Echoes of Fury

345WeEcOFu

The party had moved on from where they first stepped foot onto the monolithic cocoons to explore further and handle more captives, very aware of the thing that lurked in the shadows. Moving silently and quickly as possible they were abruptly stopped by a shriek of unbridled rage. The echoes of fury resounded around the cavern and caused several cocoons with listless captives, and some not-so listless, to become dislodged and roll over the edge and into the darkness of the pit below.

The sound of something large moving through the cavern is the only thing more terrifying than the cries of fury and rage, that and the sound of a thousand legs on the move below them. While the party watched for the skulking foe they moved from cocoon to cocoon completing the task at hand. As they freed one of the captives that were too far gone they felt a spark of power cross down their arms as the captive died at their feet. The spark of power, the energy that came from the contact of these ritual-bound souls revitalised them, making them feel as if they had been at rest for hours.

The magic user in the party felt a greater surge of power and they gained a greater control over the weave around them. The power surging from the cocoons and downwards into a pit of complete darkness was becoming to be visible with the more people they touched and the further they were in the process of the ritual the greater the surge of energy and power the party encountered. Silver strands of energy, of life force flowed into the pit and when the party came into contact with it they felt their own powers restored.

However, it was with a sickening realisation that they were absorbing the spiritual energy of those who were being treated like a power-food source. Like vessels for energy and every time they came in contact with this thread of power they were now supping from the cup – the same way that the creature in the cavern was.

The cocoon that they were standing on shuddered as something large moved across it. The sound of frantic breathing and rage came from all around them as a giant shape reared up in front of them.

“Found you little insects. The Master has bid that I end your life instead of feeding your power to him. I was going to make it quick but you have undone so much of my work. Those captives were mine to feed from and so now your death will be anything but quick. You will wish you never stumbled into my webs”.

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Web of Lies

344WeWeOLi

The first of the spiders dropped from the ceiling next to the party had them taken by surprise, for a moment. An arrow through their head caused the body to tumble over the edge and into the pit with a trail of silken thread floating behind. However there were more and soon the realisation of what they had stumbled into made the parties skin crawl.

The cavern itself was covered in web with bulbous cocoons hanging suspended from great webs near the centre. The light that they had with them enabled them to see the walls, a few web-walk ways towards the centre cocoons and some figures moving in the gloom but the sudden appearance of the spiders came with a realisation as well. The whole area was a giant cocoon.

A nest for spiders, the ettercaps and the drow. The captives from the underdark cities and towns were the food for the brood, an insatiable hoard that had taken over this cavern and was reaching further up into the underdark. Each kill the party made sent another large spider over the edge of the ledge they were on and into the depth. But they were without numbers and they were hungry.

---

The creature sat and watched as the humanoids fought in the tunnels. She analysed their prowess, how they fought and their team work as she sat still on the ceiling and she smiled. She knew that they would work it out eventually. There is no way that there would be that many spiders and her powers only allowed her so much flexibility with the phantasms she could create. But still as a means for tiring our these interlopers it was a useful tool in her arsenal. It also aided in distracting them from the ambushing party that was approaching them from behind.

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The Butcher Rides

343WeTBuRi

The party checked the shutters on their windows as they lounged in the Whispering Oak, a tavern in Ravenscreek. They had arrived the morning of the second day of the spring festival and had been shocked to find a town in mourning. The town was known for its cheery disposition and ties to nature due to the large elven influence in the town. But they had found that there had been a murder the night before and many of the key witnesses had been drunk or swept up in celebration.

The accounts of what had happened ranged from a single orc dressed in black robes leapt from a building and cleanly took off the Mayor’s, Elenore Bucklewheat, head with a sword to a ghostly spectre had rode in upon a flaming horse and taken her head from a wickedly curved axe. The Families of Ravencreek had gathered to ask the people here for the ceremony to help find the murder and several had put their hands up but as the party watched the sun come down man had come back with nothing to show.

