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eveglassRight. I don't even know what number I'm up to, but here is the latest D&D update. It's very long (about 5000 words), so feel free to skip if you're not interested.
D&D Campaign, April 15, 2006 session
(Note: the treasure is divided as follows:
Corrigan -- cloak, dagger, horn, diamond dust
Glothram -- sword, potions, diamonds
Ivellios -- wish sapphire)
When last we left Seb and Corrigan, they were on the senior apprentices' level of Myrthas' Tower. They find themselves at the entrance of a hallway, with seven doors off to each side.
Entering the first door on the left, the find themselves in a semi-circular library. Though there are still books in the bookshelves lining the ceiling, there are also about a dozen books on the ground, where they had apparently struck with some force. At the far end of the room, there is an ajar door.
As Corrigan and Seb cross the room and reach its middle, there is a flash, the tower shakes, and two books fly down from above, striking the pair with a mighty "thwack!" The two books, apparently, are "A Shorter History of Cormyr" and Volume 76 of the "Encyclopedia Arcana." There is an eerie humming from the bookshelf.
Corrigan once more tries to cross the room, assuming that the books flew because of the lightning. But no, once more the books assault her as she makes her way across the room. Though the manages to roll out of the way, she looses her grip on her torch, and it is sent flying to the base of one of the bookshelves. Seb rushes in, braving the flying books, and grabs the torch. As he reaches to grab some of the now-smouldering books on the bookshelves, he is repulsed backwards. Corrigan, thinking quickly, points and calls to the books, and lets them smoulder in mid-air as they fly to her.
Already on the far side of the room, the two make their way to the door. Through it, they see another library where the magic has failed completely. Two hundred books lie in the heap on the floor. Yet again, there is a door at the far end, this time closed and inscribed with a glowing blue sigil. Not wanting to disarm the sigil -- yet -- the two return to the corridor, braving another barrage of flying books.
Through the first door on the right-hand side of the corridor is another library. This one looks mostly undisturbed. Corrigan's torch winks out as they cross the threshold, proving that the magic is still working in this room. Inside, it seems several people had been studying, but jumped up quickly: there are books open on the tables (some of spells, one a history book), mugs, a spilled inkwell, and an overturned chair. The door at the far end of the room is open.
Through the open door, they see a ball of books floating in a ball at the centre of the room, rotating slowing and sending off occasional red sparks. As Corrigan steps foot inside the room, she is swept off her feet and against the books, joining the spinning circle. The force is so strong she can barely breathe, let alone move her arms.
She shouts to Seb to toss her a rope. Quickly tying one end to a heavy stone table, Seb lets about 6 feet of rope into the room. It goes taut and begins pulling itself in. There is a flash of lightning and the ball of books dips and then resumes its previous position. Corrigan struggles with all her might to grab hold of the rope, and Seb pulls it towards him. It is slow, hard going. As Corrigan is nearly at the entrance to the room, he slips and is forced to make up half his progress. At the end of agonizing minutes, Corrigan is finally free of the room and collapses.
Looking up from her faint, Corrigan sees a small male hand, broken at the wrist, sticking out of the ball of books. The golden ring, inset with a green stone on its finger is distinctively Anders'. Corrigan collapses again, weeping. She also realizes that as she was being pulled out of the room, she saw scorch-marks on the inner side of the door, as if someone had tried to force it closed.
Seb sees tracks in this room from the spilled ink-pot. It seems someone, a slight male, had fled into the room now filled with revolving books, then back out into the library and down the featherfall well.
The rest of the doors in the corridor are marked with glowing blue sigils, and Corrigan and Seb decide not to try disarming them. Instead, they return through the first library, once more braving the flying books, through to the library with the failed magic. There, Corrigan sets to work at the door's mechanism. As lightning flashes, the rune winks out for a split-second. Corrigan poises herself for the next bolt, and as soon as the rune winks out, she pushes the door open.
Beyond the door is yet another library, twice as big as any of the others they have yet been in. A door at the far end looks like it will lead to the library with the ball of books, and another door leads out into the feather-fall well. There is a spiral staircase in the middle of this room, and water has pooled at its base, trickling down from above. Though most of the books are firmly set in their shelves, many have been pulled down and ransacked. Most are still open on the floor, some with pages torn out. Most are about Netheril, Thay, and enchantment.
As the two are investigating the room, lightning flashes, and is conducted down the water on the staircase. The blast nearly blinds the friends, as they realize that the task of ascending might be more difficult than they'd previous thought.
Seb, the faster of the two, runs upstairs to survey the situation. The scrying pool is cracked and overflowing, its waters running down the staircase. The ceiling is also cracked, and a slender metal rod, 30 feet long, is stuck into the pool. It is twisted and warped, apparently from being hit repeatedly by lightning. There are two dry stone tables in the room. Also, there is a human figure floating facedown in the scrying pool.
Seb returns, and after the next flash the two run upstairs. The body in the pool is Talis, one of Myrthas' senior apprentices. She has been badly burnt, and struck at least once in the back with a fiery blast. Her cat-familiar lies dead beside her.
Seb hacks at the metal rod as Corrigan braces herself atop one of the stone tables. As Seb slices through it and scampers up to the other table, lightning flashes. But now the rod is no longer touching the water, and the two are, at least momentarily, safe.
Of the doors in this room, one leads to the room Corrigan knows once kept a fiend, the other to another library with a smaller scrying pool and an undisturbed private library. A third door leads out to a terrace. Through this door, there is no rain, though there is still rain buffeting down around the tower. Above them, an indigo-and-purple rainbow gleams against the dark rain-clouds. Halfway around the terrace, there are more stairs leading upwards.
At the base of these stairs is the body of Oshwin, Myrthas' magic carpet still securely rolled beside him. Taking a deep breath, the friends continue up the stairs.
This room is the highest in the tower. Floating fifteen feet up is the weather globe. Though the last time Corrigan had seen it, it was cloudy and stormy within, now it is a clear sky blue, and magic emanates from it. There is also a forest of metal rods around the room, twisted from falling through the shattered roof. There are signs of a spell-battle of at least five or six powerful mages, and Seb sees four tracks of people running up the stairs, and two returning downwards more slowly.
