Faerun Adventures

The Yellow Rose Monks ask the Faerun Runners (placeholder until we figure out a good name) to investigate attacks along the King's Road near an old stronghold of the Crimson Monks. They think it might be demon cultists and the tunnels below the once proud monastery seem like the obvious spot for them to be coming from. On the way there, they stop at the Cumin Inn, which seems much unchanged. Greeba finds time to explore...the stables...with an old friend, Sgt Stahlen.  When they reach the ruins, the area seems deserted. Rather than entering from what was obviously the main entrance, they search around and Eamon discovers a back entrance by a grassy knoll with a very deliberately concealed door. Mac very perceptively notices a trip wire just inside and Eamon, with the help of Blurb's Immovable Rod, is able to jury rig the trap so it won't go off.  The party once again ruminates on why none of them have picked up any thieving skills. Inside, they wander the dark, often damp t...

It had been an eventful few months -- Wisteria and Eamon had teamed up to help (hopefully) prevent a war (with Wisteria truly showing a knack for conversion that no one had anticipated). Eamon had fought alongside another brave band and died for his troubles, though happily he had been revivified not much the worse for wear.  Nathia had attended a wedding and spent some time training her cousin, as well as working alongside Greeba in crafting armor...and, of course, spending some time with Arnor, who still seemed a bit shellshocked that the queen had let him return to the surface. Happily, Mac and Gorlock were able to use their charm to get a good price for the extra armour, netting a tidy profit for everyone. (600 gp to everyone other than Greeba and Nathia, who get 1200 gp each, plus an additional 50 gp each to Mac and Gorlock). Joell spent his time perfecting his woodworking skills. Gorlock had spent his time crafting and charming the fey who had accepted his plea to visit -- Ma...

Nathia held her breath as the portal magics took hold--that gut-wrenching feeling of weightlessness followed by the all-too-quick return to normalcy. Her stomach had barely settled when a cool voice greeted them: "Welcome to the Court of Queen Sarastra." They were in a small room, the summoning circle fading around them. Two ShadowFey Guards, practically twins of Arnor, stood on either side of an arched doorway, tall enough that no one need duck. A female fey herald stood, politely but stiffly, in the door. Nathia stood tall and returned the greeting after Arnor made no move. He looked even paler than normal and a sheen of sweat stood out on his brow. She wanted to take his hand, but was not sure how it would be received by either Arnor or the Queen's herald.  The herald, Lissori, seemed pleasant enough. She offered to wash the dirt of the road from them with a cantrip that she flung out with well-practiced ease, even freshening up Nathia's makeup, giving her a sultry...

As the time neared for Arnor to leave, they all prepared in different ways. Gorlock busied himself with managing Gorlock's Palace and putting the finishing touches on a tiara, though he found no one to sell it to, it was so fine. Mac mostly tended the bar, though no one remarked if he occasionally took a drink himself.  Greeba spent her time tending to her small foundry and training her apprentices as gently as she knew how while Eamon, Joell, and Wisteria each disappeared into their rooms for long periods of inner reflection.  It was the Goliath who could not sit still. Nathia spend the last two days furiously cooking and baking every unusual recipe of her gran's she could think of: a layered grumpfl so green it nearly glowed (using up nearly an entirely parsley plant from Arian's garden), misshapen bon bons the size of apples and tasting of summer, traveller's sandwiches large enough to quench the heartiest appetite. She hoped they might prove unusual to one such as t...

After Blurb had harvested what he could from the dead spider, the party returned to the myconids to tell them that the deed had been done and they would no longer be troubled by the giant arachnid. The myconid leader gave his thanks and, when asked if they could do anything else for them, merely replied that fertiliser was always wanted. Nathia debated about the feasibility of re-directing the Fort's waste system down into the tunnels, but realised they were too far, even as the crow flies, for that to be feasible. So, she promised them bodies aplenty, if they ran into any troublesome things. The party explored on and soon came across more spiders--giant, swarms, and additional J'ba Fofi as well as the ape-like creatures they had seen tracks of -- quaggoth. But far from being friendly, as the myconids had indicated, the quaggoth (and the spiders) immediately attacked.  Blurb immediately responded with a well-placed moonbeam spell, and Greeba with javelins. Wisteria, once she g...