As the party went down to the ground floor of the tavern they noticed one of the family members of Elenore was slowly walking towards the door, drunk, and a half-elven man was helping him towards the door. “Come on Cousin, let’s get you home. Everybody’s trying as hard as they can. You saw them at the noon ceremony. We all loved Elenore like a sister.” the half elf said as the gruffer man, Tom began to start asking people to go and look for his niece.

“She… She just wanted to do what is best for the town, you know? She was such a sweet kid. I..” he began before pausing at the door.. “You hear that?” he said loudly, “That sounds like Elenore. It can’t be!” he said as he pushed out the door and ran into the street. The door to the inn faced down the road and towards the west where in the distance the sun was setting behind the old elven ruins. In the dim light there was a figure walking down the road with a horse in their hand. Their clothes were dark and tattered but a voice carried faintly on the wind. “Thomson.. Tom…”

Rushing into the street Tom began to rush forwards with wide arms. The party moved out of the tavern to watch what was going on as something didn’t feel right – after all they had seen the body of Elenore just this morning. As they watched the figure mount the horse and begin to slowly ride down the road to meet Tom it’s voice constantly calling out to him. The party barely noticed the faintest sound of horses hooves, only just barely audible on the cobble stone as it rode past them and sped up towards Tom.

As the last ray of light from the setting sun trickled beyond the ruins on the hill they noticed a darkly clad rider draw a large curved axe from within the roads and separate Tom’s head from his shoulders. The second figure, a form with Elenores face, reached Tom at the same time and caught the head as he fell from his body. Together the dark figures sped off down the cobblestone as the screams began to call out from the onlookers.

---

Elenore and Tom Bucklewheat and now Jake Elarnao now were all found dead. Elenore cut down during the start of the ceremony, Tom was lured out into the open by a figure that looked and sounded like Elenore before a dark rider took his head and the body of Jake was found in a nearby grove for the 3rd days ceremony that he was preparing for the ritual. Each one of them was missing their head and people had heard the sound of horses each and every time.

The fourth day was here and for the last three days a figure had appeared, taken the head of someone from the town and disappeared again. The next time the figure appeared it had more riders and each of them were rumoured to look and sound like those who had been taken. But today the Town had a sigh of relief as the 4th ceremony was of fasting and quiet reflection. No one from the town was to be outside from lunch onwards as they all prepared for the next three days of feasting as they ramped up to the last day, celebrating life and the sun with a noon-feast.

But… As the party moved back to the inn after meeting with the town’s historian and sage they were called to from the store room. As they approached Mae, the sister of Jake, was panicked. “Oh thank the gods you’re here. I tried to stop him but he didn’t listen. Arlorn Ponte hasn’t come back from the woods, I just know it. It started when we found out that one of the boars we had caught yesterday morning had rotted and was infested with maggots. I don’t know how we have cured it and kept it safe and secure as we always do. But when Arlorn found out he headed out saying he would be back before the curfew.”

She paused for a moment. “He said he knew where a boar had been seen. He is one of the best hunters in the village and so he knows his game. He was heading West near the elven ruins. Oh please look for him!” she pleaded.

The party head off moving with haste through the town street towards the ruins – the dark shapes stood out in the setting sun. The day was getting late. As they hurried towards a whistle caught their attention and a young, fair half-elven man was carrying a large boar on his shoulders. “Ah, I ran into some trouble in the woods. Fell into a pit. Managed to finally get out and get the boar for the ceremony but I fear that I will need to repent for my transgression on this day of reflection.” Arlorn said with a deep sigh.

“I thank you for your concern, but I am fine. I have a spring of willow that will keep any foul creatures from me. But I would ask that you help me with this boar, it’s been a long trek through the woods.” As the party passed the first houses in Ravencreek they felt relieved. Soon nightfall would be upon them and if it was as Arlorn said then he would be safe as many of the houses were built from Willow.