As Seb and Corrigan survey the room, lightning flashes again, directly up out of the globe and into the centre of the storm. The blue-purple rainbow also seems to be emanating from the globe. The lightning was obviously aimed: there are scorch-marks on the walls which indicate it did not originally shoot upwards.
In the centre of the room, there is a clearing the forest of metal rods. In that clearing is a grey robe, singed but empty, and ashes below it. Scorch marks mar the floor around the robe. Also next to the body is a broken staff, half of it on the ground, and half slowly revolving in mid-air, as Myrthas' used to do when he wasn't using it. Corrigan, kneeling down to inspect the scene, notices a melted circlet and several rings.
There is a metalic noise and a hoot, and Myrthas' clockwork owl swoops down and hovers next to the body, staring at Corrigan with blue gemstone eyes. Recognizing her, it sinks down to the robe and taps it, to reveal a fist-sized green gemstone, previously invisible. It is warm and tingling to the touch, and Corrigan feels as though her fingers sink into it, and it sticks to her hand when she tries to let go.
As she holds it, Corrigan feels her awareness expanding. After a moment, she realizes it has taken on the exact shade of the weather globe. Corrigan feels a surge through the stone just before the lightning strikes again. Not knowing what to do, Corrigan touches the stone to Myrthas' staff. The stone flashes grey-white, and the staff falls to the ground.
Seb insists that Corrigan try to fix the weather globe. Corrigan concentrates, but all she manages to do is send lightning flying in all directions. Screaming, "no more lightning!" at the stone, the lightning recedes somewhat but doesn't disappear. Seb places a hand on her shoulder and Corrigan concentrates again, trying to remember all the things she learned while she was an apprentice. It feels to her like she is trying to coax an unwilling animal. With a final burst of effort and a sudden start, the globe goes opaque and clouds rocket away in all directions, revealing the final rays of twilight. The crystal resumes its green shade.
Corrigan takes the circlet, rings, crystal, and staff, and the two descend the stairs. They take the magic carpet and fly down to the entrance of the tower. On the way, they see more fallen chunks of roof and Mikal's body, which seems to have fallen from a great height.
As they approach the main gate, the crystal shakes. Though Clenstantia's key does not open the door, the crystal does. The blue runes turn green and wink out, and the door swings open. Eemin bounds outside and the three make their way back to town on the flying carpet.
*****
Meanwhile, back in Hill's Edge, Captain Tyrran has recruited a band of mercenaries to temporarily keep the peace while he tries to rebuild his militia. Aran, realizing that it will take too long to train new recruits, caught one of Ivellios' boats heading south, intending to go to the Cloister of the Holy Shield and bring back monks and warriors.
A few days later, Corrigan and Seb took another of Iveillos' boats, commanded by Captain Kee, to bring Panlos to the Tabernacle of the Morning Lord in Morningvale. Ivellios had intended to come with them, but was plagued by nausea and headaches and forced to remain in Hill's Edge. Glothram stayed behind with Ivellios to train the new recruits. A week and a half later (which is actually 15 days -- don't ask), Aran returns with five monks of Tyr and twelve warriors.
Over the days of Aran's absence, Ivellios' headaches intensify and he spends almost all his time sequestered in his room, sleeping. There is a murmuring in his ears just beyond his hearing, slowly driving him mad.
Glothram checks on him one day and is alarmed at Ivellios' condition. It is seemingly not a physical ailment, but Glothram senses the "echo" of evili on his friend, a foreign malignant presence trailing out of his head like a string. As Glothram casts "remove fear," Ivellios feels as though the murmurs have been temporarily pushed back. Ivellios has the presence of mind to tell Glothram what happened. On a whim, Glothram casts "bless" and turns evil [ooc: Julie doesn't know the technical term. Sorry!], and Ivellios feels as though he can function for some time. He casts "protection from evil" on himself and feels strong enough to walk and function, at least for a little while. Glortham tells him to pack, as the next day they will leave for Morningvale to take Ivellios to the Tabernacle of Lathander.
Glothram meanwhile goes to tell Captain Reginar Tyrran about this new problem, and regretfully informs him he must leave. Tyrran is saddened at the news, but understands that Glothram must save his friend.
Though Ivellios has nightmares that night, he feels better in the daylight and in Glothram's presence. Glothram hires a small boat and they set out down the River Reaching.
*****
Boarding the carpet, Seb realizes they did not get his fathers' book and maps. Corrigan tells him they can come back for it later -- they have no idea where it is, and they both want to get away from the tower as quickly as possible. The sky is very clear as they fly, and they can see areas of the forest near the tower struck by lightning, and barren, dead forest areas further afield.
After three hours, the equivalent of two days' walk, Corrigan realizes the carpet is shaking and beginning to unravel. She lands it, wraps it up, and the companions make camp. About a half-hour later, Seb hears a whirring and humming, and from behind them Myrthas' clockwork owl plummets down from the sky and sits next to Corrigan, blinking slowly. Corrigan talks to it, but it is clear the thing does not understand her. It flies up to a perch in the trees and stations itself, apparently as a lookout, for the night. Both fall asleep and wake to bright daylight. As they break camp and leave towards Morningvale, the owl flies after.
*****
Glothram and Ivellios sail on a ship captained by Amroth, sometimes known as Zolkar. He charges a steep price, 7 gold for each of the two passengers, but there are precious few ships leaving Hill's Edge because of the storms to the south, and Glothram is forced to pay.
The first day is wet and stormy, and the captain is forced to moor the boat for the night. By the second day, the ship is flooded and is only able to start sailing on the river a few hours after dawn. There is intense rain all day, and again Amroth is forced to moor the ship. After two days, Ivellios is getting edge again, when the storm suddenly breaks, almost unnaturally, and the ship heads down the river again.
By late afternoon, Amroth's sloop passes a larger boat, meant for 12-15 people. It is partly beached, and a foul smell is emerging from it, along with the buzzing of flies. Glothram asks Amroth to stop the boat so that he can investigate, but he finally loses his temper with the captain, grabbing him by the shoulders and yelling "for the love of Tyr!" Though Ivellos manages to calm the captain down, somewhat, he kicks Glothram off the sloop 50 feet upriver from the boat and continues to Morningvale, with only Ivellios as passenger. Glothram insists that Ivellios go immediately to the Tabernacle of Lathander as soon as he arrives.