Arnor had been concerned for some time about sounds coming from the barred door in his bedroom that led down to the caverns below the Fort. When they had a moment, the group gathered there to investigate, Nathia somewhat distracted by her worries over Arnor's imminent departure. Would this be their last adventure together or would she be able to talk the others into accompanying him at least part of the way down the shadowy path he must walk? They discover creepy derro attempting to break in via the door and follow them down into the darkness, their insane-sounding ramblings promising trouble to come unless they were all taken care of. The invaders were swiftly dispatched, and the party were happy to see that the drakelings were still alive and well -- and friendly.  Determined to root out the rest of the derro infestation, they press on until they found what appeared to be their main encampment. But it wasn't just derro that they found; no, there were giant bats, cockatrice, a...

Bent over her anvil, Greeba was putting the finishing touches on the forged steel sculpture in the shape of a bard’s lute.  This will be placed on a plinth in the Druid garden in Fort Skulnar, in memory of the half-elf bard Trystan who laid his life in the battle with the half-dragon twins.   Greeba wiped her brow with the back of her hand.  The garden was getting full of her steel forms - a wolf’s paw, representing Arian the elf druid, a lighting bolt for the young sorcerer Xarius, a highly decorative, if not sharp, knife for Errol the halfling rogue... The life-sized paladin shape representing Thibault was placed more centrally, in the middle of the grounds, as it was to him that the Fort was bestowed by the local Duchess.  Greeba thought of Bryn, the elvish lady thief who first offered her friendship when she reached these parts, and not for the first time thought of making a memorial for her - but she fell before the taking of Skulnar, and at least her body ...

 Errol: "There are my notes. I sometimes scribble down some notes when I have some spare time... ;-)  Apologies for the bad style, I don't have time to write chronicles while I fight spectral demons and whatnot!" Entering the Crypt of Green Shadows, we are at the crossroads room at the bottom of the stairs: 3 doors for N,E,and W. Took the eastern door: a dead worm is in the tunnel but we can't see much else due to some magical darkness obliterating everything. Three octopus-like creatures (Gricks) attack us unsuccessfully. Progressing in the tunnel, we meet three Shadow Fey Guardians. One of them, Tilmarandë, tells us that their leader Zaraka got killed earlier. The room where we found the guardians has some statues and tapestries with writings describing three heroes (Krythitas the elf paladin, Hassan the human wizard & Tymande Firestorm the half-elf Warlock.). Nathia is suddenly inspired by the picture of the female Warlock Tymande who has her arms crossed and d...

Arian's last accounting. Looking at the group of survivors, the adventurers weren't sure what to do. The vampire and wraith had been turned, but for how long? It was obvious that the villagers would not be able to help in a fight, not even Bruf, for all his blacksmithing muscles. They had to get them out -- and past the ogre. "Mirna, you and the rest, stay behind us. There's an ogre outside the door we need to take care of," said Arian. Mirna nodded, a trace of fear in her eyes. "And," added Arian, "any that can hold a weapon, it wouldn't hurt to be ready, just in case, though we pray it does not come to that." A few of the villagers picked up some of the weapons the skeletons had dropped. All looked scared. Thibault, taking a deep breath and little suspecting what would happen next, opened the door. "Hello Orgry!" he declared. The ogre zombie stood just outside the door, hefting its club and looking as annoyed as something can wh...

An accounting from Arian.  After unceremoniously (and quickly) leaving the wizard's booby-trapped tower and taking Eamon to see the Prior before he rotted away before their eyes, no one was sure what to do. Go back to the tower? Go home? Go somewhere else? But then they heard a rumour of some kind of witch taking commoners and children from a village -- and bleeding them! -- and then not returning them as promised. It certainly seemed a worthwhile endeavour.  Leaving Eamon behind to rest, they approached the manor house with the temple next door. No one was home, though an undead ogre guarded the entrance to the temple. Wisteria thought it best they try to avoid a fight with the ogre and sneak in so as to surprise the priestess (or whatever she was). She managed to cast Turn Undead upon him, which allowed them to enter without a fight. Arian wondered if he would be as amenable when they were ready to leave, but that was a problem for another time.  Inside, they were soon ...