that what he sees is no longer the room he knows to be in. Instead, he finds himself on a clearing in the oldest forrest he has ever seen. He looks around, amazed by the intensity of the colours surrounding him. Everything looks somehow more alive than life itself.
Lying in the shade of a tree he can see the familiar figure of the sleeping girl. Telfis approaches her slowly and cautiously when he notices the owl watching him intently from a branch above the girl. The eyes of the owl are of an incredibly deep green. And even though Telfis doesn't know much about forest creatures he can tell that this is no ordinary owl. Its, no, her eyes are too intense, too wise. For a moment he thinks he can see sadness in her unblinking eyes, but only for an instant. Telfis holds the gaze of the owl, and finally he understands. Suddenly he knows exactly where he is and he understands the mistake he made trying to disarm the trap. And somehow he also knows the enormity of the decision he must make under the serene gaze of the watchful owl.
This is his gift from the green Lady. To know the nature of his decision, and to make it in full knowledge of its consequences. He understands that this is all she can do. The rest is up to him.
Telfis hesitates for an instant, but he knows his decision has been made the second he understood. Slowly he walks over the soft and mossy grass, over to the sleeping figure. Gingerly, he kneels beside the girl and brushes aside a lock of her hair. He bends over, his face nearly touching the girl's. Telfis closes his eyes, he can feel the steady warmth of her breath on his face. He brings his lips to hers in a gentle kiss.

The girl slowly opens her eyes. She finds herself lying in an unadorned room, her clouded mind slowly gathering itself. She half-remembers the strangest of dreams. Slowly, uncertainly she looks around. Beside her, slumped backwards on his knees she finds a boy. He looks vaguely familiar. His face is very pale and his lips creased in a sad little smile.
The girl sends a probing thought, but there is no response. Whoever he was, the boy is clearly dead.

Fal-con-men

Soaring through the chilly air, the handsome falcon searches for its master.
It can feel the mystical connection and seeks to close the gap between them.
Finally, within the confines of an oddly constructed valley, it finds the object of its affection.
Handsome, athletic and proud.
Looking into Mendez’s face is almost like looking into a mirror.
Other humans are just like pigeons.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to War we go.

That was scary. Thesis and Durin very nearly died.
Fortunately, they had Chen, Mendez and Telfis to hide behind.
And where did Wer go again?

The War Begins

"Master, the scout is back! He says that he found the bodies of the missing group in front of the bridge. They are all dead!!"
The minion cringed as the master jumped up. "Who was it? The guards? The green witch?"
"We do not know, master! But the scout reports that he saw arrow and sword wounds as well as evidence for magic"
"Arrows and swords? Neither the guards nor the witch use them. Goark's group could have easily managed villagers! There must be some other fighters involved! Take one of the clerics and try to ask the dead. But be careful, take Orgol with you to get you there unseen. If the witch got reinforcements, we might have to change our plans! "

Later that same day.....

The black wooden door opened and three humanoids entered the room, two humans and a goblin. The tall shape at the other end of the large hall turned around. After getting closer, the three newcomers could see the wolf-like features of the large humanoid form in front of them.
"My lord, we have the information you've asked for!"
The lord looked at the two humans and shouted at them "Didn't I tell you not to use this form in front of me? Be proud of what you are!!"
Both human shapes immediately changed into their hybrid forms showing the same wolf-like features like their master.
"Good! Now cleric, continue!"
"I've asked the body of Goark who attacked them. It said it was a group of adventurers consisting of fighters, druids and sorcerers."
"Hmm, any information if the guards or the witch were involved?"
"Yes, mylord! The guards and the witch defended the bridge and kept them from coming in, but most of your servants were killed by the adventurers in front of the bridge!"
"So the old witch managed to get help from outside? Interesting! We have to assume that the group entered the valley afterwards. Orgol, send out your scouts! Try to find them, but don't attack without my order. And tell your hunters that they can hunt in the valley from now on to get stronger. I don't think we have to keep it secret any more!"

After the cleric and the goblin left, the lord turned to the last remaining minion. "What is the state of the white witch? Any new information?"
"No, mylord! She hasn't been seen since your ingenious move although the tower is surrounded by thorns ever since. Some scouts tried to get through but were badly injured and turned round."
"Did you ask the people in the villages?"
"Yes, mylord! Nobody has seen her or heard from her. They are all worried. Some of them have seeked protection and help from the green witch, but their petitions remain unanswered!"
"Good, it seems we can move soon! Without the white witch the green witch can't withstand our growing forces. Soon we have enough power to take her tower. Then the valley will be ours!"

The Best a Man Can Get

The beautiful falcon races through the darkening sky.
Every fibre of it’s being yearns to be with his master.
Nothing will stop him…
Wait.
What’s that?
Oooooh, shiny!

Treasure

Ok, here is what you got from the barghest battle and the mercenary camp (I don't list bedrolls, blankets and stuff. If you need one, you've found one):

Barghest battle:
125 pp
1 potion
Dwarfen waraxe (m)
Leather bag (m)
Green cloak (m)
3x leather armour

Mercenary camp:
1x Half-plate armour (m)
2x Breast plate armour
1x Chain shirt
2x MwK Chain shirt
1x Leather armour (m)
2x Shield, heavy steel
2x Sword, bastard (m)
1x Crossbow, light
1x Dagger
2x MwK Quarterstaff
2x MwK Longsword
2x Longsword
2x Longbow (Composite/+2)
50 Bolts
138 Arrows
735 gp
5 gems:
- 1 orange spinel (525.4gp)
- 1 demantoid (118.3gp)
- 3 chrystolite (50.9)

That is what you've found after the battles. After using a detect magic spell the items with a (m) start to glow.

And somebody has to sort out how you split the stuff! Eolar is not there ;-)

Experience

Ok, sorry for the delay! I decided to post XP as two characters go up a level. Unfortunately the barghests didn't give much XP as their challenge rating is rather low and the mercenaries (who gave more XP) were too easy to defeat. I'll adjust the monsters for tomorrow accordingly to make it more interesting and rewarding.
Here are the new XP levels:

Mendez: Level 11, 55191 xp (UP!)
Telfis: Level 10, 48069 xp
Wer: Level 10, 46426 xp (UP!)
Durin: Level 9, 41,723 xp
Thesis: Level 9, 40890 xp
Bodush: Level 9, 40,431 xp
Chen Yong: Level 7, 25,812 xp
Ned: Level 5, 13,604 xp

Mendez and Wer made it to the next level. Extra points were awarded for playing in character or using special abilities of the class/race in the right moments.

The Seawell Times: Special Edition!

The city was shocked today by the reappearance of past Mayor Boscorm.
In a public announcement Boscorm explained that he hadn’t been executed at all but instead been imprisoned by the accursed ‘Thieves guild’.
He was recently rescued by a group of adventurers lead by Eolar; a priest of St Cuthbert.
Given the vacant position, the public support of the Church of St Cuthbert’s leader, Cabal En and the original trial evidence being declared ‘suspect’ and therefore inadmissible, Boscorm was immediately reinstated into the post of ‘Mayor of Seawell’.
Before moving back into the Mayoral manor, he promised in his re-inauguration speech, to 'bring order back to his city'.
The people seem genuinely happy to see him back.
For all his charisma though, Mayor Boscorm seemed a little dead behind the eyes.

Be Our Guest you Rotten Barghests

New Banner to celebrate ‘our’ final victory over the monstrous goblin-wolves.
Thank goodness for Bodush’s timely arrival.

An unexpected gathering

Mendez walks through the woods and is deep in thoughts when suddenly the stone giant appears in front of him. He can hear his deep voice "Mendez, let me be the first to ..". Before he can finish Mendez already reaches maximum speed in the opposite direction and thinks he can easily outrun the slow giant. Just when he turns his head back into the running direction, he bumps into the knee of the second giant and falls hard. The giant looks down on him, grabs Mendez by the shirt and sits him onto a tree stump. "I've written a song for ....". Mendez already made it a couple of feet before he realises that he is surrounded by barghests, sorceres, druids and other creatures he can't even identify. He slowly moves backwards back to the stump that is in the middle of the circle formed by the dwellers of the valley. He can hear the giant tuning his harp and starting to sing with a loud but melodic voice "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Mendez, Happy birthday to you!" The last note is still in the air when the first giant already extends his hand towards Mendez. Shaking it cautiously, Mendez can see a long queue forming behind the giant. This could take hours! He smiles when the thought of the unguarded bridge comes to his mind which his friends can cross easily right now. The smile fades as fast as it came when he spots his friends queuing with the other creatures!! This is going to take hours.....

Mendez Strains Brain for Understanding…Again!

