The Long Journey South....

Rosencrantz, Rowyn & myself (Nanoc) were in Tilverton at the horse trainers place securing our transactions for mounts for the three of us in anticipation of heading south to Anabelle in order to look for a wardog for Rowyn and her animal handling proficiency. After procuring our mounts, we ran into a gentleman we recognized around town. He had some priest with him. Once he saw us he came running up to us, introducing us to this new priest/cleric named “Aurien” (forgive me Cameron if I misspelled that one!) Apparently, south in Sembia is a town aptly named “D-Town” where these kidnappings have been taking place. Aurien was sent here by the high priestess in order to locate some adventurers, through this gentleman we saw about town, to do some investigatory work into these tragic events. We have quite the stellar reputation ’round these parts, so they came to us. We agreed to have Aurien join our party and take on the task of heading down to Aurien’s hometown (D-Town) and see what exactly the situation was. […and how much money we’d make….hey, heroes got to eat too] The group also decided that since we were heading south, we’d take the job of delivering the parts for the gentleman who had asked us to do so many moons ago. We met up with him and for 100 gold each we’d deliver the chest to a wizard in Thurmaster named “Tauster.” (Toaster)

After stocking up on supplies and striking out on getting the wizard a gauntlet to punch enemies, the party of four embarked on the 200 mile journey from Tilverton to Anabelle. This session saw a whole lot of traveling. We stopped in small towns in between stops, looking for anything worth checking out. Nothing of note comes to mind.

After about a half days ride we made it to Anabelle. This is definitely a place we need to get back to and check out. There are some wizards there as well as a mercenary for hire place. Anywwhoo, the party decides to head for the dog trainer. However, to our dismay, he has left town and headed to Sembia. (Which is another country as we’re in Cormeir right now. “D-town” is actually in Sembia). Rowyn decided to explore around the city and look for anyone who may have known where the dog trainer went. After speaking to some guards and after getting ridiculed and hit on, Rowyn found out that we needed to find some sea captain who may have known exactly where in Sembia this elusive dog trainer headed off to A woman named “Murmine” would know how to find this captain.. We needed to hole up for the night and wait until morning to look for this woman who worked as a local constable or something to that effect.

The following morning, the municipal building and asked to see Murmine as instructed. She could not see us but one of her “minions” could. We spoke to this gentleman about the dog trainer and he said he is in “Milbourne.” His name is Naftan. So no sea captain afterall. We had the information we needed so we decided to keep it moving and continue south into Sembia.

At this point, Nanoc is going through “blood lust withdrawals” due to the majority of the time spent traveling or searching for this infamous “dog trainer, Naftan.” We continued south through some hole in the wall towns and finally made it to “D-town” in Sembia without incident. Finally home after the long trip to Tilvetton, Aurien took us to his temple. He had the temples workers ready our rooms. We showered and joined back up for a home cooked meal by Aurien. Let me say, that was the absolute BEST meal any of us have had in quite some time. It sure beat tavern food. Good job Aurien. We were informed that we would not be able to see this “high priestess” until morning. Yet another night holed up waiting for information.

The next morning we were granted audience with the high priestess. We were taken into her chamber and immediately, Nanoc becomes smitten with love and adornment toward this high priestess. She informs us of the situation with the kidnappings and she asks that we “gather information only” regarding these kidnappings so that they may deal with them. Nanoc thinks that the group should do this for free for this beautiful woman, the rest of the group, not so much… After coming to an agreement that “we’d get paid for the information we bring back” [With Nanoc not wanting payment, her love would be payment enough….]. The high priestess told us that there are 2 - 3 different places where these kidnappings were happening. She wanted us to investigate where ever we saw fit, one, or all of the spots. We decided that we’d go to Milbourne for the war dog and “H-Shire” since it was in the same area as Thurmaster where we had to deliver the chest. Both were in the same direction, east, now that we’ve traveled south many miles. [Yes, we are officially in another country now!!]

The group decides to get back on the road and continue this long, drawn out journey to Thurmaster and stop in Milbourne & “H-Shire” on the way. After some travel, the horses are really tired so we dismount and continue to walk. As we’re walking, we pass four farmers, 2 of which, nod as they pass. Just as they are passing, two arrows shoot toward Rowyn and two arrows shoot toward Nanoc from the woods on the sides of us! [Now Nanoc happy!] Suddently, the farmers yell “GET HIM!” and point at Rosencrantz!

Nanoc and Aurien pull out their darts. Rosencrantz begins casting shield. Rowyn pulls out her daggers.