As night falls, Ivellios' demons begin to haunt him again. As he drifts into an uneasy sleep, he hears a female voice asking thirteen questions and being answered by murmurs. Straining to hear her, Iveillios catches the twelfth question: "Does Gaunt know?" He makes out murmurs in response but can't understand them. The thirteenth question is cut off in the middle: "Where is the one who will bring me-- who's there?" With that, Ivellios awakens with a start.
*****
Glothram walks down the shoreline to the ship, the stench getting stronger the closer he comes. He jumps onto the boat to find three skeletons, completely stripped of flesh and gear. Some of their bones are snapped through as though bitten. Glothram's boot crunches on something, and he looks down to see the deck crawling with maggots.
Glothram gives a quick invocation to Tyr over each of the three bodies and continues down to the hold of the ship. Though there should be 12-15 people on a boat this size, he finds no other bodies, only cargo -- some grain crops. There is a safe, which someone had apparently started to open but left sealed. He also finds a logbook and ledger, both written in shorthand.
With nothing else useful aboard the ship, Glothram digs graves in the frosted ground and buries the three bodies. As he finishes, he sees that across the river, trees have been pushed apart in a sort of path, leading from the far side of the river, over to boat, to the near side and continuing beyond the treeline. Though no tracker, even Glothram can see it was made by something big or heavy.
*****
Seb and Corrigan arrive in town from the south. On their way into Morningvale, they meet Soreimar the ranger, who waves to them and lets them know that he and his new apprentice, Mossa (Seb's younger brother) will be in town for a few days.
From there, the two go to the Tabernacle of the Morning Lord in the hopes of finding Clenstantia, but she is not teaching today. Kurias, the high priest, tells them that there has been no change in Panlos' condition. If there has been no change after a week, he will personally take him to the healing house Scornubel. If nothing can be done for him there, he will be taken to Cormyr.
As Seb and Corrigan are leaving, the meet Ivellios staggering towards them with his raven, Corm. Ivellios is in a bad way, and Corrigan leads him in while Seb runs back to find Kurias again. Though Ivellios needs to push across the threshold of the Tabernacle, he manages to step inside and feels better when he does. Corrigan tells Kurias that Ivellios had been touched by an evil wizard, and it seems there has been some sort of bond created between the two. Kurias, concerned, has an acolyte take Ivellios to the "sanctum," and then things become hazy for the sorcerer and he passes into a daze.
*****
Glothram, meanwhile, spends far too long in the forest looking for a defensible position. At one point, he trips on a root and half his gear tumbles out of his pack into a deep ravine. He is lucky that he does not follow after it.
Finally, laying a few tripwires, Glothram sits down with his back against a tree. He pulls his sword and lays it across his lap. Tendrils of white light crawl up it, growing brighter and brighter. With a sigh at his bad luck, Glothram sheathes the sword and lays it in front of him, and goes to sleep.
That night, Glothram thinks he hears the sound of tiny feet and howls in the distance. When he wakes, he realizes that his breastplate is where he left it, but his bracers and grieves have been stolen. So has all his food. He sees goblin tracks in the clearing, deftly crossing his tripwires, but he cannot figure out where they lead.
Grumbling, cold, and hungry, Glothram makes his way downriver by foot towards Morningvale.
It is getting on dusk when Glothram spies a lantern on the river, bobbing down from Morningvale. Glothram shouts out to them that he wishes passage, and offers them five gold pieces. The boat looks likely to continue without stopping when Glothram asks them their price. As though considering, the boat anchors about fifteen feet away from the shore and waits for him.
Glothram wades into the river, which quickly becomes very deep. The sailors throw him a rope and, looking foolish, Glothram scampers over the side of the boat. All his gear is soaked, and the weather is below freezing. The captain, Kambarian, asks Glothram for all the gold in his pouch as fare. After haggling, they settle on twenty gold pieces, and Glothram shivers himself awake for the rest of the journey to Morningvale, still wearing his freezing breastplate.
*****
Meanwhile, back in Morningvale, Corrigan has gone to Clenstantia's house and broken the news to her as easily as she is able. At the appropriate time, Corrigan lays out the treasures she salvaged from Myrthas' robe.
The stone, Clenstantia reveals (and Corrigan abruptly remembers) is called a Kiira N'Vaelahr, a stone originally created for elite spies of the elven city Myth Drannor. The city was formerly the capitol of Cormanthyr, the last elven kingdom in Faerun. Despite its Mythal, a protective field created by both human and elven mages, it fell to demons of the abyss many centuries ago. It is rumoured to be the richest unplundered site in the Realms. These stones, the Kiira N'Vaelhrs, were rumored to embed themselves painlessly in the skin of the wearer and grant them a variety of powers. It is rumoured they functioned as memory-recording devices, though Myrthas apparently enchanted his to do more, mostly tied to various functions in the tower. Clenstantia remembers she saw Myrthas controlling the weather globe, but does not know how.
She tells Corrigan that some of Myrthas still lingers on his staff, and that the clockwork owl's name is Izir.
Corrigan realizes she has pressed Clenstantia too far this day, and takes her leave promising to return on the morrow. She leaves all the items and the clockwork owl with Clenstantia, and makes her way to the Squeaky Eel, where she decides she need to drink and to perform, not necessarily in that order. While Corrigan is performing, a lithe, tall figure in a black cloak enters the Squeaky Eel, talks to Balaquist, and makes his way to a shadowed corner table, where he proceeds to watch Corrigan intently.
Seb, meanwhile, asks around for Mossa, but is not able to find him.
*****
Ivellios, in the sanctum of the Tabernacle of the Morning Lord, is having a hard time. Though he feels better, he still hears the murmurs, and feels as though they are becoming part of him. He feels as though they are listening to him, and he asks, "what do you want?" They reply, "to be free."
Ivellios presses, "Free from what? I will help you if I can, and my morals, ethics, and capacity permit me." Again the reply, "to be free."
Realizing he can't get anything else out of them, Ivellios returns to his normal haughty self, and the voices are silent. Ivellios casts "protection from evil" on himself, but they do not go away. Ivellios asks them, "What are you to Ideld?" but they don't answer. Eventually, Ivellios stops talking.