While sitting around the camp, Mendez muses over the problem.
“Normally Eolar and Bodush do our thinking for us. Telfis and I are good for short term strategies, but this seems too much for us. We were just hired to stop the wolves attacking the areas surrounding the village.
From what we know, the occupants of the valley are both arrogant and xenophobic.
Do we want to go in, and if so; why?
I care nothing for these people but they do seem powerful. Perhaps we can somehow drive the wolf monsters back into the valley and then destroy the bridge to prevent their return?
Could these creatures magically cross eighty feet of fast flowing water?”
Mendez hopes for positive responses from his disheartened team.

Fly like the Wind

Placing the letter on the table beside him, the grey haired Esteban pulls himself to his feet.
As he walks slowly to his falcon aviary, he smiles as he thinks of his impetuous son. So like his younger brother Mendoza. Quick with his sword, but not his wits.
Esteban summons one of the birds down from its perch and carries it outside. Whispering a few, almost forgotten arcane words, he releases the beautiful bird into the air.
“Keep him safe Razor.”

Favourite pastime

Uvye was looking down at the group of adventurers. After guarding a bridge for hundreds of years, you start to enjoy every distraction from your daily schedule. And those adventurers were fun! They had been talking to Gyrial before sunrise and now seemed to argue with each other again about what to do.
He noticed movement in the corner of his eye and saw two eagles flying towards his lookout. He stood up and quickly removed the chair to create some clean space. A few moments later the eagles changed into the mistress and the leader of the emerald tower guards. Uvye knelt and bowed his head in front of the woman. "Welcome to my lookout mylady! How can I be of service?"
"Raise, Uvye! We have to talk!I just caught a druid who told me a story about barghests attacking villagers outside the valley. The druid claimed that they are coming from the valley! It seems that there is more going on than we thought!"
"Mylady, I have never seen barghests crossing the bridge in any direction! I would have reported them to you of course!".
"Don't worry Uvye, not even I can easily detect barghests if they don't want to be seen, but we need a plan to find out whether the information is correct! Barghests can choose to be invisible or even jump to the ethereal plane to travel if they are experienced enough. We have to find out what they want outside!"
Tarok the guard rose to speak. "Mylady, we have no reports about barghest attacks in the valley. Why do they not attack the villagers inside the valley?"
"I do not know, yet. Barghests are growing stronger the more they feed on victims. Perhaps they want to get stronger without drawing our attention. I say it is time to keep some barghests from entering the valley. I'm going to stay here and watch the bridge, perhaps we can teach them a lesson! Uvye, I know you are using alarms to detect creatures near the bridge; if you adjust them they might pick up barghests as well! This would at least give us an idea how many there are"

"Your wish is my command, mylady!"
Tarek, who was looking into the valley turned round. "What are we doing about the group of adventurers? What are their intentions?"
Uvye turned to Tarek. "They seem to be harmless! They didn't attempt to enter the valley yet and I will be watching them closely since they woke me last night!"
The woman looked interested "What did they do? The white guard kept them from crossing?"
"No mylady, it seemed they were fighting one of the creatures near the bridge! I could hear fighting and saw a magic storm and lightning bolts. I checked the area after the battle, they don't seem to have killed the creature, though."
"They were fighting one of them? It seems they are not as useless as it appeared at first. I know there is a mediocre druid among them."
"Don't overestimate them mylady, they don't appear to be too brave. It might have been luck this time. I can remove them if they are a nuisance for you!"
"Let's wait and see, Uvye! Barghests first! Let's see if we can adjust your alarms."

Frustrating bridge of invisible giants

A new banner may help us resolve our thoughts ...

So - any ideas?

Chainless wonder

A wretched figure hangs limply from four course ropes binding her twisted wrists and ankles.
It is dark, but a dull red glow illuminates her nakedness.
“Wake up Kryton cow.”
The bound female involuntarily flinches at the sound of the voice.
“It’s time for your punishment.”
Suddenly a buzzing sound grows louder as a horde of insect like creatures envelope the now screaming captive.
They quickly strip flesh from bone, exposing muscle and the ligaments beneath.
After what seems like hours, the swarm is sated and they fall away leaving the ruined, but still living Kryton, a mutilated mess.
She mouths something inaudible as her devilish skin desperately tries to restore itself.
“What did you say?” hisses the voice from above.
The bound devil tries again.
“How long have I been enduring this? Surely my punishment shouldn’t take this many years?”
The voice in the darkness chuckles.
“Why my delightful little plaything, you’ve only been here for four days!”
The Chainless devil’s restored body wracks with her bitter tears before she passes out again.

Let's just call it a draw!

Character-character fights are always brilliant - even virtual ones like these. A chance to test your battle-hardened adventurer against your bragging friend's.

They always have surprising outcomes It seems that the only thing that can really seperate the dueling PC's is the extent of their imagination. It may seem that, with his zombie crocs, flight and invisibility, Bodush has it sewn up, but that would be to do Eolar a huge disservice.

So - let's just call it a draw ...

Route 666

After exchanging the majority of his remaining gold for gems and buying another riding horse, Mendez begins the journey back to Seawell.
After spending nearly a month in Redford, he can understand Garris’ feelings. Redford may be small but Seawell is overcrowded, dirty and has the stench of evil about it.
‘See Hell’ more like it.
Despite this, he travels along the highway and makes good time. He also manages to avoid any problematic encounters with a combination of charm and menace. A smile always has more impact when there’s steel behind it.
It’ll be worth it though, just to see his friends again.

The same old song

Looking at the sun setting behind the western mountain ridge he could hear the familiar melody. "On time as every evening, the old bugger!" Since the white lady had appointed him valley guard, the music could be heard every evening. Uvye could still remember he guard before him who had had a flute which he only played every now and then. Gyrial over there preferred to play every day. The white lady seemed to have a fable for bards!
A few years after he had moved into the mountain lookout on the opposite side, Uvye had been close to killing him for disturbing his quiet evenings! But now, a few hundred years later, he was so used to it that he couldn't imagine seeing the sun setting without music. He looked over to the other fortified lookout. He could just make out the shape of his younger counterpart in front of a flickering fire in the distance.
He leaned back and enjoyed the last few rays of sunlight on his grey skin. The music in his ears, he started to fall asleep. His next shift would start in the morning when the music stopped.

There will be blood

One of the wolves suddenly lifted its head. She turned around and could see Darron coming out of the woods together with the wolves. Too little wolves! Not again! Half way towards them she could see that Darron was wounded. And two of the wolves were missing.
"Darron, what happened?!" She put her hands around the stumbling man to hold him up. "Another attack! They ambushed us three hours from here near the big clearing. I wasn't vigilant enough! I'm sorry mylady! We lost Dorn and Arto. It was sheer luck that we survived this time! Their attacks are getting better every time!" He was breathing hard and only now did she spot the arrow shaft sticking out of his back. As they reached the door, the two maids already came running to help her. "Bring him to my mother! I'll take care of the pack!"

She reached the wolves who were waiting patiently in the yard. After a succinct whistle, they followed her dutifully to the kennel and she followed them inside. Two of the younger ones were badly injured, forcing her to cast some healing. She noticed that the old hunter had already used some spells on them. He could have healed himself, but he seemed to get more sentimental in his dotage. The wolves were his life!
Dorn and Arto dead. They had been promising young wolves.
She looked at Korm who was sitting next to her. The old wolf was almost as tall as her. The two arrows sticking out of his shoulder didn't seem to bother him. She guided him out to his own kennel and walking next to him she noticed another wound at his side. Looked like a sword wound again.
The wolf looked at her gratefully after she had healed the cut and removed the arrows. He was one of the oldest and most experienced. He was generally a calm sentinel, bust since he lost his mate in the first attack, the fire in his eyes never completely vanished.
Looking around him for more wounds she noticed the blood on his front paws for the first time. It was a lot of blood! Pieces of skin in between his claws suggested that he had killed or at least seriously injured one of the attackers. She didn't feel a bit of mercy. At least they also suffered!

The first attack had ended in a quick but ferocious melee fight. 12 wolves had been killed, amongst them three of their most experienced elite sentinels. The attackers had come out of nowhere and had had a wizard with them. From what they gathered after the battle there had been 11 attackers, three of them never left the yard. Korm had killed two of them as they tried to get to her and there was not much left of them afterwards to identify them. The attackers had learned that a frontal attack hadn't been a promising option for victory and started ambushing the packs on their training excursions. They were also refining their strategy after every attack, adapting more and more to the fighting behaviour of the wolves. They had to do something or more wolves would be killed, threatening the whole breeding program.

Closing the door of the kennel, she looked back at Korm. "It seems that you will get your revenge soon. Defense is not an option anymore. We have to find their hideout!" She could see in his eyes that he understood! They had just finished training the new pack of trackers. This would be their final exam!

An ode to Bodush and Eolar

affront ahead
after sneaking behind
to turn to dust
undead without mind

the sorcerers wrath
burning flame and blast
shook off and returned
with a mace and a laugh

what next?
what ingenous device
to mame and vex
these feuders devise?