Nanoc blasts one of the “soon-not-to-be-archers” with a dart. He’s injured. Rosencrantz casts shield. The farmers surround us. Some surround Rowyn (2) and the rest pretty much know Nanoc is the biggest threat so the rest come at me. Rowyn keeps getting blasted by these farmers. Aurien does some damage to the “fat farmer.” Rosencrantz then shoots 2 magic missles at one of the farmers and he is hurt. Rowyn ends up getting killed and is now laying on the ground. The remaining farmers who were attacking Rowyn decide to rush Aurien, our only healer. Meanwhile, Nanoc slays one and is getting beat on pretty badly. That is until Rosencrantz takes out 2 injured farmers with his last magic missle. That leaves 3 farmers. Nanoc has 2 attacks this round and rolls a 20 on his first attack. Extra attack anyone? So with that Nanoc gets 3 attacks and MURDERS, SPLATTERS the remaining 3 farmers. Aurien heals Rowyn and we dust ourselves off and head to Milbourne.

The party arrives in Milbourne around 7PM that night. We wander around this small town for a bit and see some stables that say “Naftan.” Natually, Rowyn gets excited as this is the dog trainer. After knocking on his door, Naftan answers and we explain why we are there. Naftan is oddly enough, very very accomodating and overly nice. He lets us stable our horses at his stable and then he suggests that we head over to the “Baron of Mutton” inn and stay there. He highly recommends it. We speak to him about our sneak attack that just happened and Naftan seems very surprised that it is so close to Milbourne. He also suggests talking to “Gayrold,” who is the local constable in Milbourne, about the kidnappings. Apparently, this town hasn’t been hit with a kidnapping yet. The party stables our horses and head over to the inn.

The party sees an old man who is going blind. It seems that everyone in the place reports directly to him. We sit down and get some food. After dinner and some hanging out, the group heads up to our rooms for a bath and some much needed sleep.

The following morning, we wake up to quite the commotion. After speaking with a gentleman we ran into downstairs, it seems as though a woman named “J-Love” was kidnapped last night from the inn. Her boyfriend “A-Dog” comes up to us (Seeing as how this town doesn’t have people walking around with weapons…) asking us if we could help. We say maybe. The group heads upstairs with “A-Dog” and “J-Love’s” father, “H-Dog.” We search the room. Window is locked and can only be locked from the inside. The door was unlocked and there was no sign of forced entry. All of her things were still present as well. Strange. So as we scour the room, “A-Dog” pulls out “J-Love’s” bag of spell components from under her bed. We can tell her father “H-Dog” isn’t very pleased as he storms off, finally seeing that his daughter was a magic user. “A-Dog” tells us that she had been working with a wizard named “Tauster!” Funny, we are delivering a chest of components to Tauster! The plot thickens!

We head back downstairs and run back into the gentleman we had spoken to before. Turns out he is “Gayrold.” We ask the inn owner if anyone was on watch last night and he said “B-Dog” [A-Dogs brother] was working last night. He yells and “B-Dog” comes running. Turns out that we were the last guests to arrive and he closed everything up around midnight. The front door was still locked and again, no signs of forced entry.

…And that’s about as far as we got yesterday.

Clifton's Keep

Nanoc, having heard around town that the party was in Clifton’s keep, clearing out the castle, headed out of Tilverton to rejoin the group. After a days travel on foot, Nanoc reaches his destination: Clifton’s Keep.

Having already cleared out the entire first floor and Clifton having a wizard open the magically sealed door, Nanoc heads directly for the door to the first floor. He opens the door and notices that there is nothing to hold this thing up. Screw it. I’ll go in anyway. Closing the door behind him Nanoc realizes that now the door is sealed and he won’t be able to get out this way. Drat. At least I’m down here with the group…. If they are still alive that is.

After some bumbling in the dark Nanoc hears something… or someone. Turns out, it’s Rowyn, Rosencrantz, and Minasha. Thank god. Now to get out of this infernal place. After scaring the bejesus out of the group, who by the way, were adventuring with little to no light, the party fills Nanoc in on their latest trials and tribulations. Now with a light source [yay Nanoc and his oil flasks] the group decides to go and try and slay this “gelatinous cube” that was locked inside a room in the keep.