*****
Glothram's boat finally arrives in Morningvale, and he parts from Kambarian. Walking up the wharf, he realizes he is missing his pouch, in which he had the diamonds. (2,400 gp worth) In a foul mood, he passes the Squeaky Eel, hears Corrigan performing the Lay of Ideld, and enters. Balaquist gives him a drink, "on Corrigan's behalf," and Glothram buries himself in his cups.
*****
The voices in Ivellios' head are murmuring again, and Ivellios catches a random name or place. Again he feels that the voices are listening to him. He tries again to get them to answer him:
"The names and the places, are these yours?"
"No, and yes."
"When were you taken into this state of being?"
Silence, and then a thousand deafening murmurs. Ivellios tries again,
"Were you taken by force?"
"Yes."
"Where you taken by Ideld?"
"Some."
"Where you taken by her allies?"
"Some."
"How many are there?"
Silence.
"How were you taken?" Again silence.
"When were you taken?" Silence.
Are you alive?"
"No."
"Do you wish to remain in this state of being?"
"No."
"Are you kept from death?"
"Yes."
"Is it necromancy that binds your spirits?"
"Yes."
"Do you know what sort of necromancy?"
Silence.
With that, Ivellios feels that he has worn out his audience, and wakens to see an acolyte staring at him. The cloth compress in her hand has dripped onto the floor and pooled at her feet. With that, Ivellios falls unconscious again.
*****
Glothram finds Seb in the Squeaky Eel and tells him about the bodies. Seb doesn't know of anything, natural or unnatural, which could have caused it. [out-of-game line of the night #1: "Well, if nothing natural caused it, and nothing unnatural caused it, it couldn't have happened! Cheer up, it's all in your imagination!"]
After two draughts of Dwarven fire-ale, Glothram stops drinking and tells Seb more of what happened.
Corrigan, meanwhile, has stopped playing. Though the elven horn allows her to play much longer than normal, even she must rest occasionally, and she makes her way to the black-hooded figure who had been staring at her for hours. After some light banter, he pulls off his hood to reveal himself as Kevan, her younger brother. Corrigan settles herself next to him. Kevan reaches out light lightning and plucks the horn from her belt, plays a trill, and gives it back. Corrigan, impressed with his new-found skill, nods appreciatively.
Though Kevan tries to maintain a "bad-boy" persona, Corrigan knows him too well. He has been getting himself into trouble, but Corrigan does not feel like lecturing tonight and instead simply listens to his stories. Mossa has been training with Soreimar the ranger, and Kevan misses him, though he admits Soreimar seems to be a nice enough man. He does not speak about himself.
As Kevan is about to leave, he slips her a brown leather pouch, the strings expertly slit. He tells her that a friend of his from the Black Feather, a riverboat, gave it to him. He says that after taking a "gratuity" for themselves, Kevan decided to return it as an act of familial recognition. It is clearly Glothram's. Within are 1800 gp worth of diamonds, of their original 2400. Corrigan thanks him, kisses him on the forehead (much to his chagrin), and goes off to speak with Glothram.
*****
Seb, meanwhile, has gone off in search of Mossa. Balaquist doesn't know where he is, but suggests that Kevan might. Kevan, unfortunately, had already left, and so Seb makes his way to Amasar's instead. Amasar is, yet again, not at home, and Seb returns to Morningvale.
*****
Corrigan approaches Glothram at the bar, and though Balaquist tries to stop her, she pulls Glothram outside and away from prying ears. She confronts him about the missing pouch, and he contritely says that it was stolen from him. Corrigan stares at him intently, saying, "Glothram, there were diamonds in that pouch. They were worth a lot of money. About as much... as that sword strapped to your back."
Glothram can barely believe his ears, and begins to bluster. [out-of-game line of the night #2: Glothram: "I wasn't expecting river-pirates!" Corrigan: "What?!? Have I taught you nothing?!?"] After toying with him a little longer, Corrigan finally reveals his pouch, but Glothram refuses to take it. Corrigan slips it back into her pouch and allows Glothram to leave for the Tabernacle of the Morning Lord to check on Ivellios.
Glothram hears from Kurias that Ivellios had been moving his hands wildly and mouthing a conversation to thin air before falling into a trance. He says he can find nothing wrong with him, and no trace of an evil spirit, despite the strange behaviour.
Meanwhile, Corrigan hears a rumour in the Squeaky Eel (from Orval, an old regular) that about eight weeks or three months ago a man in wizard's robes had been in the tavern, boasting about his important role in his master's research. He boasting that they would soon uncover the secrets of the Vyshantar Elves. At the same time, Erak and Amia were in the Squeaky Eel, having an argument about something-or-other.
*****
Early the next morning, there is a clamour at the docks. Corrigan and Seb rush out to see the cause of the commotion. Apparently a figure dressed in green had washed up near the Bluffs of Morning at the south end of the town. A fisherman pulls him out to reveal Caulamber, a druid of Fandrigan's circle, older and more experienced than Seb.
He is pierced with six arrows fletched with black feathers, but made of clear, clean wood and tipped with wooden arrowheads. There is a shoot growing out of one of the arrows, and Seb realizes it is Sélas wood, just like the ones in the grove around Gospin's house. Caulamber's body has also been torn by claws or teeth, and there are maggots in the wounds, despite the freshness of the body.
His grove is a one-day walk away, and Seb begins preparations to bring the body there to bury it properly.
*****
Some background information:
Candle-Keep, on the Sword Coast, is a repository for almost all the knowledge of Faerun. To reach it requires a 3-4 week journey from the Reaching Wood, and to get in requires a book they don't already have, and their collection is vast.
Many years ago, the Lost Sage Augathra the Mad from Candle-Keep created a text called the Roll of Years, assigning a moniker to each year for a thousand years. Though seemingly random entries, often they tend to ring true. A brief list:
- 1372: Year of Wild Magic
- 1373 (last year): Year of Rogue Dragons
- 1374 (this year): Year of Lightning Storms
- 1375: Year of Risen Elf-Kin
- 1376: Year of the Bent Blade
- 1377: Year of the Haunting
- 1378: Year of the Cauldron
- 1379: Year of the Lost Keep
- 1380: Year of the Blazing Hand
Our session began in the month of Eleint, the Fading, just after the autumn equinox of 1374. We have been playing slightly longer than a month of game-time.
