Descent to the Tower

334WeDeTTTo

As the party looked over the railing of the ship a series of shouts brought their attention to the crows nest. One of the crew was pointing frantically at the sky as several leathery flying creatures swooped from the direction of the sun into the chasm.

On that back of each of these large creatures were two people strapped into a unique harness. The first two creatures to swoop past them were occupied by familiar faces. Jason, Colin and Mary, the latter smiling and waving at the group as they rushed downwards.

“They are after the tower too!” Lucile called as she brought up a large crossbow and launched a shot towards one of the descending fliers. “Alex! Can’t you make this thing go any faster?” to which Alex replied with just a grunt as he whirled the wheel around causing the ship to tip towards the chasm and descend at a rapid rate. But it wasn’t as fast as the fliers. With a turn around a jagged corner of the chasm they came across a sight that they didn’t expect to see.

Andrasa’s tower was intact. A large section of stone on which the tower had been built was wedged between two parts of the chasm. Between them rose a magnificent tower that defied the pull of the chasm’s floor below and rose toward the sun above. Already the ship’s crew and party could see the winged leathery reptiles landing and humanoids scuttling off their backs and onto the towers foundations. The creatures then took flight again towards the walls of the chasm.

“It looks like they are taking a fortified position. Or to what little extent they can!” Jessica said as she raised a telescope to her eye and looked down. “A group has gone in but some remain as a welcoming party for us. This won’t be easy if we have to try and land safely whilst being under fire.” she repeated as an arrow or bolt whistled past the railing and over the ship.

Thoughts

So an assault of a tower to discover what lies within. There is two parts to this encounter and adventure which I am excited to share with you this week. Trying to get of a flying ship, or any vehicle, whilst being shot at by arrows would be difficult but with a party of seasoned adventurers this shouldn’t be a hard task. The hard task is once they breach the towers walls.

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Information is Gold

333WeInIGo

The Rastabar great library was massive. A few large windows let in bountiful light from the second window which made the rows of books, scrolls and parchment seem to glow. Several people were walking around in here looking at parchment or arguing loudly whilst looking at a different books. A few librarians wandered around and helped deal with requests for information or the location of certain tomes or scrolls.

“Hi there, can I help you today?” A woman asked from beside them, her presence barely noticeable before she spoke. “I am Mary, Mary Cepwell and I ‘kinda work as one of the helpers here. If there is something I can help with please let me know.”

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After finally looking through the library for hours, and some help from Mary Cepwell, the party opened a book “The creator of Rastabar”. Delving through its pages they came across a sketch and a description of the tower, well what it would have looked like centuries ago. Apparently the tower was one of many created and maintained by the great sorceress called Andrasa, the arch Magus. Each of these towers held one of her treasured artefacts, one was the house of her Guardian Brightsteel, another was a where she conducted ceremonies and rituals to foresee the future and another, her primary keep, was where she created her artefacts and stored her wealth.

There was also some landmasses and descriptions of events that happened at the time which, without context, were impossible to locate or understand what they were. Taking note of the information they quickly left to report back to Lucile. However they were unaware of the many sets of eyes that watched they head towards the door, or the flash of a mirror from a window to the outside.

Thoughts

So as with the series of adventures around the heist this part of the adventure plays out very much like that. a place, a piece of information they need to ‘heist’ and some people which they have to work with or work out. It doesn’t matter if they record the information, memorise it or just steal the book as long as they locate it and report to Lucile who can piece it together for them.

The second part of this is the potential interception which can be either a combat scene and then running from the guards OR it can be a chase scene where the party have to dodge the assailants as they try and make an escape.

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The Cliffs of Rastabar’s Clouds

332WeTClORaCl

The call to brace and to man the sails came too late and suddenly for the party to do anything but stare as a wall of rock and dirt loomed in front of them on the other side of the cloud. Luckily the crew of the ship were well trained and knew just what to do. Springing to action the men and women onboard raced to the ropes and Halyard and with a speed and efficiency that only comes from practice the sails flared and caught the breeze.

The ship bucked suddenly and swerved away from the rocks that jutted through the cloud. As they moved alongside the rock, the edge of one of the boom’s scratched the surface of the rock causing loosened rocks and dirt to shower the deck. As they looked up, a momentary clearing in the clouds revealed the floating island of rock and dirt. Vines and plants grew in the soil and rocks which housed different fruiting and flowering plants.