Bodush Strikes Back

Oooh take that - this could all turn a bit nasty.
Fireball in the face - now you know why they are called Friars

hee hee

You set 'em up, I'll knock 'em down.

New Banner!
Hee hee.

Raindrops Keep Falling on their Heads

After recovering from the long journey, Mendez counts Garris’ retirement money properly.
It’s almost 20,000 gold coins!
Feeling a pang of guilt, Mendez resolves to give some of it at least to a local charity or Church, but which one?
Wandering around the small town, he comes to an orphanage.
It’s not much more than a large shack with a poorly thatched roof. So poorly thatched that it barely keeps the sunlight out and would leak like a sieve in even the feeblest rain.
Mendez knocks on the door and is greeted by a harassed but beautiful young woman.
“Can I help you?” she enquires.
Mendez smile widens considerably as he invites himself inside.
“I think that perhaps we can help each other.”
The conditions are grim, but the young woman obviously does her best to keep the children clean, clothed and fed.
The woman introduces herself as ‘Etta’ and explains that she used to run the orphanage with her mother, who sadly died just recently. She starts to cry as she tells Mendez that unless she can find some money soon, the orphanage will be forced to shut.
Mendez smile grows wider still. Garris was a good man; he’d have wanted to help these children.
In response to Mendez’s kindness, Etta smiles in return and the depressing shack seems to brighten around her. Taking his hand, she leads Mendez to meet the dozen or so children.
After a few hours of entertaining the children with stories of sky battles and monsters, Mendez leaves.
At around 6pm he returns, followed by several serving maids from the local tavern. They are all carrying trays piled high with hot food and sweet drinks for the children. After a moment of stunned silence there are whoops of delight followed by the sound of happy guzzling.
Etta and Mendez spend several carefree weeks together, buying toys and new clothes for the children and hiring carpenters and roofers to repair the building. Mendez, Etta and the children paint it themselves in sunny yellows and peaceful blues.
Finally, when it’s time for Mendez to head back to Seawell, he hands Etta a bound folder. As she opens it, she cries for the first time since Mendez arrived. The tears are not just for the breathtaking sum of money Mendez has placed in the local bank for her, but for the fact that Mendez himself will not be sharing her bed from now on.

Of Knowledge and of Possession

He put quill to parchment once more. Chen knew it was important that the Elders knew how his mission was progressing. This recent letter included many new things that the council would be keen to learn. While they had heard of undead before, of course, Chen had carefully described the horror he witnessed in the prison. The fetid stench of decaying flesh, and the sickly, pulpy texture of the bodies as he had punched through them would remain with him forever.

He relayed tales of the prowess of his friends - how Telfis and Wer had walked across the ceiling, to blast the zombies with a musical horn, how Ned had summoned the elements to strike at their enemies, how Thesis could attack so many at once, how Durin had bulldozed his way through countless zombies, and how the clerics had turned the undead into dust without batting an eyelid.

Demons and Golems made of chains were new, however. As were the Baatezu as he had later learned them to be called. While his arcane knowledge was excellent among his peers, it was obvious that Chen still had much to learn of the various... what had they called them...? Ah, yes, that was it... 'Planes'.

Chen sealed the letter and fastened it carefully to the leg of the carrier pigeon. He kissed the bird gently on the head before releasing it, certain that it would return speedily to his Sifu at the monastery. Ah, the monastery - it seemed such a distant dream as he looked out of the window over a bustling Seawell.

Chen shook his head as the memory faded. The night was young; his friends were conducting their business or drowning themselves in good ale. For some this was the same thing. Instead, he was looking forward to immersing himself in a good book. He hadn't had time to complete the Tome of History he had purchased yet, and he had also acquired new volumes from Mayor Parson's library. He had intended to give them back, but now? Well, he doubted the deceased Mayor would require them any longer - and they would be of such educational benefit to the young Novitiates.

As he plucked the plain bookmark from its place he smiled. He must remember to speak with his friends tomorrow to see if any of them wanted the slippers they had found. He assured himself that he only wanted them to help in his mission, and that they would hold no materialistic sway over him once they had served their purpose. He looked down to see that he was stroking his Ring of Shocking Blows...

Team Bodush!

Don't fancy his chances against Eolar though...

The Seawell Times

Mayor Parsons was discovered dead this morning by one of his servants.
Nobody knows exactly how the tragedy occurred, but bizarrely he was somehow strangled with his own ceremonial chain of office.
His body was discovered in the early hours in the walled garden of the Mayoral house.
Oddly, it seems that he was digging up the courtyard as he was found covered in mud with a spade in his hand and surrounded by deep holes in the ground.
Mayor Parsons was also attacked several days ago but was saved by the same group of adventurers that had destroyed the zombie infestation of the city prison cells and rescued several of the cities charitable young women.
Many suspected Mayor Parsons of being in the pocket of the shadowy ‘Thieves guild’.
This leaves the position of Mayor open again after the execution of popular past Mayor Boscorm.

Alone

It was a nice and sunny day in the valley. She was walking in her woods to refresh her power. She knew that the time it took to refresh her energy got longer and longer. Her power slowly faded. She could feel it more and more and it was crucial that her daughter got strong enough to take over.
Some of her animals watched curiously how she changed and, beating her wings, started to head east. It would be chaos if her kingdom fell. She could feel other powers growing even now. Long ago it was the three towers ruling the valley to equal parts and since the lady of the black tower left to the north, the power was divided between the two remaining ones. But things changed. She could feel a dark power rising in the valley. Packs of wolves are roaming her forests defying her control. And the wolves are not the only threat to the balance of power. There were other, darker creatures amongst them.

Something has to be done. The old bonds have to be strengthened once again to face and scotch the rising powers before it's too late. She reached the lake that encloses the white tower. It was centuries she had been that close and the energy radiating from it weakened her power. They hadn't met for a long time and it was reassuring now that the white power was still strong. If the white lady would have left as well, the power of the remaining tower wouldn't have been strong enough to face the rising darkness.
She had proposed to meet on neutral ground but the white lady didn't answer. That was not like her. Since the three towers existed, the wielder of the corresponding powers respected each other. Sometimes only out of necessity as an imbalance of power would mean destabilisation. Since the time where only two powers remained, the bond grew stronger and could even be called friendly at certain times.

Back on the ground she could feel it. A strange power mixed into the familiar energy of her counterpart. Something was wrong, but she couldn't risk getting closer without losing her powers. The white lady must be able to sense her and by know she would normally have come out. This was not at all like her but the old lady wasn't in a position to investigate this mystery.

She started to change again to make her way back. Now she was really worried! With her powers fading, the white lady not responding and the new, unknown power getting stronger, hope was fading. If only she would know where her daughter was. Together they could perhaps stand a chance. Her only hope was that her daughter didn't get caught or killed by the dark creatures after she left following a fierce argument. This would mean the end to the valley as it was now for thousands of years. She has to renew old bonds and gather new allies or the valley would fall into darkness.

Taking it on the Chen

It’s early the next day when the Party returns to the Mayor’s house to dig up Boscorms treasure.
Most everyone had been seriously hurt. The Monk Chen would have surely died if not for the timely and brave intervention of Eolar.
The house looks remarkably undamaged and it would be hard to believe that a battle against a cadre of devils had just been fought scant hours ago.
All the devils evaporated shortly after they were killed and the Chain golem resembles nothing more sinister than an inanimate pile of chains.
Durin and Thesis do the digging while the other look on.
After about twenty minutes Durin’s spade hits something hard. Thesis jumps down into the hole and hauls out a sizable chest.
Breaking the lock open, they all stare for a moment. Twenty five thousand gold pieces and all of it theirs!
Mayor Parsons scowls a little but has the grace to try to hide it.
Elogyn though is just happy in the knowledge that she and Eolar have done this city a good service and helped uphold the law.

End of Days Experience and Treasure

Everyone's current experience:

Thesis: 38,118 xp (Goes up to 9th Level!)

Chen Yong: 22,940 xp (Goes up to 7th Level!)

Durin: 40,099 xp (Stays at 9th Level)

Wer: 43,354xp (Stays at 9th Level)

Eolar: 49,709 xp (Stays at 10th Level)

Elogyn: 23,798 xp (Stays at 7th Level)

Ned: 13,604xp (Stays at 5th Level)

Telfis: 45,097xp (Stays at 10th Level)

Bodush: 37,576 xp (Stays at 9th Level)

Mendez: 52,419 xp (Stays at 10th Level)

Kruddo: 17,668 xp (Stays at 6th Level)

As expected, only Chen and Thesis went up a level. (Wer and Ned are very close though.)

Treasure:

From the treasure chest dug up from the courtyard:

25,000gp!