Right. That's it for this week. We're playing again tonight, so stay tuned for another exciting adventure.
D&D Campaign, April 15, 2006 session
(Note: the treasure is divided as follows:
Corrigan -- cloak, dagger, horn, diamond dust
Glothram -- sword, potions, diamonds
Ivellios -- wish sapphire)
When last we left Seb and Corrigan, they were on the senior apprentices' level of Myrthas' Tower. They find themselves at the entrance of a hallway, with seven doors off to each side.
Entering the first door on the left, the find themselves in a semi-circular library. Though there are still books in the bookshelves lining the ceiling, there are also about a dozen books on the ground, where they had apparently struck with some force. At the far end of the room, there is an ajar door.
As Corrigan and Seb cross the room and reach its middle, there is a flash, the tower shakes, and two books fly down from above, striking the pair with a mighty "thwack!" The two books, apparently, are "A Shorter History of Cormyr" and Volume 76 of the "Encyclopedia Arcana." There is an eerie humming from the bookshelf.
Corrigan once more tries to cross the room, assuming that the books flew because of the lightning. But no, once more the books assault her as she makes her way across the room. Though the manages to roll out of the way, she looses her grip on her torch, and it is sent flying to the base of one of the bookshelves. Seb rushes in, braving the flying books, and grabs the torch. As he reaches to grab some of the now-smouldering books on the bookshelves, he is repulsed backwards. Corrigan, thinking quickly, points and calls to the books, and lets them smoulder in mid-air as they fly to her.
Already on the far side of the room, the two make their way to the door. Through it, they see another library where the magic has failed completely. Two hundred books lie in the heap on the floor. Yet again, there is a door at the far end, this time closed and inscribed with a glowing blue sigil. Not wanting to disarm the sigil -- yet -- the two return to the corridor, braving another barrage of flying books.
Through the first door on the right-hand side of the corridor is another library. This one looks mostly undisturbed. Corrigan's torch winks out as they cross the threshold, proving that the magic is still working in this room. Inside, it seems several people had been studying, but jumped up quickly: there are books open on the tables (some of spells, one a history book), mugs, a spilled inkwell, and an overturned chair. The door at the far end of the room is open.
Through the open door, they see a ball of books floating in a ball at the centre of the room, rotating slowing and sending off occasional red sparks. As Corrigan steps foot inside the room, she is swept off her feet and against the books, joining the spinning circle. The force is so strong she can barely breathe, let alone move her arms.
She shouts to Seb to toss her a rope. Quickly tying one end to a heavy stone table, Seb lets about 6 feet of rope into the room. It goes taut and begins pulling itself in. There is a flash of lightning and the ball of books dips and then resumes its previous position. Corrigan struggles with all her might to grab hold of the rope, and Seb pulls it towards him. It is slow, hard going. As Corrigan is nearly at the entrance to the room, he slips and is forced to make up half his progress. At the end of agonizing minutes, Corrigan is finally free of the room and collapses.
Looking up from her faint, Corrigan sees a small male hand, broken at the wrist, sticking out of the ball of books. The golden ring, inset with a green stone on its finger is distinctively Anders'. Corrigan collapses again, weeping. She also realizes that as she was being pulled out of the room, she saw scorch-marks on the inner side of the door, as if someone had tried to force it closed.
Seb sees tracks in this room from the spilled ink-pot. It seems someone, a slight male, had fled into the room now filled with revolving books, then back out into the library and down the featherfall well.
The rest of the doors in the corridor are marked with glowing blue sigils, and Corrigan and Seb decide not to try disarming them. Instead, they return through the first library, once more braving the flying books, through to the library with the failed magic. There, Corrigan sets to work at the door's mechanism. As lightning flashes, the rune winks out for a split-second. Corrigan poises herself for the next bolt, and as soon as the rune winks out, she pushes the door open.
Beyond the door is yet another library, twice as big as any of the others they have yet been in. A door at the far end looks like it will lead to the library with the ball of books, and another door leads out into the feather-fall well. There is a spiral staircase in the middle of this room, and water has pooled at its base, trickling down from above. Though most of the books are firmly set in their shelves, many have been pulled down and ransacked. Most are still open on the floor, some with pages torn out. Most are about Netheril, Thay, and enchantment.
As the two are investigating the room, lightning flashes, and is conducted down the water on the staircase. The blast nearly blinds the friends, as they realize that the task of ascending might be more difficult than they'd previous thought.
Seb, the faster of the two, runs upstairs to survey the situation. The scrying pool is cracked and overflowing, its waters running down the staircase. The ceiling is also cracked, and a slender metal rod, 30 feet long, is stuck into the pool. It is twisted and warped, apparently from being hit repeatedly by lightning. There are two dry stone tables in the room. Also, there is a human figure floating facedown in the scrying pool.
Seb returns, and after the next flash the two run upstairs. The body in the pool is Talis, one of Myrthas' senior apprentices. She has been badly burnt, and struck at least once in the back with a fiery blast. Her cat-familiar lies dead beside her.
Seb hacks at the metal rod as Corrigan braces herself atop one of the stone tables. As Seb slices through it and scampers up to the other table, lightning flashes. But now the rod is no longer touching the water, and the two are, at least momentarily, safe.
Of the doors in this room, one leads to the room Corrigan knows once kept a fiend, the other to another library with a smaller scrying pool and an undisturbed private library. A third door leads out to a terrace. Through this door, there is no rain, though there is still rain buffeting down around the tower. Above them, an indigo-and-purple rainbow gleams against the dark rain-clouds. Halfway around the terrace, there are more stairs leading upwards.
At the base of these stairs is the body of Oshwin, Myrthas' magic carpet still securely rolled beside him. Taking a deep breath, the friends continue up the stairs.
This room is the highest in the tower. Floating fifteen feet up is the weather globe. Though the last time Corrigan had seen it, it was cloudy and stormy within, now it is a clear sky blue, and magic emanates from it. There is also a forest of metal rods around the room, twisted from falling through the shattered roof. There are signs of a spell-battle of at least five or six powerful mages, and Seb sees four tracks of people running up the stairs, and two returning downwards more slowly.
As Seb and Corrigan survey the room, lightning flashes again, directly up out of the globe and into the centre of the storm. The blue-purple rainbow also seems to be emanating from the globe. The lightning was obviously aimed: there are scorch-marks on the walls which indicate it did not originally shoot upwards.