The group heads back to the room with the cube in it. Rosencrantz casts shield […and has the highest saving throw versus magic…] and is used as the first line of defense. Who woulda thunk it? A wizard taking the lead in a battle! With room, Nanoc pulls out his darts and begins firing them in succession at the “gelatinous cube.” After some beating, the cube finally is slain as it melts to the floor in a puddle of ooze. The group gathers their projectile weapons. I know Nanoc had to clean his darts off…

Now to finish clearing this keep and find a way out of here. It’s not looking too good right now. The group does some more meandering around the keep. They stumble upon a room where there is piles of treasure laying next to a chest. All glowing green. Rosencrantz whips out his trusty copper piece and immediately throws it into the green light. It vanishes. Rowyn, drunk with money lust, lunges toward the booty. In a flash of light, she also disappears! By this point the party is freaked out. So in a moment of brilliance, Nanoc and Rosencrantz decide they will tie “Rosy” to his rope and will have him go into the green glow. In a moment, Rosencrantz disappears with Nanoc! After a few minutes, Minasha comes teleporting into the room. The group looks around.

The group is now in a room with a large circle in the middle of the floor. After some thought, discussion, and deliberation, [and Rosencrantz’s magic copper piece] they decide to jump onto the circle as a group so they will teleport together. We are now in a room with numerous sarcophagi lining the walls. 2 on the south walls, another 2 on the way up to the north wall and 8 [I think…] against the north wall.

After inspecting the room, the party finds that there is no real way out. So Nanoc tries to move a sarcophagus himself. Won’t budge. Finally, after everyone gets in on the act, the cover to the first tomb is opened. A green light appears. Deciding to maybe go through the tombs first and then play with the green “teleporting light,” seeing as how the group doesn’t have many options and light is running low, the party starts opening the tombs one-by-one.

[NOTE: This is not the exact order of what happened, although I know Jason noted the order and which had what in it.]

By now, we know that the first sarcophagus opened dealt with the teleporting. Moving along, the group opens the tombs one after another. In the first 2 they find silver, lots of silver. In the next tomb, there is light inside and something is starting to crawl out! Battle time!

The group then decidedly attacks this “tomb zombie” together. Rowyn gets hit and feels a cold sensation creep over her chest where she was wounded. That did not feel good! After some combat the zombie is subdued. [You go last, ha, ha!] The group returns to happily plundering through the tombs.

In the next tombs, the group finds more silver bounty. Yum. Moving along, one of the tombs is opened and Rosencrantz and Nanoc are hit with a magical mist! Suddenly, and without warning, ALL our metal items turn to dust! [In case you’re counting, I’m on my thousandth 2-handed sword at this point]. And I mean everything even the steel that came with the flint. Uh, oh! Our light source is starting to run thin….

In the next tombs, more silver is found and a scroll with some markings on it is found.

It says:
[Again, not word for word]
In order to get out, say the following words.

Ohwha Tagoo Siam.

There is also a map with it as well denoting on it the place where to say the “magic words.”

Now that all the tombs are clear, the group decides to try this teleporting “green glowing glow” again. They move the proper sarcophagus and the green light appears and the group one-by-one heads into the light.

Everyone appears back at the doorway that led to the original room with the chest and green glowing treasure. Except when they enter the room, the chest and the treasure are in another corner of the room. So the group decides to have Minasha cast “detect magic.” After doing so, the group checks out this room and the surrounding hallways and walls. They see another wall outside of this room glowing. But we can’t get out of it yet. Let’s try to teleport again now that the chest and treasure is in another part of the room. The group decides to have Rowyn and Minasha wait in the room with the chest and treasure in it. If we’re not back in 5 minutes, we tell them to go ahead and jump through the teleporter.

Before the five minute mark hits, Nanoc and Rosencrantz come crashing back through the door. It appears that this teleporting thing is leading us nowhere! After some more thought, the group heads over to the spot on the map and says the “magic words.” NOTHING happens. And I mean a whole lot of nothing. So now out of avenues, the group walks up and down the corridors and all around chanting the words “Owa Tagoo Siam.” Still a whole lotta nothing.

After numerous tries at different intervals and after making themselves look like fools running around chanting these “magic words” Rowyn finally says something with the pronunciation and suddenly, a door appears! Yay! We can get out now!

So the group finally gets out of the keep, very rich may I add. [Ballin’!] Battered and broken […and with no metal on Rosencrantz and Nanoc. Can anyone says AC10 for Nanoc at this point…?]the group heads back to Tilverton. As night starts to swallow up the day, the party sees a group of bats over head and they are starting to swoop in!

Battle time! So now with no armor and no sword, Nanoc is forced to fight with a club. After some time battling the bats […And with Nanoc at like 11 HP left…] the group finally kills the last bat. After a bit more travel, the weary adventurers make it back home to Tilverton for some much needed food, sleep, and supplies.