(Mayor Parsons is obviously surprised by the amount, but is too relieved to be still alive to voice an objection.)

Bodush learns a new trick

Bodush hoped that his host would not notice just how uncomfortable the smell in the room made him. While he had the greatest appreciation for why the hooded figure preferred to be underground, he wished that he had not picked such a particular damp area of the underdark to conduct his studies

“Well, young Bodush”, the figure whispered, “It seems that you may be ready to attempt the spell yourself now. While sorcery such as ours depend on the personal power of the sorcerer, rather than the book-learning of wizards, the writings of ancient Theynar do contain considerable insight. I would even go as far as saying that when it comes to the art of necromancy, none could surpass them.”

Bodush swallowed and nodded. He looked down at the decaying body on the slab in front of them. He opened his mouth and started a low, guttural chant. His mind was reaching out, calling up the power of the shadow, the plane of negative energy, the source of death, just like his host had shown him. He felt strange, his body feeling limp, as if his very life was giving way to the force he was wielding.

As he continued his chant, his hands motioned slowly over the face of the dead orc.

“Very Good! Keep going!” His host kept encouraging him, as the dead orc started twitching.

Bodush strained, feeling an alien presence within the orc, trying to break free. He focused his mind, mentally locking the body into place, making it nothing more than an extension of himself.

Bodush grinned as he growled 'Get up', in orcish. The zombie rose from the slab, and stood in front of him, almost as if to attention.

Bodush made a dismissing gesture, and the orc collapsed to the ground. “Not bad, for a first attempt?” He turned to his host.

“No, young Bodush. Not bad at all. But there is more power within the dark arts of Theynar than you can imagine.The powers of the Imperial line of Theynar was immense, their infernal blood strengthened through generations of incestous marriage The dread tome of Zhuanol Oloth, contained knowledge beyond any living man.”

Bodush found himself smiling despite himself “Living, you say?”.

His host shrugged, “...and me as well, I am afraid. The tome is lost forever, destroyed in the madness that is the forbidden lands. ”

Bodush looked down at the corpse in front of him. He was content with this spell, for now.

Mendez likes the Birds

Mendez walks the remainder of the way to Redford and books himself into the better of the two Inns.
After a simple but delicious meal, he retires back to his room.
The amount of gold that Garris was carrying is impressive. Mendez could afford to stay, drink and eat in this Inn for years!
Still, what’s gold without companionship?
Pulling out a quill and parchment, Mendez begins to write…

Dear Father,
I find myself temporarily separated from my friends and missing my family.
Would you send me one of your trained hunting Falcons as a reminder of home?
Please send Razor. Although he isn’t the biggest or the strongest, he is the fastest and by far the most beautiful.
Give my love to my Mother and Sister and get Sancho to check regularly on Zia.
Your loving son,
Mendez.

Sliding it into an envelope, he calls one of the servants to organise the delivery. The boy seems delighted when Mendez tells him to keep the change.

Better the Devil you Know

In the burning darkness, a figure unfurls.
Her chains rattle and grind as she rises slowly to her feet.
“You have failed.” A voice hisses from above her.
The Kryton cowers back, not daring to look up. “They were many and the undead crumbled before them…”
The voice in the darkness ponders for agonising moments.
“I shall not punish you yet. In fact, I shall show my generous nature and allow you another opportunity to prove your worth.”
The Chain devil prostrates itself upon the unforgiving ground.
“Send me back now and you will not be disappointed.”
She waits for what seems like an age for a response, and then…
“I had better not be!”

Smashing chap that Thesis

Sometimes the impetuous youth need an experience shoulder to lean on (or to smash down a door).

Nice Banner Kirk ;)

Mind you I was ready to whirlwind attack the 3 guards - but fortunately I was talked out of that!
Could have been nice though ...

PS - Telfis can pay me later :D

Half time Experience and Treasure

Everyone's current experience:

Durin: 36,832 xp (Goes up to 9th Level!)

Wer: 40,087xp (Goes up to 9th Level!)

Eolar: 46,442 xp (Goes up to 10th Level!)

Elogyn: 21,511 xp (Goes up to 7th Level!)

Mendez: 48,825 xp (Goes up to 10th Level!)

Telfis: 45,097xp (Goes up to 10th Level!)

Ned: 10,337xp (Goes up to 5th Level!)

Thesis: 34,921 xp (Stays at 8th Level)

Chen Yong: 19,673 xp (Stays at 6th Level)

Bodush: 37,576 xp (Stays at 9th Level!)

Kruddo: 17,668 xp (Stays at 6th Level)

(Everyone should be happy apart from Chen and Thesis. Sorry boys but you're both so close.)

Treasure:

From Muggers:
3gp
Longsword.

From Chain Devil:
Slippers of Spider climbing!

From Dead Adventurers:
Magic LargeShield
Magic Long Sword
Magic War Axe
Magic Longspear
(Rather than pay, you can probably guess the enchantment bonus.)
MWKs Battle axe
MWKs Full plate
MWKs LargeShieldx2
MWKs Leather armour
Arcane Scroll:
135gp

Reward for rescuing the hostages: 1,200 gp
Reward for killing Boscorm: 2,000 gp
Reward from Boscorm: 5,000gp

Killing People and Taking their Stuff

It takes Mendez a few minutes to find a climbable route and he clambers back up to the path ten minutes later.
The Bandits are all distracted and squabbling over the bulging saddlebags filled with gold coins.
With Longbow in hand, Mendez walks to within thirty feet of them and coughs to get their attention. When they fail to respond, he coughs a little louder.
The Bandits spin around, crossbows still on the floor where they were dropped.
The Bandit leader licks his lips; still it’s six against one…
Trying to control his temper, Mendez shouts out; “Why did you kill the old man?”
The leader of the Bandits glances at his crossbow before answering; “How else is a man to get rich, but to kill another and to take their stuff?”
Mendez shakes his head, “There has to be a better way.”
Before he finishes talking however, the Bandits dive for their weapons.
Three are dead before they even hit the floor, the other three before they can turn and return fire.
Mendez sighs deeply as he walks over to their dead bodies.
He resignedly searches the Bandits corpses and takes their stuff. He then takes Garris’ gold filled saddlebags and hefts them over his shoulders.
Garris had told him he had no family and had made no requests…
Mendez sighs again. Money seems to find him no matter where he goes.

Magical Inconsistencies

I sent an email around asking for all the character's Magical items.
It could be that what you 'think' you have, you don't or vice versa.
Please respond before Tuesday.
Also, who's playing on Tuesday?

The Hole in the Wall Gang

Garris and Mendez are leading their horses along a narrow path by a stream. They’re still about a day out from Redford when disaster strikes.
A group of hidden bandits, who are waiting in ambush, catch them with crossbow fire. Garris and both horses are killed instantly. Even Mendez is forced to throw himself backwards to avoid being hit and tumbles down the slippery bank.
The six Bandits, on assuming both men dead, rush out of their hiding place. They bundle down the steep grassy slope and whoop with pleasure as they search the dead horse’s saddle bags and discover their amazing haul.

Getting to Know you

Garris and Mendez have been travelling for a couple of days and thankfully the young Swashbuckler has fully recovered from his hangover.
Garris explains the reason of his trip and his need for a guard: “Thing’s have become far too dangerous in Seawell. It seems like it was just a year ago that Seawell was just a small frontier town. Now it’s become a city, but something evil has grown along with the population. Most people don’t notice these things but I do.”
Mendez has grown to like the eccentric old man. Even his terrible singing. It turns out Garris has no wife or children, in fact no family of any kind. He’s heading to Redford to retire in comfort in a town more to his liking.
It’s still several days away, and realising Garris’ saddle bags are full of gold, Mendez start’s to feel nervous and eyes the bushes lining the dirt path suspiciously.

Eolar Rocks Banner

New Banner to finally exploit Eolar's odd Holy symbol pose and welcome Ned the 'What's-going-on-here?' Druid.

