Hexplore 24: Week Four

"Most people had no idea time didn't always flow the same way in the city. Of course one would feel the changes in current; a certain ethereal quality that you couldn't describe or a vague sea-sickness like brought on and departing acutely. The effects were typically minor and, to the academics best modeling, completely random resulting in minimal perturbation to the cities temporal relationship with its surroundings. First-time visitors would often report the city's great tower clocks never being quite on time and would be understandably met with sighs from the tower wardens. Of course, being on time had no real meaning in such a place. Or at least it didn't..."

Adran:

Athos is dead. He died with a sleep spell still on his lips, a look of shock as the goblins black arrow found him behind Mer-Sit and Aran. It was an impossible shot but the gods can be cruel sometimes. The liberation of the town of Carmsby was luckily met without further tragedy, and we were met as heroes for breaking the yoke of the goblin raiders. But our task isn't done yet: the goblin's warren is still filled with the creatures and to ensure the villager's safety we will have to brave those depths. A thought we don't relish. Douse and Aran have sworn vengeance on the goblins and given the rest of us are unwilling to leave them behind, we make the decision to go together. Fortunately my companions are not foolhardy as we will engage the creatures on our terms. Carmsby is rich in oil flasks, a boon we intend to make great use of.

Mer-Me:

We found Port Ensal in chaos when we returned: the band of wereboars we found previously had invaded, taken over the Shrine of the Charter, and taken hostages of the clerics within. They demanded safe passage and a ship, something the merchant prince was loath to give them. And so we were quickly inducted into service, asked to render our services to save the clerics and kill the raiders. By an incredible string of luck, we had just acquired a bundle of silver arrows and daggers. We executed an ambush by using our scroll of magic mouth to distract the creatures while we kicked down the backdoor. A brutal fight took place as we evacuated the clerics before leading the boars outside to be assaulted by a fireball from the witch Morrigan. Unfortunately, it had little effect on the beasts and we had to use the last of our silver arrows putting them down. The prince rewarded us well, showering us in gold and cast off gear from the town's armory; a token to repay us for our expended arrows. We almost made it out without further consequence when Berdpal collapsed; one of the boar's tusks had driven into his shoulder and he developed a rapid fever. Fearing he was turning, the town had him locked away in a cell for the evening; truly an unjust treatment for their saviors.

Nonetheless, we consulted with the Sage Jaketta to learn of a cure for lycanthropy which sent us south to the Isle of the Anura to collect a rare magical herb. Along the way we encountered an under-construction castle and its beleaguered lord who begged us for assistance dealing with the band of hobgoblins squatting in the ruined Shrine of Shaundakul. We agreed to carry his plea to the prince in exchange for his retainer alchemist's aid in preparing a drought to restore Berdpal. One vial of holy water and other alchemical reagents later, Berdpal was cured but now entirely hairless; a fact by which he has sworn to kill the alchemist next time they meet!

New Hexes Explored: 12

Features Found:

• 1012: Carmsby. A small hamlet occupied by goblin raiders with a church dedicated to Titania, queen of the fey. A den of goblins lies in the surrounding hills.  
• 0421: Runnimage. A town of approximately 200 people led by a council and protected by a fourth level champion. The community has a master canoe and sailboat maker.
• 0523: Abandoned Hamlet. A ghost town populated only by a dozen ghouls in the plains near the Iron Temple.
• 0526: Castle Kidwelly. An under construction castle garrisoned by 30 shaky mercenaries and owned by a 6th level lawful illusionist. They keep an alchemist as a retainer (until Berdpal gets to them).

Notable Encounters:

• The Battle of Port Ensal. Conflict with six wereboars resulted in victory for the party of Mer-Me. The town owes them greatly for services rendered.
• The Battle of Carmsby. Originally a scouting and rescue operation, the fighting quickly intensified as the raiding goblins rallied. After the dust settled, forty goblins and many wolves were slain at the cost of the magic-user Athos' life. They are buried beneath the town's apple tree.