“Cousin…” A voice carried across the wind, Arlorn turned around “Is that.. Jake?” he said as he grabbed his bow and knocked an arrow. But as the voice carried on the wind so did two arrows that pierced his chest. Falling backwards he landed on the pavement hard, wheezing but trying to stand. The sound of four sets of hoof beats resonated as the dark figure on horseback was joined by similar figures with the appearance of Elenore, Tom and Jake. The Dark figures mare was horrifyingly quick and in a moment he was leaping from the ground his axe raised. But Arlorn held out the bow and a sprig of willow.

The creature’s raised axe hesitated, a look of hatred flashed across the burnt, cracked flesh from under the hood, and in the beat of a heart the creature hurled itself on the back of the mare. Up close and clear to see in the dying light the mare’s body was sunken and its mane and tail were made from cinder ridden smoke. With a fearsome whinny the creature turned the mare around and kicked out with ember-red hooves into the centre of Arlorns chest pushing the arrows in further and sending the man crashing into the party.

In a matter of moments the four figures were riding back west, into the woods and beyond.

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News from Duraegis

342WeNeFDu

The interrogation didn’t take long as Morali, the ‘young’ priestess of Lolth, was very forthcoming with information. Once the plot was revealed Qistra and Umnel were quick to get mercenaries to confirm the whereabouts of the O’Lorun family. As everyone prepared for the next few days, a retaliation from the Melarn family, the party was able to get some rest.

The party woke up to a rumbling through the building. Asking Izzrysn they discovered that the city of Kalehgrul did this periodically. The devout believed that it was Lolth testing her webs to ensure that the plans she had for the city were still in motion. Asking further questions revealed a horrifying truth, that the city itself was suspended on thousands of calcified webs that had connected it to the sides of the pit they were suspended over for centuries.

After having a meal and growing tired of the plotting the party took to the streets with a loyal member of the Melarn household to shepherd them and ensure no one mistook them for runaways. The streets were busy, they were always busy according to their guide-come-guard as the city never truly slept (being full of Drow and other races of the underdark). Several shops sold fine wares and foods, stalls sold even minor enchanted and magical items, weapons and equipment. This is truly a marketplace where you could find any service or anything for the right price, or favour.

As they were wrapping up their shopping and investigation a group of people came directly from one of the two bridges into the city. They looked haggard and they were escorted by guards who sat them at the edge of a tower that overlooked the bridge. One of the people, an older female drow, grabbed a jug of water and drank deeply from it. After taking a large drink she stood up and started talking loud enough for the surrounding area to hear.

“We’ve just come from Duraegis. The city has fallen to Driders and other abominations. They came from the deep dark and before we could muster a defence the city had fallen. You aren’t safe! None of us are. The Spider queen is displeased with us and she sends her puppets on her strings to mete out her plan for us. Repent now, don’t think you can fight them as they are coming. There is no place in the underdark that they won’t find you and take you back to the deep dark.” The other survivors cried out and wept as the older drow continued to cry out.

“That’s enough out of you!” one of the guards yelled and pulled her down. “The city of Kalehgrul is safe. Even if there was a real threat of driders and other creatures nothing gets over that bridge. Nothing has for centuries and nothing will. So stop spreading your lies and be thankful we don’t cast you into the pit!”

As the guard began to argue with the rough looking refugees the party was led away by their guide. Slowly they made their way back to the Melarn shop where Izzrysn was and the house guard tried to explain the situation. “We get bandits on the road, some of which can cast illusions like the deep gnomes. People always male up stories when they have been robbed in these parts” she shrugged off the concerns of any aspect of truth to the proclamations of the drow and focused on getting the adventurers back in doors.

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Raiders in the Dark

341WeRaITDa

The Melarn family had, reluctantly from the daughters, agreed to take them back to their house. They waited in the cavern as they watched the Drow wander around the spider’s nest, the youngest daughter, Umnel, moved around the giant arachnids and they moved around her like surface herds.

The father, Izzrysn, moved around and collected the spider webs using a large pole that easily whisked the silken threads from the mushrooms and rocks into bundles. Then he placed them in neat piles on the back of the wagon that was held steady by the calm Rothe which was chewing food from a large sack. After the silken bundles were piled up the eldest daughter, and most unfriendly, Qistra, inspected the silken bundles and took notes in a little book.