Pleading to Death

Seawell is in a state of chaos after the mysterious disappearance of the Baron.
Several factions are vying for control: The Thieves Guild, the Merchants guild as well as the remains of the current government. The established churches of St Curthbert and Hexor are also trying to restore order as well as carving out more control for themselves.
Far below though, in the lowest level of the city prison, the party face a difficult decision.
The Undead Boscorm; the ex Mayor of Seawell has surprisingly surrendered.
Using the power of St Cuthbert, Eolar has destroyed all of the elite Zombie guards.
The unveiled Chain Devil is still fighting fiercely though. Worryingly, it seems uninjured and unafraid.
Suddenly Boscorm speaks, “You have my ear. Do we have a deal?” His voice is rasping, like sandpaper against rubble. His swollen, purple tongue writhing within his mouth makes everyone feel slightly nauseous.
“Whatever you think, I wasn’t behind this. Why would I want to be like this? This existence is a curse. I feel empty and so very cold. My thoughts are cloudy and all jumbled. All I want is to live again. I will reward you with 25,000gp if you get me resurrected. While still alive, I hid several treasure chests in Seawell. I’ll tell you where one of them is.”
Boscorm licks his paper-thin lips with his fleshy purple tongue.
“I don’t know why have I returned, but my City is in trouble and it needs my leadership.”
At Eolar’s continued silence Boscorm continues to plead.
“ I won’t lie to you. I was an evil man, but I’ve changed. This city needs me. Go to Cabal En of St Cuthbert or Fainer Sou of the Church of Hexor. Either one of them will help you.”
Boscorm’s attention is diverted towards the Devil on the raised platform as it continues to lash out remotely with the chains attached to the four pillars.
“I don’t control the creature. I fear I’m just a devil’s plaything. The Samaritans are still safe. I’ll tell you where they are if you’ll just help me!”
Boscorm's eyes are pleading and despite everything; he appears sincere.

Uncertainty

He found Elogyn in one of the small chapels. Since the deception that lead to the rescue of the evil prisoner, she didn't say a single word and Eolar was worried.
She was meditating, so he took the place next to her and joined in. After a few minutes passed in silence, she looked up. "How can you ever be sure what's right and what's wrong? How can you decide if a decision is just or an action is good? I really don't know anymore!"
She looked at Eolar who took some seconds to answer: "The world is complex and it often is not possible to determine what's good and what's evil without having all the facts. You should not try to be the judge yourself! We have laws, rules and traditions to give you guidance and St.Cuthbert, courts and councils to cast judgment onto the ones who break or bend them. Being good or evil is not significant as long as one has a place in the hierarchy and obeys orders and traditions. It is this obedience that keeps society together!"
"But what if these orders tell you to do evil? Even St.Cuthbert taught us that evil has to be fought because it erodes society and generally leads to chaotic behaviour! I read the scripture over and over again, and I think evil has to be destroyed in order to enable a stable society! And I helped evil and fought good people!!"
"We were deceived and acted on good faith. I know this is no excuse and I'm as guilty as you are. Even more as I'm your mentor! I dared to challenge a decision of a legitimate ruler and St.Cuthbert taught me a lesson. A lawful family has been destroyed through our action and this will torture my mind till the end of my days"
"I should have killed him as soon as we've found out and turned myself in. This would have been honourable and the tragedy would have been averted! It was a test and I failed!"
"You didn't know all the facts at the time to pass judgment! For all that you knew he had been jailed unjustly!"
"I KNEW he was evil!! That was enough! I won't fail again!"

They were sitting there for a while in silence. "I apologise for my disrespect! I should not question you!" Eolar looked at her and a tortured smile scurried over his face. "Sometimes you should as the last days have shown. But don't let your heart blind you! And don't make it a habit!" With these words he left her alone. She stared at the face of the patron statue in front of her. After a while she got up and went to the room of paladins, Ozul had guided her to. She was looking at the paintings and the oath, waiting for something to happen. She realised that she came to this room in the hope Ozul would be here to tell her what to do. But he didn't have to. She knew it all along.

An Honest Days Work

Slouched and desolate, Mendez orders another brandy. As normal when having a crisis of confidence, he seeks the fastest avenue of escape. His inebriation though will only last so long.
“Excuse me son, but you look a little down on your luck.”
Mendez looks blearily around.
“I’m looking for someone who’s good in a scrap. I’m guessing by the look of you that you can wield that little sword of yours?”
The small, portly man beside him is greying and well past his prime, but has an honest face.
Perhaps this is the way forward? Honest work for an honest wage.
The older man introduces himself as ‘Garris’ and explains to Mendez that he needs someone to guard him and his ‘package’ on a journey to a town along the coast called ‘Redford’.
“I’ll pay you a gold piece a day and you can work for me as long as we both get along.”
Wiping his chin, Mendez agrees and shakes the little man’s hand.

Waiting for Kruddo

There's slow, but this is ridiculous.
Even Moritz has given me his character sheet!
(Or his interpretation of one.)

All’s not Well in Seawell

The Adventurers mill around Seawell with mixed feeling concerning recent events.
Rather than setting the world to right, they seem to be the cause of as much evil as good.
The news has just reached town of the death of the Duke of a nearby territory and his entire family. No one seems to know the exact cause, but the adventurers have a sinking feeling of responsibility.
Add this to the fiasco with the Baron of Seawell itself and the whole region has become politically unsound.
The unpopular Baron was driven out or killed by unknown assailants. His Daughter and heir has also disappeared.
Normally this would be a minor problem, except for the recent execution of the last Mayor and the suspicious, some would say ‘rigged’, election of the current one; Mayor Parsons.
Some people are saying that the secretive ‘Thieves guild’ has gained control of the town and are running it to their own ends.
Also, both the major churches in Seawell have been actively seeking greater power and authority. The Church of St Cuthbert and the Church of Hextor. Ironically, this has led to the further breakdown of order.
Looting continues throughout the town and the city guard are stretched dangerously thin.

Also see: http://dungeontales.blogspot.com/2008/07/res-election.html

A History of the Forbidden Lands

There is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the fall of the first empire of the furnace coast. The few reliable written sources all date from at least half a millenia past its fall, and most histories rely on orally transmitted myths and legends as well as two notable folk songs, The Lay of the King's Curse and The Fall of Theynar.

Most historians agree that Theynar, the capital city of the first empire, was situated somewhere on the border of the region known now as the forbidden lands. Its early history was stept in blood and warfare as it fought a continuous war, first to absorb the neighbouring city-states of the Inland Sea (also known as Lenthan Lake) followed by a swift campaign against the budding cities of the Furnace Coast. It was also plagued by several invasions orcish and goblinoid tribes from the west, stories of which have survived into modern times. While the complete sequence of events is lost to antiquity, most sources do hint at the ruling line of Theynar turning to the magical arts to stave off the serious problems facing the empire. By drawing upon sorcerous means, they were able to keep the whole region of Lenthan Lake, as well as the furnace coast under their rule. Still, even with this power at their disposal, their resources were spread thin, and at some point the Kings of Theynar turned to fiends and demons for aid. It would seem to be this fiendish connection which finally led to the destruction of the empire. The exact circumstances of this destructions are not known. The two songs mentioned earlier both consider this event to be caused by a spell cast by its ruler. The Lay of the King's Curse describes it like this:

Fair Leana, falling swiftly
River steals away her ruin

Sorrow robs the Sorcerer's senses
Nerull's song he will sing next

Fell words flowing from the wizard
Land itself reveals its loss

Carrion once, now creatures rising
Death brings living to their doom.

Fertile lands, now fields of ashes
Life in Theynar forever lost

Laughing now, the Lord of ruin
Casts his final spell, a curse

Time is shattered, torn is fate
loom weaves final weak lament

Shadows creeping, stretching tendrils
Drives the fleeing throng past death

The song describes the casting of the spell as a precursor for cataclysm, the final act of the king of Theynar, driven mad by jealousy and grief. The King's Curse, suggests that his young queen, Leana, fell in love with a prince of the furnace coast, and threw herself from her tower as her infidelity was discovered. The King's Curse seems to favour the queen and her lover, casting the king as a villain driving his wife to suicide and destroying his realm out of spite. This view is not echoed in the Fall of Theynar, which seems to suggest that the young prince was in the process of assaulting the city in order to steal Queen Leana away from her husband by force, as the following stanzas suggest:

Watchful City! Wake to Carnage!
Landlocked Master of Lenthan Lake.
Winding Streets! Wake to Slaughter!
Steelshod foes move silent and still.

Saintly Leana! Stir and Listen!
Courting Prince creeps in your chamber.
Sleeping Consort! Sorcerous King!
Still the casting of savage spells.

Noble Princess! Know the Price!
Handsome face hides haughty horror!
Usurping Villain! Youthful Folly!
Lascivious gaze turns love to loss.

While tragic stories of starcrossed lovers seem to capture the attentions of wandering bards everywhere, it is more likely that the cause of the unnamed prince' assault on Theynar was a battle for control over the resources commanded by the first empire. What does seem probable, is that the current state of the forbidden lands is due to a magical cataclysmic event, likely of an infernal or abyssal nature. The horrors that were unleashed, were so immense and profound that even to this day, few dare enter the forbidden lands.

Those few who return, tell strange stories of horrible creatures, a strange landscape and a treacherous land where time and space itself is twisted and corrupted. Even the humanoid tribes do not venture far into the wastes. There have been stories of isolated communities eking out an existence within this region, and some sages have speculated that the King's curse may not have reached the entirety of the area, but others scoff at these tales dismissing them as mere delusions.