A flock of birds flew off into the clouds away from the ship as it passed. The passengers on the ship marvelled at the colours and slowly as the crew and captain called the orders they started to drift through a few islands composed of floating stone and earth. However their destination loomed ahead and as they looked upon it the rumours appeared to be true. There was land that was in the clouds near Rastabar.

But looking at this land and the glint of sunlight from polished stone columns and ruins on the large floating island it was clear. They weren’t the first people to discover this marvel and perhaps there was something dangerous in the clouds.

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Trouble Brewing in Trenchold

331WeTrBrITr

Untrustworthy

As the party walked towards the destination that their guide had provided them, a sudden noise from within the trees and rocks made them stop. Voices, and quite a few of them. Relieved that it was just humans, probably fellow travellers or those in search of the same thing that they were, they began to approach the noise. That’s when they heard it.

“Are you sure that’s what the boss said? That an easy target would just waltz into these woods? Are they stupid or something? Everyone knows that this is our turf and that no one gets through without being robbed.”

“Shut it! That’s what the boss said. Now no more talking, I heards something. The scouts will be here shortly and then we can make our move.”

The party stopped and looked around and sure enough there were a few people making their way towards them. They had three options now and not much time to make it. Flee, hide or fight.

No Place like home

Following the tracks from the road they found themselves heading towards a cave. However before they could set foot inside the yawning portal a rank stench wafted over them as the wind changed direction. Bodies, the same kind of humanoids that the footprints belonged to which they had been tracking. They glanced up towards the mouth of the cave just in time to see another body of one of these humanoids being thrown out from the cave mouth by something large and obviously strong.

This had complicated things. Perhaps the creatures plaguing Trenchold were not the vicious murders that they had come to believe. Either they were coerced or had been forced from their home and were robbing and stealing under threat of death. The bodies attested to a larger foe that didn’t hesitate to kill the smaller humanoids. Something had to be done or the attacks would not stop.

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Rising Water

330WeRiWa

Slowly the faithful climbed the steps to the alter at the edge of the river. The signs that had been seen of the resumption of the war between the ancient forces that had lay dormant for centuries. However something had woken them up and they were called to serve the deities that had once saved them from the volcanos wrath.

As the elders from the village gathered, all of them water Genasi’s they marvelled at how quickly their prayers were heard. The rain hammered down upon the village, the river and the mountain and their connection to the water grew. However elsewhere something else was rising.

Beneath the crater at the peak of the mountain something was gathering. The surface of the lake occasionally bubbled as molten rock pushed closer to the surface causing the water to heat. Fish and other aquatic animals died in the hundreds as the water temperatures rose too high and yet this was just the beginning.

Drawn to the surface

The first signs that something was wrong, apart from the flooding of course, came when boiling rain started to pelt the village. The adventurers were first to the front lines as creatures comprised of smoke, steam and mud flew across the sky and the village was filled with screams.

Something was going wrong at the peak of the mountain as more of these creatures could be seen fighting above the peak like a giant cloud of flies. Drawn to the source of the trouble the adventurers marches forth, walking past the shrine by the water where the bodies of the villages elders lay beaten, torn and broken.

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A Boon Rescinded

329WeABoRe

Furious Count Ottar stormed down the hall and towards the hall where the adventures waited. How dare they claim a boon that was meant to be his. He had orchestrated the attacks and lead the giants to siege the cities defences. But that was so his victory would seem even more magnificent. With the outcome predetermined and success in his corner all he had to do was request for aid and prove to the people of the kingdom that he was a better leader than the lost heir they waited on.

With his own boon claimed he would be king. He would claim the throne as what was rightfully his. But instead these adventurers came out of no where and silenced war by bargaining peace with the giants queen. He didn’t even think it was possible. He had spent every last penny he had in a dozen giant killing arrows and he was going to ambush the queen and claim the prize. But that was all for naught now.

Broken Oaths

Slamming opening the door he saw the interlopers looking calm. “Seize them! I have received word that they collaborated with the giants to stage this assault. Knowing full well that the kingdom would do anything to be saved they waited until the promise of a boon was issues and then finalised the deal. These fiends are not heroes they are anarchists and traitors to the crown!” he roared gesturing a finger at them. The guards, the low heirs men and women looked startled and confused.