Current Party:

• Adran, Lawful Human Ranger 2
• Dan of Caladan, Neutral Halfling Thief 3
• Douse, Lawful Human Monk 4
• Aran, Lawful Human Cleric of Tiamat 3
• Mer-Sit the IV, Chaotic Human Fighter 2

Adjunct Party:

• Mer-Me of Ironbound Castle, Lawful Elven Thief 4
• Zer Esten, Neutral Human Magic-User 3
• Quasin the Uncanny, Neutral Human Cleric of Oghma 4
• Elsun the Heavy, Neutral Dwarven Fighter 3
• Tenspor of the Arid Wastes, Neutral Elven Cleric of Waukeen 3
• Berdpal Eth, Lawful Dwarven Fighter 3

Hexplore 24: Week Three

"As rumor had it, the sarcophagi of the saints were empty. It is now impossible to know who planted the idea within the mind of the public, but what is certain is the resulting fervor played a crucial role in the downfall of the old gods. The Night of Black Fire would see the temples burn with the ultimate irony being that the flame's color proved without a doubt of the authenticity of the bodies' divinity. Many point to the Night of Black Fire as the beginning of the end for the empire, but in truth the populace's broken covenant with their saints may have doomed them irrespective of such sacrilege."

    The father gives thanks to Bast as we drag ourselves back into the temple. Two days of adventure within the citadel proved the threat of Ghouls to unfortunately not be an exaggeration. Thankfully, the citadel is not empty of treasures and thus the band feels the venture wasn't wasted. We haven't lost anyone despite the tomb's best attempts although ambushes, a goblin warband, and devious traps made more than a few close calls. For now, we've explored two of the towers and found two previously unknown (and likely unlooted) sublevels, made a temporary alliance with a goblin tribe, and have greatly thinned the ghoul's numbers. We've apparently pleased Bast as that evening's dinner was much closer to a feast. After consulting the party, we've decided to divide and conquer our tasks. Mer-Me will return to Port Ensal to collect more weapons and consumables as the temple doesn't have much in the way of war supplies while we will continue our survey of the lands north of Port Ensal. We will reconvene in approximately a ten day to continue our delve.

    Our experience within the citadel and the temple have suggested something sinister may be happening. Some of the priests seem hesitant to assist us in any way and combined with the constant whispers behind our back there may be some element of their contingent less than excited for us to continue our exploration. If the corrupted acolyte we captured from the citadel is any indication, a break from the place may be wise. We can't know for sure, but we were ambushed by a group of skeletons on our second visit which seemed to know we were coming. An ulterior motive for sending Mer-Me back to Port Ensal is to alert the merchant prince of both our success, and our suspicions. The ever watchful eyes of Bast seem to follow us as we depart the Iron Temple; the morning light reflecting off them gives them the look of a stalking predator. An ill omen combined with the developing storms.

Hexes Explored: 22

Features Found:

• The Brass Temple of Shu. An aged temple to Shu, God of the Wind
• The Church of the Obol. An aged pyramid temple dedicated to Nephthys, protector of the dead and guardian of commerce
• Castle Raglan. A crumbling keep once built for a powerful sorcerer and their retainers but now occupied by giant rats.
• The Sanctuary of the Seekers. A hidden sanctuary devoted to Seker, God of Light and sanctifier of the dead. Built of Onyx and led by a powerful priest.

Notable Encounters:

• The Citadel of Bast: Spent two days exploring and cleaning the citadel of undead. Found significant treasure, a corrupted acolyte, and a goblin tribe squatting in the main keep.