Repercussions: The Butterfly Effect

Chapter 1: Eothan

Eothan sat in the ducal loge, his heart pounding with youthful excitement as he watched the warm-up matches of the morning. It was only the second time he would represent his House in the Equal Ground's Challenge. The tournament was as old as anybody could remember. Whenever the ruling family had a male heir over sixteen he would represent the family in the tournament. The rules were simple; anybody, regardless of birth and rank could challenge the duke's son in a sportive fist fighting competition. Nobody knew exactly where the tradition came from but the people liked it and usually the duke liked it too. The respective heirs had to either train hard to become competent fighters or they would get free lessons in humility, both commendable qualities in a young noble. Nowadays those challenges were usually quite good natured and serious injury was rare.
Eothan looked over to his father who sat a bit further down the loge. His heart sank momentarily as he saw the ashen colour on his face. In recent years his father who used to be a bear of a man had looked more and more frail. But then the duke turned to him and smiled. It was a fond, honest and deeply confident smile. Yet Eothan's heart nearly broke at seeing the ever darker curtain of pain through which he knew his father looked out at the world. He fought down the feeling. This was not the day for brooding. He nodded to his father to signal that he was ready. The duke nodded back and then grinned impishly at his son. Eothan knew that his father had no doubt in his mind that Eothan would remain victorious throughout the afternoon. He was not quite so sure himself, but he was looking forward to finding out.
As Eothan left to make his way down to the changing rooms he was nearly run over by two excited men. One of them was Tarek, a young guard he barely knew and the other one was Bran the swordsmaster of the castle and Eothan's mentor and teacher.
"There has been a raid at the customs house, we have injured men. You better come with us, Sire.", Bran said with uncharacteristic agitation. "At the customs house? What's there to raid?", asked Eothan puzzled, already accelerating in the direction of the castle gate. "I have no idea, he was there..." said Bran indicating the young guard who was already falling behind the two men.

Ten minutes later the three men were standing in the stirrups of their horses watching the chaotic horde of raiders running like the devil. The scene at the customs house had been horrifying. They had been greeted by the dead body of one man and the dying figure of one of Eothan's other teachers; Alun, the former sowrdsmaster and one of Eothan's father's closest confidants was lying in a pool of blood. He was also the reason they were not charging the strangers. "Don't follow them, go straight to your father and tell him what happened. Go! Now!", he had insisted with as much strength as he had left.
Eothan wanted to hunt down that scum. He was shocked and confused. He couldn't make sense of any of this. Why would someone do such a thing? One of the strangers was carrying something which looked like another person, Eothan noticed as he had started to pursue them again. Then a dwarfish looking man dropped the body. Eothan rode towards it. It was a gaunt, unappealing man. Bran was shouting at him all this time. Alun had insisted they go back.

Chapter 2: Lady Mari

Mari was unusually tense. She sat in her private bedroom which was the most ostentatious sign of the state of her marriage. The pieces were finally set into motion, all she could do now was sit back and let events unfold. She didn't like it when she wasn't in control. Maybe that was why she was so tense, now that all she worked for for so long was finally falling into place. Maybe, however, it was also a tiny pang of guilt, or even regret. Be as it may, it was too late for such uncertainty now. Mari distractedly combed her long hair as she mused how things came to be the way they were.
She had been very young when her parents arranged for her to marry Arwen, the young duke-to-be. Politically they were a perfect match. Her family was minor nobility but wealthy, he was the heir of one of the most powerful duchies but his family was never very good at raising money. The political strength of this combination turned out to be its personal downfall. She enjoyed and expected the lavish lifestyle she had grown up with. The young duke on the other hand was at times hard to distinguish from his most humble subjects, with his constantly unkempt hair and dirty hunting clothes. It was disgraceful that she should marry such a brute who mixed with lowly servants. And even worse, once they had been married he loved her with a fierce devotion that first baffled and then annoyed her. He loved her with the same unselfconscious, single minded intensity he had in everything he did.
And then she had met Meldron. He was the complete opposite of Arwen. He was a true noble, a gentleman, and he knew how to treat a Lady. He had originally only come for the funeral of a distant uncle of hers, but because the winter had been severe, he had to stay. They had fallen in love quickly and passionately and at first she had worried about nothing. It was unseemly but not unheard of for a noblewoman to have a lover. It was only later that Meldron started to make certain suggestions. About how his love was so true and eternal that he could not bear the thought of leaving her, that they were meant for each other. Bit by bit he convinced her that Arwen was the only obstacle to a golden future. That together, they could have it all, the Duchy, the lifestyle and happiness.
Meldron found reasons to come every winter and after she had born her first son, he became more and more insistent. The plan was simple. They would poison Arwen in a way that would make it look like an unknown illness and after an appropriate time had passed she would remarry.
The problem was that Alun the old swordsmaster caught them and exposed their crime to Arwen. Arwen was furious and would have probably killed Meldron there and then. With great effort she could convince her husband that she would tell the world that Eothan was Meldron's son should he kill him. They both knew it was very unlikely but the stain of such an accusation would not only ruin the honour of his house, but very likely the life of his son. So Arwen decided to lock Meldron away and Alun was oath-bound to keep the secret between those four. The years after that had been difficult. Her relationship with Arwen was poisoned and while he was polite to her it still pained her that he was entirely cold to her. He made it clear that she could remain his wife on paper but that he would cast her out on the first sign of betrayal. For a few years she was desperate. She did not know what to do. But then she started to build contacts. She began to recruit ruthless men that would help her without asking questions. This was still too dangerous though. If someone could trace them back to her all would be lost. This was when she had the idea to trick unsuspecting adventurers into her scheme. She had tried many but they all failed in the first test to rescue her. She couldn't work too quickly otherwise a band of robbers would cause rumors. She had been careful and patient and now she was closer than ever.
She just hoped that Arwen would drink his wine today. And that Eothan would believe her.

Chapter 3: Meldron

When Meldron regained consciousness he was being dragged into a small room by what must have been young Eothan and a guard. The boy had knocked him senseless after his useless 'saviours' had left him behind to save their own cowardly skins. He slightly turned his head and looked at the young man. This confirmed what he had suspected even in their short encounter on the field. Eothan was clearly not his own son as Mari had led him to believe, or wanted to believe herself. One look at the boy was enough to know that he was the duke's son through and through. This was a problem.
Meldron felt lightheaded and weak but he was not prepared to lose the initiative in what was his first chance to freedom in fifteen years, and very likely his last. He found it hard to think coherently.
A short time later he was alone with the boy who had sent the old man and the other guard away to get the duke. Time was running out. This was all not going well. Eothan was shaking him and asking him questions he could not quite understand. But the boy clearly had no idea who he was. He didn't even seem to know whether he was an innocent bystander or part of the attackers. Meldron carefully shifted his weight in Eothan's grip. He looked around for anything that could help him. One step at a time.
Then his eyes focused on Eothans belt.

Chapter 4: Lord Arwen

Arwen was still waiting in the loge for his son to come out and enter the tournament when Bran, his swordsmaster, stormed in breathlessly: "My Lord, there has been an attack. At least four men are down, including Alun.". "What are you talking about?", asked the Duke bemazed. "An attack, Sire, on the customs house. We have a prisoner. Alun commanded us not to pursue but come directly to you, Sire."
The mention of Alun and the customs house made the Duke snap to attention. "Where is the prisoner? Take me to him at once!", boomed the Duke. Bran led him down the corridors and pointed to the room where they had left Eothan and the prisoner.
The duke rushed ahead and pushed open the door. And then, he froze mid-stride, so that Bran and the guard collided into his back. The duke stood stock-still and then, after a long moment he let out and roar of pure animal pain and rage that the walls seemed to tremble.
After that, everything happened very fast. The guards still could not see what had happened when the old Duke charged into the room roaring like god's own angel of vengeance. Just before he hit his target, Bran caught a glimpse of the prisoner;
He was standing over the bleeding body of Eothan, holding a silver dagger.
When the duke reached the prisoner the impact didn't even slow him down. He carried the prisoner for another ten feet; He didn't feel the sharp pain in his stomach and he didn't hear the muted crack as Meldron's spine broke. The raging duke was smashing the tattered body into a nearby column and only after it was completely red with blood did the duke toss away the body. It fell to the floor like a broken doll.
When the duke turned around, eyes bloodshot and breathing heavily, the guards were still standing in the door.
"LEAVE!", bellowed the duke, "LEAVE US NOW!". Both men knew better than to argue with the duke.
The duke knelt down and mechanically picked up the limp body of his only son. His eyes clouded as sanity quickly bled out of him with every tear he wept. The old duke stumbled to the door, out into an empty corridor. He turned three times before he reached his destination.