In the centre of the room, there is a clearing the forest of metal rods. In that clearing is a grey robe, singed but empty, and ashes below it. Scorch marks mar the floor around the robe. Also next to the body is a broken staff, half of it on the ground, and half slowly revolving in mid-air, as Myrthas' used to do when he wasn't using it. Corrigan, kneeling down to inspect the scene, notices a melted circlet and several rings.
There is a metalic noise and a hoot, and Myrthas' clockwork owl swoops down and hovers next to the body, staring at Corrigan with blue gemstone eyes. Recognizing her, it sinks down to the robe and taps it, to reveal a fist-sized green gemstone, previously invisible. It is warm and tingling to the touch, and Corrigan feels as though her fingers sink into it, and it sticks to her hand when she tries to let go.
As she holds it, Corrigan feels her awareness expanding. After a moment, she realizes it has taken on the exact shade of the weather globe. Corrigan feels a surge through the stone just before the lightning strikes again. Not knowing what to do, Corrigan touches the stone to Myrthas' staff. The stone flashes grey-white, and the staff falls to the ground.
Seb insists that Corrigan try to fix the weather globe. Corrigan concentrates, but all she manages to do is send lightning flying in all directions. Screaming, "no more lightning!" at the stone, the lightning recedes somewhat but doesn't disappear. Seb places a hand on her shoulder and Corrigan concentrates again, trying to remember all the things she learned while she was an apprentice. It feels to her like she is trying to coax an unwilling animal. With a final burst of effort and a sudden start, the globe goes opaque and clouds rocket away in all directions, revealing the final rays of twilight. The crystal resumes its green shade.
Corrigan takes the circlet, rings, crystal, and staff, and the two descend the stairs. They take the magic carpet and fly down to the entrance of the tower. On the way, they see more fallen chunks of roof and Mikal's body, which seems to have fallen from a great height.
As they approach the main gate, the crystal shakes. Though Clenstantia's key does not open the door, the crystal does. The blue runes turn green and wink out, and the door swings open. Eemin bounds outside and the three make their way back to town on the flying carpet.
*****
Meanwhile, back in Hill's Edge, Captain Tyrran has recruited a band of mercenaries to temporarily keep the peace while he tries to rebuild his militia. Aran, realizing that it will take too long to train new recruits, caught one of Ivellios' boats heading south, intending to go to the Cloister of the Holy Shield and bring back monks and warriors.
A few days later, Corrigan and Seb took another of Iveillos' boats, commanded by Captain Kee, to bring Panlos to the Tabernacle of the Morning Lord in Morningvale. Ivellios had intended to come with them, but was plagued by nausea and headaches and forced to remain in Hill's Edge. Glothram stayed behind with Ivellios to train the new recruits. A week and a half later (which is actually 15 days -- don't ask), Aran returns with five monks of Tyr and twelve warriors.
Over the days of Aran's absence, Ivellios' headaches intensify and he spends almost all his time sequestered in his room, sleeping. There is a murmuring in his ears just beyond his hearing, slowly driving him mad.
Glothram checks on him one day and is alarmed at Ivellios' condition. It is seemingly not a physical ailment, but Glothram senses the "echo" of evili on his friend, a foreign malignant presence trailing out of his head like a string. As Glothram casts "remove fear," Ivellios feels as though the murmurs have been temporarily pushed back. Ivellios has the presence of mind to tell Glothram what happened. On a whim, Glothram casts "bless" and turns evil [ooc: Julie doesn't know the technical term. Sorry!], and Ivellios feels as though he can function for some time. He casts "protection from evil" on himself and feels strong enough to walk and function, at least for a little while. Glortham tells him to pack, as the next day they will leave for Morningvale to take Ivellios to the Tabernacle of Lathander.
Glothram meanwhile goes to tell Captain Reginar Tyrran about this new problem, and regretfully informs him he must leave. Tyrran is saddened at the news, but understands that Glothram must save his friend.
Though Ivellios has nightmares that night, he feels better in the daylight and in Glothram's presence. Glothram hires a small boat and they set out down the River Reaching.
*****
Boarding the carpet, Seb realizes they did not get his fathers' book and maps. Corrigan tells him they can come back for it later -- they have no idea where it is, and they both want to get away from the tower as quickly as possible. The sky is very clear as they fly, and they can see areas of the forest near the tower struck by lightning, and barren, dead forest areas further afield.
After three hours, the equivalent of two days' walk, Corrigan realizes the carpet is shaking and beginning to unravel. She lands it, wraps it up, and the companions make camp. About a half-hour later, Seb hears a whirring and humming, and from behind them Myrthas' clockwork owl plummets down from the sky and sits next to Corrigan, blinking slowly. Corrigan talks to it, but it is clear the thing does not understand her. It flies up to a perch in the trees and stations itself, apparently as a lookout, for the night. Both fall asleep and wake to bright daylight. As they break camp and leave towards Morningvale, the owl flies after.
*****
Glothram and Ivellios sail on a ship captained by Amroth, sometimes known as Zolkar. He charges a steep price, 7 gold for each of the two passengers, but there are precious few ships leaving Hill's Edge because of the storms to the south, and Glothram is forced to pay.
The first day is wet and stormy, and the captain is forced to moor the boat for the night. By the second day, the ship is flooded and is only able to start sailing on the river a few hours after dawn. There is intense rain all day, and again Amroth is forced to moor the ship. After two days, Ivellios is getting edge again, when the storm suddenly breaks, almost unnaturally, and the ship heads down the river again.
By late afternoon, Amroth's sloop passes a larger boat, meant for 12-15 people. It is partly beached, and a foul smell is emerging from it, along with the buzzing of flies. Glothram asks Amroth to stop the boat so that he can investigate, but he finally loses his temper with the captain, grabbing him by the shoulders and yelling "for the love of Tyr!" Though Ivellos manages to calm the captain down, somewhat, he kicks Glothram off the sloop 50 feet upriver from the boat and continues to Morningvale, with only Ivellios as passenger. Glothram insists that Ivellios go immediately to the Tabernacle of Lathander as soon as he arrives.