“But sir. They rescued us. They save our lives. We can’t arrest them.” One guard said, someone who had been there at the front lines against the giants.

“Refusing this request is to go against the crown and treason!” roared the count. “Consider this A Boon Rescinded.”

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The Masters Hand

328WeTMaHa

The night was cold and dark and the winds howled with a ferocity that mirrored the beast within. However that was outside the windows and shutters. Inside the tavern, the Painted Tulip, it was warm, comfortable and the evening was just getting started. Several people swarmed around the table that he sat at and as the drinks flowed so did the time. A long few hours ago the sun had set and he could sense the creatures in the alleyways who were already stalking their prey.

On the other side of the city a painfully bright point of light could be sensed, but not seen. But to one as old and with senses as keen as his it was as if all the buildings were made of glass. Averting his gaze he looked up on the men and women who practically crawled over him. Then from the corner of his eye he spotted a group of people sitting at a table. Why were these mortals not paying attention to him?

Centre of attention

Standing and he approached the group from across the room. His movements were predatory a mere glide as he strolled over to them.

“What brings you to Narlowglen good people? Are you seeing the sights or here on business?”

“Business, we have a job to do” one of them proclaimed.

Interesting, he thought. “Can I offer you a drink? I dare say that I do love learning about what attracts people to this city.” he asked.

“We’re here to kill monsters” another said bluntly.

Well, new players have entered the field. This quiet city just got more interesting…

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Deities Act Through Prophets

327WeDeAcThPr

The feather quill made from a hippogriff feather scratched noisily away at the parchment scroll in front of her. As the ink flowed from the feather quill the same images appeared in her mind. Faces of now familiar people, certain clothing in a certain pose but this time the surrounding elements were different. The last scroll she was bid to create had them fighting against holy warriors of Selune but this one was a stark contrast. In fact this one had those same warriors healing and showing mercy to those warriors as they welcomed them into Shar’s fold.

The images flew unbidden and with an urgency that she could nearly taste. The level of detail and the need to have this created exactly as the image was in her mind nearly caused physical pain. But as she scribed down, coloured in the scroll with different inks the image came to life.

Relief and the unmistakable sense of reward and pleasure rushed through her nerves and she was rewarded by her goddess. It had been a long time since she had questioned the will of Shar but the rewards she was given, the power she felt coursing through her veins was enough to even hide her guilt at misleading her followers. They didn’t need to know that the prophecy was the work of her and a quill. Shar had a plan and she was her instrument.

Thoughts

This week is about deception and cunning. Shar has been planning take overs for years in the lore and so this week I wanted to bring that to life.

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Heart of Revelry

326WeHeORe

The party followed the shouts and whoops that echoes through the trunks of the trees and bounced from the canopy of leaves. The flickering light of a fire caused shadows to dance on the trunks of the trees and between the bushes. As they approached the source of the noise and the light a manic sight greeted them.

Dozens of Satyr were dancing around a fire in a clearing. Bottles, flasks and jugs of alcohol were being consumed in vast quantities as the Fae revelled wildly. Several of the Fae carried weapons, short swords, spears and short bows with quivers filled with arrows as their frenzied celebration escalated further.

Then a great hush fell across the revellers as groups of them fell silent. A solitary figure strode from a tree, another fae creature for sure but this one appeared to be a beautiful woman with flowers and leaves braided through her hair.

The Corruption of Willow

“Brothers and Sisters,” the woman began in common before her words drifted into a different tongue which, luckily, a party member spoke. “We have begun striking back at those that would harm our forest and our kind. The humans, the people of the village can not be trusted as their words are like poison that festers the roots of our forest. For many years we have aided them and kept them alive. But for what!? They still hunt the creatures we call friends, they still tear down our trees and our woods for their own selfish reason! No more!” As she spoke the flowers and leaves in her hair wilted and a darkness spread across her eyes.

“I say we finish what we started. We have taken their reason to celebrate. Their crops they grow their alcohol from were planted in what was once our land. Their food is our friends, the creatures of these woods and the bounty of our good will. Next we take back the first thing we gave them in friendship. Next we take their lives!”

As her speech came to a crescendo the satyr whooped and cheered, blowing into horns and practically bleating for bloodshed. As they rushed from the fire towards the village the party realised with sickening quickness. They were in the path between the marauders and the village.

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