END OF SESSION

A Long Wait

Rosencrantz poured another flask of oil into the lantern resting on the floor as Nanoc and Donlosia slept soundly on a bed nearby. Knowing they really couldn’t lift either of their two sleeping friends, they hesitate to step further into the room. Deciding at first to let them wake up of their own accord, Rosencrantz and Rowyn waited about half an hour in silence.

“Well, daylight will begin to fade soon and if we don’t do something, things could get much worse,” Rosencrantz mentioned worriedly. “Let’s drag them off the bed and see what happens.”

Rowyn opened the main doors to the keep that were through the foyer and antechamber of the keep before reaching the bedroom they were in. With as much light as possible in the entryway, they dragged Nanoc off of the bed. His body crashed against the ground in a gigantic heap of metal chainmail links with wooden plates fixed to them. Despite the landing, Nanoc continued to sleep soundly. They then proceeded to drag him outside in front of the main doorway.

Then they grabbed Donlosia and repeated the same procedure. Again, she slept as if she were at home in far away Amn. She was just as loud, but somewhat easier to maneuver. With both bodies outside and remaining unconscious, now their concern for their friends grew evermore.

“I think we’re going to need someone to try and remove the effect that the bed seems to have had on them,” Rosencrantz thought back to his days studying different types of magics and how they operated. This seemed to him to be some form of enchantment, which was subtle and guileful and not to his liking. As an invoker, Rosencrantz focused his studies on destructive magics and through his learning, eventually became so removed from other magics as to barely be able to understand them. He always felt that enchanters and illusionists were never to be trusted and certainly his instincts were not letting him down.

“How about if you go back to Tilverton and get help from the temple of Gond while I watch over the bodies? We can drag them around behind the keep, where we’ve camped before. Come here, help me take off their packs, armor and weapons so it will be easier to get them back there.” Rosencrantz looked at Rowyn and then nodded towards Tilverton and then behind the keep as he spoke.

The two began working as fast as they could while the afternoon sun began to make its trip toward the western horizon. Soon, Rosencrantz was watching the diminutive elven woman making her trip to Tilverton and thinking to himself about what he would do in the event of another set of Kobold guards to replace the ones they had defeated.

Then, he began to wait nervously.

Into Darkness...

The group pondered the situation and asked questions of the box. It simply replied, “Oh, well then….nevermind,” then it spoke no more. Perplexed, they eventually moved on to explore the rest of the keep. Exiting from this room, the group traveled down a hallway and before they could get very far, they noticed Rowyn had stopped back a little ways and had picked up a small, expensive hat box from the floor.

She hummed quietly to herself inquisitively as she ran her fingers along the string holding the box closed. There was something sticky on the string that got on her hands, but this didn’t slow her down in opening the box. As she opened the box, her hands began to burn. Her hands were badly burned by whatever corrosive substance was on the string. The box fell to the floor and a dusty old red hat rolled out. It was a fashionable women’s hat that was quite stylish for its time. However now, it was moldered and rotted and past its prime, much like the rest of the keep.

Wrapping some rags around her hands, she then reached down and picked up the hat. Inside of the hat, a platinum pin was fixed to the top. Pulling it out cautiously, she peered at it and then stowed it away to hopefully sell back in Tilverton.

“Now this, is actually worth something.” The dark green ichor on her hands had been wiped off onto her leather armor. There the ichor began to burn and stain just enough to leave a permanent reminder of the hatbox.

Moving into the next room, an old dusty bed was found situated across from what was once a great fireplace though now the mantle is all but destroyed. As the group entered into the room, Donlosia and Nanoc immediately start making their way for the bed. Rosencrantz and Rowyn pause for a moment to watch as the two climb into different sides of the creaky, canopied bed.

A small cloud of mold spores and dust flew up as Nanoc’s gigantic body, in full armor, fell upon the mattress and frame of the antique sleeping quarters. The bed seemed to barely hold Donlosia and Nanoc. As quickly as they laid on the bed, both passed into a deep slumber.

Rosencrantz looked at Rowyn with the same bewildered look that she was currently gazing, open-mouthed, at Rosencrantz with.

“What do we do?” she asked. They waited for a few minutes and then a few more. As the lantern’s light began to dwindle, they started to size up their options.

Kicking a Metal Box

As the group entered into the first antechamber, a musky aroma reached them from the carpets. Apparently weather is getting through the roof from the smell. Even with holes, however, there was not enough light to see further than this first room. Rosencrantz takes a few moments to fish out his flint and steel to spark the wick in the lantern after filling it with oil.