As night falls, Ivellios' demons begin to haunt him again. As he drifts into an uneasy sleep, he hears a female voice asking thirteen questions and being answered by murmurs. Straining to hear her, Iveillios catches the twelfth question: "Does Gaunt know?" He makes out murmurs in response but can't understand them. The thirteenth question is cut off in the middle: "Where is the one who will bring me-- who's there?" With that, Ivellios awakens with a start.
*****
Glothram walks down the shoreline to the ship, the stench getting stronger the closer he comes. He jumps onto the boat to find three skeletons, completely stripped of flesh and gear. Some of their bones are snapped through as though bitten. Glothram's boot crunches on something, and he looks down to see the deck crawling with maggots.
Glothram gives a quick invocation to Tyr over each of the three bodies and continues down to the hold of the ship. Though there should be 12-15 people on a boat this size, he finds no other bodies, only cargo -- some grain crops. There is a safe, which someone had apparently started to open but left sealed. He also finds a logbook and ledger, both written in shorthand.
With nothing else useful aboard the ship, Glothram digs graves in the frosted ground and buries the three bodies. As he finishes, he sees that across the river, trees have been pushed apart in a sort of path, leading from the far side of the river, over to boat, to the near side and continuing beyond the treeline. Though no tracker, even Glothram can see it was made by something big or heavy.
*****
Seb and Corrigan arrive in town from the south. On their way into Morningvale, they meet Soreimar the ranger, who waves to them and lets them know that he and his new apprentice, Mossa (Seb's younger brother) will be in town for a few days.
From there, the two go to the Tabernacle of the Morning Lord in the hopes of finding Clenstantia, but she is not teaching today. Kurias, the high priest, tells them that there has been no change in Panlos' condition. If there has been no change after a week, he will personally take him to the healing house Scornubel. If nothing can be done for him there, he will be taken to Cormyr.
As Seb and Corrigan are leaving, the meet Ivellios staggering towards them with his raven, Corm. Ivellios is in a bad way, and Corrigan leads him in while Seb runs back to find Kurias again. Though Ivellios needs to push across the threshold of the Tabernacle, he manages to step inside and feels better when he does. Corrigan tells Kurias that Ivellios had been touched by an evil wizard, and it seems there has been some sort of bond created between the two. Kurias, concerned, has an acolyte take Ivellios to the "sanctum," and then things become hazy for the sorcerer and he passes into a daze.
*****
Glothram, meanwhile, spends far too long in the forest looking for a defensible position. At one point, he trips on a root and half his gear tumbles out of his pack into a deep ravine. He is lucky that he does not follow after it.
Finally, laying a few tripwires, Glothram sits down with his back against a tree. He pulls his sword and lays it across his lap. Tendrils of white light crawl up it, growing brighter and brighter. With a sigh at his bad luck, Glothram sheathes the sword and lays it in front of him, and goes to sleep.
That night, Glothram thinks he hears the sound of tiny feet and howls in the distance. When he wakes, he realizes that his breastplate is where he left it, but his bracers and grieves have been stolen. So has all his food. He sees goblin tracks in the clearing, deftly crossing his tripwires, but he cannot figure out where they lead.
Grumbling, cold, and hungry, Glothram makes his way downriver by foot towards Morningvale.
It is getting on dusk when Glothram spies a lantern on the river, bobbing down from Morningvale. Glothram shouts out to them that he wishes passage, and offers them five gold pieces. The boat looks likely to continue without stopping when Glothram asks them their price. As though considering, the boat anchors about fifteen feet away from the shore and waits for him.
Glothram wades into the river, which quickly becomes very deep. The sailors throw him a rope and, looking foolish, Glothram scampers over the side of the boat. All his gear is soaked, and the weather is below freezing. The captain, Kambarian, asks Glothram for all the gold in his pouch as fare. After haggling, they settle on twenty gold pieces, and Glothram shivers himself awake for the rest of the journey to Morningvale, still wearing his freezing breastplate.
*****
Meanwhile, back in Morningvale, Corrigan has gone to Clenstantia's house and broken the news to her as easily as she is able. At the appropriate time, Corrigan lays out the treasures she salvaged from Myrthas' robe.
The stone, Clenstantia reveals (and Corrigan abruptly remembers) is called a Kiira N'Vaelahr, a stone originally created for elite spies of the elven city Myth Drannor. The city was formerly the capitol of Cormanthyr, the last elven kingdom in Faerun. Despite its Mythal, a protective field created by both human and elven mages, it fell to demons of the abyss many centuries ago. It is rumoured to be the richest unplundered site in the Realms. These stones, the Kiira N'Vaelhrs, were rumored to embed themselves painlessly in the skin of the wearer and grant them a variety of powers. It is rumoured they functioned as memory-recording devices, though Myrthas apparently enchanted his to do more, mostly tied to various functions in the tower. Clenstantia remembers she saw Myrthas controlling the weather globe, but does not know how.
She tells Corrigan that some of Myrthas still lingers on his staff, and that the clockwork owl's name is Izir.
Corrigan realizes she has pressed Clenstantia too far this day, and takes her leave promising to return on the morrow. She leaves all the items and the clockwork owl with Clenstantia, and makes her way to the Squeaky Eel, where she decides she need to drink and to perform, not necessarily in that order. While Corrigan is performing, a lithe, tall figure in a black cloak enters the Squeaky Eel, talks to Balaquist, and makes his way to a shadowed corner table, where he proceeds to watch Corrigan intently.
Seb, meanwhile, asks around for Mossa, but is not able to find him.
*****
Ivellios, in the sanctum of the Tabernacle of the Morning Lord, is having a hard time. Though he feels better, he still hears the murmurs, and feels as though they are becoming part of him. He feels as though they are listening to him, and he asks, "what do you want?" They reply, "to be free."
Ivellios presses, "Free from what? I will help you if I can, and my morals, ethics, and capacity permit me." Again the reply, "to be free."
Realizing he can't get anything else out of them, Ivellios returns to his normal haughty self, and the voices are silent. Ivellios casts "protection from evil" on himself, but they do not go away. Ivellios asks them, "What are you to Ideld?" but they don't answer. Eventually, Ivellios stops talking.