Current Party:

• Adran, Lawful Human Ranger 2
• Dan of Caladan, Neutral Halfling Thief 3
• Douse, Lawful Human Monk 3
• Athos, Lawful Elven Magic-User 2
• Aran, Lawful Human Cleric of Tiamat 3
• Mer-Sit the IV, Chaotic Human Fighter 2

Adjust Party:

• Mer-Me of Ironbound Castle, Lawful Elven Thief 3
• Zer Esten, Neutral Human Magic-User 2
• Quasin the Uncanny, Neutral Human Cleric of Oghma 3
• Elsun the Heavy, Neutral Dwarven Fighter 3
• Tenspor of the Arid Wastes, Neutral Elven Cleric of Waukeen 2
• Berdpal Eth, Lawful Dwarven Fighter 3

Hexplore24: Week Two

"It was fashionable at the time to engage in the market of memories: an exchange where one's thoughts could be extracted and sold to others. The essence can be condensed into a tincture and then inhaled which imparts a vivid hallucination of the thoughts. Originally developed by the academy to compartmentalize and then transfer complex formulae, the potential for the service as a means to generate income was realized quite quickly by entrepreneurs and expanded as a popular extravagance for the nobility. Any warnings about the fugue state induced by repeated use of the tinctures were swiftly ignored. It is claimed that repository of vials containing the colleges forbidden spells lies gathering dust in the storerooms of the palace; held forever as both ransom and assurance for their compliance."

    It wasn't as easy to convince everyone to make another trek into the wilds so soon after our last venture. We scarcely had three moons rest before we were packing supplies onto the horses we bought and passing through the town's gates. A few near death experiences will sour any souls' wander lust, if only temporarily. The merchant prince paid well for news of our discoveries; most notably the overrun citadel near the Iron Temple and the lair of a dragon nearly within bowshot of the town. They agreed to sponsor further voyages including a reconnaissance of the northern shores, a visit to the Temple of Bast to render aid, and a more thorough study of the Isle of Glittering Stone and its resident draconic guardian. While we recuperated and gathered supplies, Another group made a short journey south to determine if any sites of interest lie between the ocean and the mountains. They reported little of value besides the presence of wereboars in the cliffs behind town. Given their eagerness to make their own coin, we agree to work together to aid the Temple of Bast in a few days time. Meanwhile, we set off north and scout another castle in the hills garrisoned by a small army and what appears to be hill giants by their size. The marsh lands spread out after the hills blocking further egress.

    The prince seems eager to establish a more sturdy foothold; I can't blame them given how little we know about our surroundings. Making an alliance with the local inhabitants seems a strong policy although I suspect the priests of Bast may be hesitant to cede some degree of ownership over the citadel in exchange for eradicating whatever evils lurk within. Regardless, they next few days will likely be trying as we plan to cut through the swamps and come around to the temple from its eastern side. No one among us envies a trudge through a mire and we all pray the ground is dry on the other side.

Hexes Explored: 20

Features Found: 

• 0623: Lair of the Cat Demons. A ruined keep with surrounding towers overrun with ghouls and two Rakshasha. Intriguing as it resides within the same hex as the Iron Temple of Bast who is the God of Felines
  
• 0522: A crossroad. Situated in a natural path between the topology, the road will likely prove useful in the future.
  
• 0322: The Island of Glittering Stone. An island in the middle of a river rich in rare metals and containing the lair of a black dragon.
  
• 0319: Castle Huntingdon. An occupied keep with a small militia and led by a 9th level thief. Two hill giants serve as retainers.
  

Notable Encounters:

• Three Lions got the jump as the party traversed the mountains. Quick thinking and a lucky strike from Dan and Douse likely saved their lives.
  

Current Party:

• Adran, Lawful Human Ranger 2
  

• Dan of Caladan, Neutral Halfling Thief 3
  

• Douse, Lawful Human Monk 3

• Athos, Lawful Elven Magic-User 2
  

• Aran, Lawful Human Cleric of Tiamat 3
  

• Mer-Sit the IV, Chaotic Human Fighter 2

Adjust Party:

• Mer-Me of Ironbound Castle, Lawful Elven Thief 3
  
• Zer Esten, Neutral Human Magic-User 1
• Quasin the Uncanny, Neutral Human Cleric of Oghma 3
• Elsun the Heavy, Neutral Dwarven Fighter 2
• Tenspor of the Arid Wastes, Neutral Elven Cleric of Waukeen 2
• Berdpal Eth, Lawful Dwarven Fighter 3