Mari looked up at the sudden intrusion. Speechless she watched her husband lay the body of her son on her bed. Arwen closed the boy's eyes and turned towards her. Mari looked at her husband but there was nothing to recognize; His eyes were the eyes of a dead man. The man she knew had been burned away in the dark fire of grief and pain. He stared at her but his eyes did not see her, nor did his mind register the look on her face. Regret.
The duke took a stumbling step towards her and only now did he seem to realize that a silver dagger was sticking out of his tunic just below his ribcage. Bewildered he pulled it out. His body tensed one last time before he collapsed forward.

Epilogue

After long moments of silence from the duchess' bedroom, Bran nervously knocks on the door. There is no reply. After a few more tries he tentatively opens the door. Inside, the young Sire lies dead on a bloody bed. The duke kneels before his duchess in an awkward embrace. There is no movement. The whole family he has sworn to protect lies slaughtered. Bran gently pulls a silver dagger out of Lady Mari's breast. He recognizes the weapon. It was a gift from father to son, a talisman in battle.
On the silver blade, in ornate letters it reads:

Thus that which is the most awful of evils, death, is nothing to us, since when we exist there is no death, and when there is death we do not exist.

New banner and character sheets

I’ve doodled up a new banner, which Assif will hopefully post up soon.
Also I need the character sheets for Eolar, Elogyn, Kruddo, Telfis and of course Wer.

The Great Duke and Moll Experience Swindle

This is where we all are:

Chen Yong: 16,236 xp (Goes up to 6th Level!)

Bodush: 37,576 xp (Goes up to 9th Level!)

Durin: 31,495 xp (Goes up to 8th Level!)

Wer: 35,250xp (Stays at 8th Level... Just)

Eolar: 41,855 xp (Stays at 9th Level)

Elogyn: 18,486 xp (Stays at 6th Level)

Mendez: 43,599 xp (Stays at 9th Level)

Kruddo: 17,668 xp (Stays at 6th Level)

Thesis: 30,593 xp (Stays at 8th Level)

Telfis: 40,260xp (Goes up to 9th Level!)

(Telfis also gets: 6,925gp)

Treasure

Wood Bandits:
- Larissa's payment: 7 moss opals (green), 906gp each
- 4 Bastard swords
- 4 Chainmal shirts
- 4 Repeating Crossbows (Heavy)
- 4 Sudded Leather

Guards
- 1 Bastard sword
- 1 Repeating crossbow
- 1 Bag of Tricks (Gray)
- Incriminating key ring

Vengeance Squad
- 2 Bastard swords
- 2 Chainmail
- 2 Repeating crossbows
- 2 Studded Leather
- 1 Short sword
- 1 short sword + 2
- Larissa's payment: 5 yellow spinel (846.4 gp each)

Experience!

I am not sure how we want to do this. I know we have the rule of thumb that we want to level once per adventure (and certainly Telfis is all for that). However, with the official calculator, even applied very generously, this is what you get:

Character	Wood Bandits	Guards	Vengeance Squad	Dungeoning Skillz	Total
Mendez	2250	810	1440	500	5000
Eolar	2250	810	1440	500	5000
Wer	2800	0	0	250	3050
Bodush	2800	0	0	250	3050
Durin	0	1260	2880	250	4390
Chen	0	1800	3300	250	5350

Fool me Twice

Once safely back at Seawell, the group part company. Mendez though is wracked with guilt.
After a day or so, he makes his way through the turmoil of the city to the, still immaculate, temple of St Cuthbert.
“May I please visit with Elolar and Elogyn?”
He is taken through the silent halls full of acolytes studying the ancient scriptures until he finds himself at the spartan rooms of his friends.
“I’ve come to beg for your forgiveness.”
Knelling, Mendez bows his head. “Twice now I’ve been tricked into foolish rescues and twice you have helped me in my folly. I know that my friendship has cost you and I am truly sorry.”
The normally dashing Mendez looks honestly penitent.
“If there is anything I can do …”
On noting Eolar and Elogyn’s continued silence, Mendez leaves the chamber.
“I really am truly sorry.”

Dreams of Rain and Gold

Thesis curses under his breath once more. It is too damned hot to even sleep here.
When he finally does go off, his dreams are filled with orcs and goblins, their rusted armour mixing with the mud as they lay dead - cut to pieces with axe and sword. The rain lashes and bites into his wounds but it all seems worth it when they find yet more shiny jewels and coins of gold and silver.

He wakes up suddenly and realises he must journey back. It will take him some months, but his decision is made. Maybe he can even find some of his old traveling companions - if they haven't been killed or become too rich to bother adventuring anymore. What would really annoy him though is the thought that they may come across a hoard of magical items and be showing them off when he returned with his couple of crappy potions.

hope you all had fun last night and managed to buy loads of cool magic items you will want to give Thesis when you see him next ;-D

The Convenient Caravan of Lovely Magic

Mendez paces outside his lodgings. His hand unconsciously moving to the hilt of his sword.
He can’t seem to settle. The thought of the prisoner being in that dungeon for fifteen years seems to burn at him. Every day lost seems to upset him more.
His dreams are full of horrid visions of flesh withering through time and strangely, the beautiful face of the lady Bard they'd recently rescued.
Whatever Wer discovers, he'll have to act soon. Nothing can stand in his way or delay his actions…

Except for the magical swords and rings on offer at the Wizards caravan.

Heart of Gold

Mendez looks wistfully at the pretty rings. The ring of protection, the ring of anti-venom and the ring of Petty vengeance all seem to be calling out to him but…
His eyes keep flicking to the ring of shocking blows. A finely wrought electrum ring with diamonds spaced evenly all around the band.
Beautiful, although that’s not the reason for Mendez’s indecision.
Yesterday, the oddly unworldly Monk; Chen had come to him. He too had seen this ring and had asked to borrow some gold in order to purchase it.
Seven thousand gold pieces!
To loan him this much would mean the other rings would be beyond his grasp.
With a deep sigh, Mendez retracts his offer for the ring of protection and heads off to find Chen.

Good friend Mendez

Eventually, Chen is able to rejoin his comrades - though he still seems perplexed at the recent upheaval in Seawell. He peruses what the magician's have to offer, with a certain amount of disdain for the materialistic nature of things. Later, he waits until Mendez is alone, and then approaches him.

"Mendez - I am glad to have found you all again. I would talk with you a while... My meditation has been long and troubled, but I feel I have reached understanding. I will admit that, at first, I did feel that our close brush with death in Seawell was mostly your fault - you agreed to take on the job of rescuing the girl on our behalf."

"Eventually, though, I came to realise that you were as much a pawn as were the rest of us. You did not know that the girl had allowed herself to be taken hostage, or that she was part of a greater plot. You could not have known of the sorceror behind the nefarious affair. I should not have doubted that your intention to save the girl was noble, and I would extend to you my most sincere apologies."

"This understanding was reached whilst I was still in Seawell - before we reached these Magician's and their trinkets. I wish you to know that the favour I will now ask of you has not affected my mentality - that you have my genuine apologies should you choose to aid me, or no."

"As you know I have little need of the adornments that other men find so captivating, yet one of the Magician's baubles has caught my eye for it's usefulness. I speak of the Ring of Shocking Blows, which would surely compliment my combative style. Unfortunately, I find myself short - by about half - of the coin they require... I could barter with Murlynd's Spoon, I know, but think this artifact could be a boon for the group at some point. Knowing you to be a man of affluence I had hoped you may be able to help in this matter, with a small loan? I would, of course, pay you back in full as soon as is possible - but in the meantime you may be satisfied to know that you have helped the collective."

There is something cooking!

Eolar came back to his room.
The day before, he was searching amongst the stalls, until he finally got all the ingredients he needed. He had studied the books in the church library in Seawell and had talked to some of the senior clerics and as there was nothing to do but wait, he had thought it was the prefect time to start experimenting.
He had gotten the vials out and carefully had mixed them together whilst reciting the corresponding parts of the spell. Every now and then he had had to wait for the fluids to mix or the part of the spell to take effect. After the spell had finished he carefully had put the cork on the vial and had to leave it over night.
Fine!Now was the time to see if it worked! He took the vial and looked at it suspiciously. Everything looked fine. It had the perfect colour and the correct viscosity. After opening it, he took a smell. Fine! Finally he took a small sip and immediately could feel the positive energy running through his body. It had worked! And aside from the time it took, it wasn't too difficult. All the studying had paid off! His first home-brewed cure serious wounds potion!

Game Info: Eolar can now brew potions with all spells from the clerics list. Standard prices are:
1st Level: 50 gp
2nd Level: 300 gp
3rd Level: 750 gp
It takes one day to brew a potion and Eolar has to spend a small amout of XP depending on the spell. Prices may vary depending on material component. Let me know what you need and we'll see!