Eventually the wagon became full and the party jumped on the back of it as it moved through the passages away from the mushroom forest and the cavern of spiders.

A while later they arrived at a large house that was covered in enchanted torches and braziers that shed light around the cavern. Many Drow and some Duergar worked in the lands around the house. Building, shepherding or moving bundles from a large warehouse near the central house. Izzrysn explained that they were family members, cousins, and it was their duty to the Melarn family to serve his.

Food was served and over an adequate meal of some kind of meat, fungi and something entirely different the party were briefed in where they were. The Melarn family house was near the city of Kalehgrul where they were one of the three largest merchant families. They explained where and how to get the Kalehgrul as well as some warnings of who to watch out for (mainly of the other two major families). The Melarn family, the mother absent from the family house for the time being, was also curious about how the party came to be in the dark and they were interested in the surface world.

A short while after dinner shouting could be heard from outside. Umnel ran to the window before uttering something foul sounding in Drow as she ran out of the room.

“Raiders, I fear that you have come at a bad time. We had heard that one of the other families may be plotting something but to send mercenaries to attack us directly is not something we expected. You four flee and try and make it to Kalehgrul. We can deal with these but they will likely attempt to take you as slaves to be sold in the larger cities such as Duraegis.” Izzrysn said as both Umnel and Qistra came back with large bows, wicked arrows strapped to their thigh and a curved blade on their hip.

“Wait for an opening and run.” Qistra said as she drew an arrow and stepped to the window to let her quarry fly.

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To the Well of Souls

340WeSmBTSe

The party didn’t have much time between the undead starting to move towards the city and when the first of them realised that there was easier prey nearby. As the first of the undead started to move towards the party a strange thrumming started to come from the centre of the ruins.

Fighting back the undead that came towards them they made their way towards the centre of the ruins where they were met by a confusing sight. A paved depression led towards a hole that pulsed with green energy. Undead shambled towards the hole before pausing at the edge. As they watched one of the undead screamed; as much as rotting lungs could allow, and threw itself in the hole. A sudden thrum of power pulsed through the air that made the undead twitch.

Slowly more undead started to throw themselves into the hole and as they did more creatures appeared from the swamps. A skeleton of a giant sloth that was missing an arm near one of the ruins suddenly reanimated after a lizardfolk zombie had launched itself into the pit before the skeleton joined the rotting humanoid a few moments later. With passing moments the undead were throwing themselves into the put and with each pulse of energy, each thrum of the bodies connecting with something below more undead started to show up and something was beginning to feel off.

The party knew two things to be true. The undead must not complete their task, whatever it was as it triggered the creation of more undead. And the second more horrifying fact was that they had found the well of souls.

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From the Swamp they come

339WeFrTSwTCo

The room where the party had managed to bargain to stay in was a store room for the general store. The tavern had been refusing visitors after the last people to stay in Ferklend had burned down the previous tavern. But the merchant they were staying with seemed nice enough and had spare room until the stock from a delivery arrived in the coming days which would fill the room again.

While they were in the town the first thing that came to view was the large wooden walls and barricades that enclosed the town. The guards only let the party through because they recognised Carmine and Jon but warned the party against staying too long. The town itself was mainly houses, a single store that backed onto a similarly protected dock and pier, a tavern and a central hall that looked more barracks than council building.

The guards of the town were hardy, tough and unkind to say the least. But the people inside the city were just the same. Talking to a few, those willing to spend some time talking to the adventurers, it turns out the town is very old, or it was. Based on ruins that they repaired and modified to suit. However over the past few years the volume of undead has increased and they had to rebuild due to damage, fire and the like. The barricades were also recent as one of their own, a man called Rike, accidently set fire to them in his attempt to escape a particularly fast undead crocodile.

The same story was told by all the villagers. The undead attacks were getting more frequent with a sudden increase in volume happening about a week and a half ago. And the other thing that was clear was, most of them didn’t like the man called Rike.