*****
Glothram's boat finally arrives in Morningvale, and he parts from Kambarian. Walking up the wharf, he realizes he is missing his pouch, in which he had the diamonds. (2,400 gp worth) In a foul mood, he passes the Squeaky Eel, hears Corrigan performing the Lay of Ideld, and enters. Balaquist gives him a drink, "on Corrigan's behalf," and Glothram buries himself in his cups.
*****
The voices in Ivellios' head are murmuring again, and Ivellios catches a random name or place. Again he feels that the voices are listening to him. He tries again to get them to answer him:
"The names and the places, are these yours?"
"No, and yes."
"When were you taken into this state of being?"
Silence, and then a thousand deafening murmurs. Ivellios tries again,
"Were you taken by force?"
"Yes."
"Where you taken by Ideld?"
"Some."
"Where you taken by her allies?"
"Some."
"How many are there?"
Silence.
"How were you taken?" Again silence.
"When were you taken?" Silence.
Are you alive?"
"No."
"Do you wish to remain in this state of being?"
"No."
"Are you kept from death?"
"Yes."
"Is it necromancy that binds your spirits?"
"Yes."
"Do you know what sort of necromancy?"
Silence.
With that, Ivellios feels that he has worn out his audience, and wakens to see an acolyte staring at him. The cloth compress in her hand has dripped onto the floor and pooled at her feet. With that, Ivellios falls unconscious again.
*****
Glothram finds Seb in the Squeaky Eel and tells him about the bodies. Seb doesn't know of anything, natural or unnatural, which could have caused it. [out-of-game line of the night #1: "Well, if nothing natural caused it, and nothing unnatural caused it, it couldn't have happened! Cheer up, it's all in your imagination!"]
After two draughts of Dwarven fire-ale, Glothram stops drinking and tells Seb more of what happened.
Corrigan, meanwhile, has stopped playing. Though the elven horn allows her to play much longer than normal, even she must rest occasionally, and she makes her way to the black-hooded figure who had been staring at her for hours. After some light banter, he pulls off his hood to reveal himself as Kevan, her younger brother. Corrigan settles herself next to him. Kevan reaches out light lightning and plucks the horn from her belt, plays a trill, and gives it back. Corrigan, impressed with his new-found skill, nods appreciatively.
Though Kevan tries to maintain a "bad-boy" persona, Corrigan knows him too well. He has been getting himself into trouble, but Corrigan does not feel like lecturing tonight and instead simply listens to his stories. Mossa has been training with Soreimar the ranger, and Kevan misses him, though he admits Soreimar seems to be a nice enough man. He does not speak about himself.
As Kevan is about to leave, he slips her a brown leather pouch, the strings expertly slit. He tells her that a friend of his from the Black Feather, a riverboat, gave it to him. He says that after taking a "gratuity" for themselves, Kevan decided to return it as an act of familial recognition. It is clearly Glothram's. Within are 1800 gp worth of diamonds, of their original 2400. Corrigan thanks him, kisses him on the forehead (much to his chagrin), and goes off to speak with Glothram.
*****
Seb, meanwhile, has gone off in search of Mossa. Balaquist doesn't know where he is, but suggests that Kevan might. Kevan, unfortunately, had already left, and so Seb makes his way to Amasar's instead. Amasar is, yet again, not at home, and Seb returns to Morningvale.
*****
Corrigan approaches Glothram at the bar, and though Balaquist tries to stop her, she pulls Glothram outside and away from prying ears. She confronts him about the missing pouch, and he contritely says that it was stolen from him. Corrigan stares at him intently, saying, "Glothram, there were diamonds in that pouch. They were worth a lot of money. About as much... as that sword strapped to your back."
Glothram can barely believe his ears, and begins to bluster. [out-of-game line of the night #2: Glothram: "I wasn't expecting river-pirates!" Corrigan: "What?!? Have I taught you nothing?!?"] After toying with him a little longer, Corrigan finally reveals his pouch, but Glothram refuses to take it. Corrigan slips it back into her pouch and allows Glothram to leave for the Tabernacle of the Morning Lord to check on Ivellios.
Glothram hears from Kurias that Ivellios had been moving his hands wildly and mouthing a conversation to thin air before falling into a trance. He says he can find nothing wrong with him, and no trace of an evil spirit, despite the strange behaviour.
Meanwhile, Corrigan hears a rumour in the Squeaky Eel (from Orval, an old regular) that about eight weeks or three months ago a man in wizard's robes had been in the tavern, boasting about his important role in his master's research. He boasting that they would soon uncover the secrets of the Vyshantar Elves. At the same time, Erak and Amia were in the Squeaky Eel, having an argument about something-or-other.
*****
Early the next morning, there is a clamour at the docks. Corrigan and Seb rush out to see the cause of the commotion. Apparently a figure dressed in green had washed up near the Bluffs of Morning at the south end of the town. A fisherman pulls him out to reveal Caulamber, a druid of Fandrigan's circle, older and more experienced than Seb.
He is pierced with six arrows fletched with black feathers, but made of clear, clean wood and tipped with wooden arrowheads. There is a shoot growing out of one of the arrows, and Seb realizes it is Sélas wood, just like the ones in the grove around Gospin's house. Caulamber's body has also been torn by claws or teeth, and there are maggots in the wounds, despite the freshness of the body.
His grove is a one-day walk away, and Seb begins preparations to bring the body there to bury it properly.
*****
Some background information:
Candle-Keep, on the Sword Coast, is a repository for almost all the knowledge of Faerun. To reach it requires a 3-4 week journey from the Reaching Wood, and to get in requires a book they don't already have, and their collection is vast.
Many years ago, the Lost Sage Augathra the Mad from Candle-Keep created a text called the Roll of Years, assigning a moniker to each year for a thousand years. Though seemingly random entries, often they tend to ring true. A brief list:
- 1372: Year of Wild Magic
- 1373 (last year): Year of Rogue Dragons
- 1374 (this year): Year of Lightning Storms
- 1375: Year of Risen Elf-Kin
- 1376: Year of the Bent Blade
- 1377: Year of the Haunting
- 1378: Year of the Cauldron
- 1379: Year of the Lost Keep
- 1380: Year of the Blazing Hand
Our session began in the month of Eleint, the Fading, just after the autumn equinox of 1374. We have been playing slightly longer than a month of game-time.
Right. That's it for this week. We're playing again tonight, so stay tuned for another exciting adventure.