The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul

A mounted figure, broad-shouldered but slightly buckled; a dark and blurry contrast against the haze of dawn's first light. Mount and rider stand motionless; alone the steady clouds of respiration break the eerie stillness of the scene. On the inside the Duke trembles. Inside he always trembles. He can't say any longer what emotion underlies these tremors. The years have blurred the boundary between rage and sorrow. It had been fifteen years since he had made his dreadful decision. Fifteen long years and he was a different man now. An older man, a harder man perhaps. He should have killed this scum of a man there and then. Maybe things would have been different. Maybe his life and his marriage would not have been poisoned without the perpetual stain of his existence. Maybe he could have truly learned to love his wife after that; and with time she could have stopped despising him. Maybe, but now it was too late. Things were how they were; His soul seemed dead, rotten from the inside. And he could feel his life time draining out of his aching limbs, quickly and relentlessly.

The Duke struggles to unclench his jaw and fists and opens his eyes. If someone could see those eyes now they would startle at their empty stare.

Then, through the mist, a second figure resolves itself into the galloping shape of the Duke's son. The silence shatters as the young nobleman charges at his father with a shrill cry of triumph. The Duke looks up and awakes from his dark reverie. He sees his son and a faint glimmer comes back into the hollow of his gaze. The old Duke straightens his shoulders. His son. He is all he has left, the Duke knows. His heir, his legacy and the honor of his House. They have poisoned and ruined his own life, but here it must end. Looking at the exulted grin of his son coming closer and holding the spoils of the hunt, the Duke makes a vow to himself. Long enough had he remained inactive. When he died, the truth which had haunted him for the last fifteen years and now threatened to dishonor his line must die with him. Maybe it was time to end this.

In a small dark cell, a world away from the bustling festivities above ground, the figure of a man paces through the lazily dancing shadows of two candles. The man looks gaunt but his posture is upright. His face a is grimace of anxious anticipation, the man trembles. He could not have described his feelings since the midget had magically appeared in his cell the previous evening, evidently sent by his woman Mari and promised to give him back his freedom. For fifteen years he had prayed to every god that would listen to get back what was stolen from him by that bastard the Duke. He had taken his woman, his freedom and eventually, as time had passed mercilessly, his life. How he despised the man. There had been times when he wished the Duke had killed him instead of letting him rot in this hole. But now the time for despair was over. Events had finally been set in motion. The time for revenge was near. Oh how sweet this revenge would be. For fifteen years he vainly longed for the moment that seemed within his grasp now. He would finally take back what was rightfully his and the accursed duke would pay. It was time to end this.

Here comes the Magic Show!

On the first day of the great Tournament and with great ballyhoo come the wizards. Even though their robes have seen better days and their pointy hats are tattered, they are an awesome sight. The group had been expecting some merchants strolling through the woods selling minor magic and trashy trumpery. It soon becomes clear though that these gentlemen mean business. And surely it makes sense to have real wizards accompany those wares if only to defend this display of highly precious merchandise. Bodush leads the group through the hastily erected stalls. After some time of aimless browsing this is the list he comes up with:

WEAPON
bastard sword +3 (18,335 gp)
- sheds light in a 20-foot radius (as a torch)
bastard sword +3 (18,335 gp)
dagger +3 (18,302 gp)
dwarven waraxe +3 (18,330 gp)
- sheds light in a 20-foot radius (as a torch)
heavy crossbow +2 (lawful) (32,350 gp)
heavy mace +3 (Disarming) (50,312 gp)
javelin +3 (18,301 gp)
Judgement Hammer (64,315 gp)
kama +3 (18,302 gp)
- sheds light in a 20-foot radius (as a torch)
light flail +3 (18,308 gp)
longsword +4 (32,315 gp)
- sheds light in a 20-foot radius (as a torch)
mighty composite longbow (+2 Str bonus) +3 (18,600 gp)
mighty composite longbow (+3 Str bonus) +3 (18,700 gp)
morningstar +3 (18,308 gp)
- sheds light in a 20-foot radius (as a torch)
scimitar +3 (18,315 gp)
- sheds light in a 20-foot radius (as a torch)
screaming bolt (257 gp)
shatterspike (4,315 gp)
trident +4 (bane of monstrous humanoid(s)) (72,315 gp)
bastard sword +3 (18,335 gp)
dagger +2 (8,302 gp)
gauntlet +2 (8,302 gp)
greataxe +2 (8,320 gp)
greataxe +3 (18,320 gp)
- sheds light in a 20-foot radius (as a torch)
greatclub +3 (18,305 gp)
- sheds light in a 20-foot radius (as a torch)
greatsword +3 (18,350 gp)
heavy mace +2 (8,312 gp)
heavy mace +2 (8,312 gp)
heavy mace +3 (18,312 gp)
kama +1 (2,302 gp)
light crossbow +1 (seeking) (8,335 gp)
longbow +2 (anarchic) (icy burst) (72,375 gp)
longsword +3 (18,315 gp)
nunchaku +2 (shock) (18,302 gp)
orc double axe +1 (2,660 gp)
- sheds light in a 20-foot radius (as a torch)
quarterstaff +2 (8,600 gp)
siangham +3 (18,303 gp)
sling +2 (shocking burst) (32,300 gp)
30 arrow +4 (32,330 gp)
bastard sword +4 (frost) (50,335 gp)
composite shortbow +3 (18,375 gp)
dwarven waraxe +3 (holy) (50,330 gp)
- sheds light in a 20-foot radius (as a torch)
life-drinker (40,320 gp)
light mace +3 (ghost touch) (32,305 gp)
- sheds light in a 20-foot radius (as a torch)
longbow +3 (18,375 gp)
luck blade (142,960 gp)
mace of smiting (75,312 gp)

RING
Magic Animal Ring (7,050 gp)
Purple Dragon Ring (2,125 gp)
Purple Dragon Ring (2,125 gp)
ring of Antivenom (6,750 gp)
ring of Bone (7,000 gp)
ring of Defense +1 (4,000 gp)
ring of Demonic Control (10,000 gp)
ring of Demonic Obedience (25,000 gp)
ring of holy spells (25,000 gp)
ring of invisibility (20,000 gp)
ring of Madriel's Blessing (55,600 gp)
ring of Might (4,000 gp)
ring of Might (4,000 gp)
ring of Petty Vengeance (500 gp)
ring of protection +2 (8,000 gp)
ring of shocking blows (13,000 gp)
ring of the ram (16 charges) (2,752 gp)
ring of True Sacrifice (168,000 gp)
ring of wizardry II (40,000 gp)
ring of x-ray vision (25,000 gp)

ARMOR
chain shirt +1 (1,250 gp)
darkwood buckler (205 gp)
full plate +2 (5,650 gp)
full plate +2 (shadow, improved) (20,650 gp)
full plate +3 (10,650 gp)
full plate +3 (invulnerability) (37,650 gp)
hide armor +2 (shadow, improved) (19,165 gp)
large steel shield +1 (1,170 gp)
large steel shield +1 (moderate fortification, animated) (36,170 gp)
large steel shield +1 (spell resistance (15)) (16,170 gp)
large steel shield +2 (electricity resistance) (22,170 gp)
large steel shield +3 (9,170 gp)
large steel shield +4 (ghost touch) (49,170 gp)
mithral large shield (1,020 gp)
mithril shirt (1,100 gp)
scale mail +4 (silent moves, fire resistance) (37,950 gp)
studded leather armor +4 (shadow) (19,925 gp)
tower shield +2 (4,180 gp)

POTION
potion of blur (300 gp)
potion of blur (300 gp)
potion of cat's grace (300 gp)
potion of cure moderate wounds (300 gp)
potion of cure moderate wounds (300 gp)
potion of cure serious wounds (750 gp)
potion of cure serious wounds (750 gp)
potion of darkness (300 gp)
potion of darkvision (300 gp)
potion of displacement (750 gp)
potion of eagle's splendor (300 gp)
potion of enlarge person (250 gp)
potion of flame arrow (750 gp)
potion of haste (750 gp)
potion of heroism (750 gp)
potion of heroism (750 gp)
potion of levitate (300 gp)
potion of owl's wisdom (300 gp)
potion of owl's wisdom (300 gp)
potion of remove paralysis (300 gp)

WAND
Contagion (l3, cl5) (32 charges) (7,200 gp)
Eagle's Splendour (l2, cl3) (36 charges) (3,240 gp)
False Life (l3, cl5) (6 charges) (1,350 gp)
Invisibility (l2, cl3) (6 charges) (540 gp)
Lightning Bolt (l3, cl5) (33 charges) (7,425 gp)
Major Image (l3, cl5) (12 charges) (2,700 gp)
Mirror Image (l2, cl3) (19 charges) (1,710 gp)
Owl's Wisdom (l2, cl3) (39 charges) (3,510 gp)
Slow (l3, cl5) (4 charges) (900 gp)
Web (l2, cl3) (45 charges) (4,050 gp)

Happy bidding!