At this point the voice carried over the crowd. The voice was strong and determined, spurred onwards by hope and desperation. Approaching the source of the voice a man was revealed to be standing on the steps to the town hall. “The undead are coming in a wave that none have seen before. This one the walls won’t hold. We must flee now. Flee! We are doomed if we stay as the salvation of Ferklend has not appeared. It’s all there in the ruins outside of the town in the swamp. Why can’t you see? The heralds of the end appear, the undead arise and only the power of the heralds can push back the undead tide…”

“Where are these heralds huh?” Called one rather butch looking woman who carried a basket of root vegetables. “Get out of here Rike. No one wants to hear your garbage any more!” she called, many others echoed her thoughts.

Rike looked around helplessly before his eyes fell upon the adventurers. “Warriors from afar, wielders of magic and steel. Just as the ruins foretold,” he began as his knees wobbled. “I was right.. The ruins .. Oh gods.. That means…” an unholy roar came from the south. Those gathered around Rike looked to the party and then to the south, where the swamp lay. “It’s too late to run…” Rike said as he crumbled to his knees, despair taking over. “The ruins foretold and the well is open…”

Thoughts

A bit of a fun one tonight. A fight at the gates, on the ramparts and outside of them if (when) they fall this week. But this is just part 1 as part 2 see’s the party venture forth to the well of souls. If they survive what I have planned that is.

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Smoke by the Seaside

338WeSmBTSe

The view from the sea was peaceful and the calm waves helped alleviate the tension from earlier. The spot of fishing earlier in the day had caused quite the commotion when one of the sailors had something take the bait bigger than what he had intended. However, the adventurers had stepped in and both the sailor and the crew were ecstatic at the result.

“We are approaching Nigrun, we will stay here overnight before heading to the last town a bit further along the coast two days’ travel from here. The next town is Ferklend port, the doorway into the Tulkore jungles. Not the most pleasant of holiday destinations due to the Carrion Swamp beyond that but it has its riches to be made in those dank waters.” Jon said from the helm of the ship towards the party standing nearby.

A few quiet moments went by as they moved closer to Nigrun before Jon broke the silence “That’s odd. I didn’t think it was the end of the season yet, they must have had an early harvest.” he said as he pointed to the amount of smoke along the shore. “The people of Nigrun mainly deal with trade but they have enough fertile land nearby that it makes a fair bit of wheat and straw. Once they have finished their season they burn off the refuse and spread the ash on next year’s crops to boost the soil. A clever bunch really.” he added as he turned the wheel to get ready to dock at Nigrun.

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The cold journey hadn’t been as quiet as they had hoped but after they left the beast’s territory it left them alone. It had been a few days on the sled and the weird, giant ox-like creatures that pulled their sled seemed to have accepted the party’s presence. “We will stop for a day, or two at Nigrun. I have lodgings there for the beasts and then I swap to something that can cope with the warmth of the lands around Tulkore as we move towards Ferklend port.” Carmine called behind her. The weather was clear enough that she didn’t need to shout or call but her voice carried a directness that the party still wasn’t used to.

Standing up in the sled, Carmine pointed to the north east. “If you look there you can see Nigrun and its green hills about half a day away. We will be there at nightfall but not much later than dusk as I don’t want to push the animals to move at speed if we don’t need to.” she said as she turned to pull out a spyglass. “If we wanted to, we could get there in half the time.” she said as she turned her spyglass to the sea before a small smile crossed her face.

A few hours later Carmine checked on the party and her other passenger, Viktira before turning to check on the town of Nigrun with her spyglass. Standing upright as she checked she called back to everyone with urgency in her voice. “Hold on, something is not right at Nigrun. I am going to get as much as I can out of the beasts and get there as soon as I can.” she said as she passed the spyglass backwards. The party member grabbed it and looked through the device at the seaside town. A ship was docked in town but a few buildings were smoking and charred. A crude barricade had been formed from wagons and wood around the town with smoking sections standing between the town and the road heading east. Something was definitely not right in Nigrun and from the concern in Carmine’s voice the party were in for a bumpy ride.