A soft yellow light washes over everything revealing a better view of the disrepair of the keep and the decomposition of the furnishings. Looking around, there is a door ahead and an empty doorway to the left and right. They move to the door and find it unlocked.

Passing through the door, the next room has little rubble and trash along the walls but nothing of interest. There was another door ahead of them through here and empty doorways to the left and right. Instead of continuing onward, the group decides to go back and check the other empty doorways they found closer to the entrance.

Turning around and going through the door on their right, they find a sitting room with tables and plush chairs dominated by a fireplace along one wall. Poking into the fireplace shakes out a large, dark shape that immediately takes flight around the room. Swooping around, it manages to land a hard bite on Rowyn’s arm.

Once it took the time to land and bite her, the group could finally make out what it actually was; a very large bat that they must have frightened from its slumber. It takes flight again and the group makes a few wild slashes at the air. Quickly, the bat is cut down and dealt with.

Going across to the other side of the antechamber at the entrance, another similar room is furnished with more chairs than tables and a fireplace to match. Rowyn pokes her blade into the chimney above the fireplace and some loose timbers fall on her. Still reeling from the batterng, Rowyn staggers back while Nanoc checks the rest of the chimney. A loose brick is found and behind it is a small cubby hole with an ornamental silver dagger. The group decides to let Nanoc hold onto it. This room, like the other room with the bat in it, both had one empty doorway leading out to the far side.

Deciding to double back again they checked the room on the far side of the first furnished sitting room. Stepping over broken vases and candelabras, this next chamber is similar in size to the furnished room with one doorway through the wall on the right at the far end of it. This room contains many variously sized metal boxes from as small as a bread box to big enough to store furniture.

Each box was all metal with no obvious hinges or handles. Upon further inspection, they were even void of any openings at all. Soon the group began to tap on the boxes which eventually turned into banging. Suddenly, a voice boomed from a pile of the boxes.

“Who’s there?” a deep voice asked from one of the largest boxes. The group froze.

Rematch

As the sun reached directly overhead, the group approached the base of the hill that Bargle’s hideout sat upon. Rowyn leads the group over to the eastern wall where they spied the kobolds through holes in the wall yesterday. Looking through, again it seems the kobold defenses are present. Nanoc’s grip tightened around the handle of his two-handed sword with anticipation.

Sneaking back down the hill again and moving around to the western side so as to not let the kobolds see them while they move around the outside of the courtyard. Slowly stepping up the other side, the group slips into the gaping crack in the wall and each take spots behind various chunks of rubble. All of this happens seemingly undetected.

Donlosia listens carefully to the kobolds conversing. They seem to be discussing food and other chatter that she can’t quite make out. She is convinced that they are unaware of the group’s presence.

Simultaneously, the group looks to Nanoc. “I’ll lead the charge, follow me or keep your cover but we want to rush them with as many numbers as possible in order to maybe scare them off,” Nanoc concluded with a nod. Rosencrantz began to utter an incantation with unintelligible words and gestures. Suddenly his robe was outlined with a soft blue light that surged and faded all within a matter of seconds.

“I’ll give you guys as much cover as I can from back here. I just know I don’t belong up there.” Rosencrantz hefted his trusty staffsling and loaded a finished-stone sling bullet. Shortly after, Nanoc charged with his sword held aloft. Rowyn and Donlosia charged as well, weapons drawn.

A volley of arrows flies past them as they charge and Rosencrantz is hit hard in the shoulder but not enough to take him down. Tending to his own wound, Rosencrantz keeps out of sight of the kobolds after the initial volley.

Meanwhile up close to the kobolds, furious melee ensued. While the kobolds were able to occupy Rowyn and Donlosia, no kobolds could stand more than mere seconds against Nanoc’s onslaught. After a couple moments, the group of kobold defenders stop fighting and break for the keep.

Rowyn and Nanoc easily caught up to the frantically running creatures and Nanoc cut another one down. At this point, the remaining kobolds turn on Rowyn and Nanoc and hold their ground. Fighting back weakly, the sunlight seems to be causing the kobolds pain and they are having a hard time seeing their attackers.

Within moments, Nanoc and Rowyn slew the remaining kobolds with little incident. Aside from Rosencrantz’s wound, not many injuries were suffered on this attempt.

“I guess we can finally head inside this time?” Rosencrantz joked as Donlosia healed the wounded with her magic. Gathering their supplies once more, this time they readied themselves for whatever may await beyond the thick double wooden doors.