Thoughts

Both modes of transport cross over in Nigrun for a bit of town defence. How the party continues on depends on them and the next day or so as they defend Nigrun from attackers. After that though its a pretty smooth shot to Ferklend port and beyond that. The Carrion swamp.

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Secrets Of The Spire

337WeSeOTSp

The blood of the Winter Wolves still cooling on the ice outside the party moved towards the spire. An archway that nearly glowed with a blue light was carved into the side of the ice and the party wasn’t quite ready to wait around to see if there were more members to the pack. Despite being tired and cold, the party were pleased to find that inside the spire there was no wind and it even felt a bit warmer than outside.

After a hundred feet or so the hallway they were moving down opened up into a large dome with jagged ice walls. In the centre of the otherwise smooth flat room was a platform made from ice and a statue rose from the middle. The statue looked like it had parts broken from it as cracks in the ice had worn away at the appendages of what it used to be.

But the bulk of the statue appeared to be male, some would consider him attractive. With the damage around his arms, torso and hairline it was impossible to see what he would have looked like and as they drew closer to the statue it looked like a few drops of water would occasionally drip from the ceiling and freeze into the cracks forming on its torso, acting like glue to hold it all together.

“I will have to ask you to stop there and turn away. The power of this tower is not for little folk like you.” a loud masculine voice rolled over them like thunder. “So turn around and flee like the vermin that are drawn to power like you are.” The owner of the voice revealed himself, a large frost giant that had an uncanny resemblance to the statue that Jardi had made offerings to at the top of the Platara Ridge. A giant great axe that thrummed with power rested on the ground in front of him as he sat against the wall, a giant winter wolf lay at his feet and licked his jaws at the party.

“Like I told that bitch Andrasa, I don’t bow to no man or woman. I will continue my sacred duty and watch over this cursed place. So you run along now lest I cut you apart with Fjedrisil and feed you to Platara.” he said calmly as he scratched behind the wolf’s ears.

Thoughts

So this adventures conclusion is the encounter with demi-gods of the Platara ranges. The Party will ultimately decide the outcome whether its a fight or not, but there will be some more important dialogue to come as we perhaps understand a bit more bout the spires purpose, or maybe not. This part of the adventure is not guaranteed to give information out to the party. They have to role play to get what they seek and I am ready for it.

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Echoes From The Glacier

336WeEcFTGl

The food that was piled upon the table consisted of meat from animals that lived in the frozen plains. However there were the occasional tough and fibrous vegetable that the tribe informed them grew near the mountain peaks. Goats, snow leopards and even seals were on the menu and everything was heavily salted.

According to the tribe the further north they travelled the land descended towards the sea where food was much more plentiful. However tribal law prevented them from staying there too long lest they consume all the food source. As the party were regaled with tales of a giant sea beast that the tribe had attempted to hunt once the tribal leader, Fenwick, stood suddenly.

The tent fell silent as all faces turned to him and he slowly turned to the east. “I fear,” he began as he closed his eyes and focused more, “I fear that the feast is now over. Something approaches across the ice towards us that threatens the safety of this tribe. Please ensure your belongings are packed and ready to move at a moment’s notice. We leave at dawn unless sooner for none shall rest tonight.” he spoke as he refocused his eyes towards his tribe’s people.

A shrill shriek resounded from outside and several warriors from the tribe rushed out. Following them the Party was greeted by the sight of the warriors searching around a watch tower where a series of foot prints and drag marks lead into the distance. It wasn’t long until the calls for lost loved ones echoed around the camp and as the first flecks of snow started to descend upon the plains the decision had to be made.

Abandon the lost tribesmen or follow the footprints before they were lost to the snow.

Thoughts

So this week is about the journey to the next step of the adventure. That is how do we get to the spire. I believe sometime the first place to start is to have a meaningful hook to propel them forward and the prospect of missing children or family members of a befriended people is a reliable way to get the party motivated.

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