2016/10/26

- Took Kor to Silver String but no sign of Daisy yet. Jon stayed with Kor until the evening performances. Quest and Lil J and Margaret went to the Temple of Ioun to try and find out about the Ironstead brothers. Katar went shopping!
 - Ironstead now mostly populated by Dragonborn these days after a disaster 100-150 years ago drove the Dwarves out.
 - Dragonborn war a lot, current brothers are likely descended from a particular standout Dragonborn leader that had three children, found by Quest in a genealogy of the area.
- Katar got our black powder! Hid it in a nearby forest.
- Learnt at the docks that only a large galley could handle the rough waters near Dun Eamon. We went to the big ship and asked the mercenaries there. We arranged a meeting with the lady of the ship at the Dragon's Nest. Headed there.
- Daisy arrived back at the Silver String and was relieved to see Kor. Spoke a little with her about franchising with her in Pyrah! She seems happy to potentially help.
- The lady eventually arrived at the Dragon's Nest. We discussed, she wanted our support on the council when we spoke of it, to strengthen her brood, she's a Huanti. She wanted us to say yes to whatever she wants. She's Salah-gliss, the second CC on the invite.
- Quest immediately wanted to go and research the Huanti. We couldn't find much. Just that they were quick to anger, tended to be violent, inflict prolonged suffering via poisons. Led by a Brood Lord and slaves used as breeding, and a Broodguard, which Salah is the head of. They're fairly new. Kind of evil sounding!
- We all headed back to the Silver String. Had a confab, decided to talk with Jostyll and Shakey about Salah.
- Jostyll was asked by Salah for support in the future in exchange for stopping the Orcs potentially. Jostyll didn't seem to know quite what to make of her. Eventually Margaret got out of Jostyll that Salah's brood is sick, potentially dying. That's why she's looking into alchemical ingredients, she's trying to cure them, only started recently. Brood Lord is worried. She probably wants assurances at Dun Eamon of a cure for her brood.
- Quest and Jon went to see Shaky. Salah wanted what comes through Shaky, and threatened him a lot, why he doesn't like her, doesn't trust her anyway. He felt that if she needs us, she needs us alive and to do what she says. Quest didn't like it but Jon wondered about possibly using her to get to Dun Eamon and learn about her plans in the process perhaps. Shaky was keen to give us an opportunity to betray or kill her. He gave us five red vials, anti toxin to take if we thought we were in danger.
- We went back to the Silver String and confabbed. We decided it was best to keep our enemies closer and keep Salah close! Grudgingly agreed. Also sent a letter to the Red Plume asking for their help with Highhill Keep, that they could keep the territory.
- We went to the boat and accepted her deal. Help!

2016/10/19

- Debated about how to help the King. Replaced the holy water with fresh pure stuff. - Wondered if it was a curse, couldn't find any magic influence there - Lil J and Jon managed to insult Gillup, wasn't keen on us staying! We sort of persuaded him not to throw us out. - Detected some poison, totally feint, not likely to be a real poison. So probably not magic or poison. Still needed to check for diseases and curses. We weren't so sure how to do this. - Tried using Awakened Mind to contact the King, no reply - Decided some research needed for diseases and curses that it could be - Lil J and Quest went to do some research at Temple of Ioun, wanted to look into curses and diseases. Curses in particular. Curses were primarily to just weaken people a bit and such, maybe not something as strong as what the King has. Could be some very high level curses like Feeble Mind, sort of arcane. Looked through diseases as well. More like internal damage and paralysis and sleep and such, can inflict poison in and of itself. - Might need specially designed potions to remove a curse. Diseases would be easier. - They haven't tried removing disease spell, possibly not remove curse - Blane said he couldn't fix a Heartstone, barely knew what it was - Tried to persuade Gillup to let us cast remove curse and remove disease. He took all of our equipment and arcane focuses etc and restrained us. Margaret used a remove disease spell on him, and it worked! A startled King awoke and started questioning everything. Gillup gave us our things back and Jon gave the King some further healing. - Jon and Margaret would stay with the King. And the Prince was summoned. Got some food for him etc! - Discussed with the King about possible recompense, welcomed our desire to have the Stonesthrow and call it the King's Phoenix. He asked us to go as his representative to the meeting that Lap of the Valley mentioned. Might have to charter a vessel to get to Dun Eamon! - The King remembered a very large hand on the back of his neck, wanted us to find the ones who did this to him. - Would head to Stillbend with the girl that we rescued from the Fade potentially or do what she wants, would ask her - Left instructions to check for the evil Fade tattoos and confiscate amulets etc. - We went back to the Stonesthrow. Found Kurst in a bad state and the girls playing together, didn't seem good idea to leave him in control. Wondered what to do! - Managed to persuade Kurst to get his act together, Quest revealed he'd been drinking the King's alcohol and filled his head with stories of bad things that would happen if the King found out! He seemed thoroughly persuaded! - Asked Kor how she felt about things, where she'd like to go etc! Felt it was best to take her back to the Silver String and maybe drop a message about our new pub! Franchising! - Slept overnight and went to the docks! Found some potential boats to take us but it was expensive! Had to use much of our money just to get to Stillbend.

2016/10/12

Left the temple of the Harpy, headed towards Pyrah.

Saw something large in distance in North on leaving mountain.

Went via red plume, Gudrun happy to see us as always...

Got some furs for Caw.

Margaret tried on the plate mail we'd been carrying around. Seemed to feel attached to her skin, when she tried to remove it, felt like it was ripping her skin. With a large amount of heaving and help from the party, finally managed to remove it again.

Entered Pyrah, gathering of large crowds for Winter's crest festival.

Met with Blaine who could identify our new found objects.

He looked at the paper we found, eyes turned white, started convulsing.

Says he saw a room with a grotesque, many eyed monster guarding what seemed to be a music box.

Large gilded door entering it, somewhere in a crevasse, surrounded by lava.

Lil'J stayed with Blaine, rest of the party watched some of the celebrations.

Spoke with Kessel at temple of Pelor, interred Alasdair's bones into the temple.

Slept in Stone's Throw pub, met with Kurst and Pip who were there.

Given a letter from Lap-of-the-Valley. Told about a meeting in Dun Eamon that he wants us to attend to support him. Something about warring brothers in the North.

Blaine told us about the items: Ring of glibness, dagger of secret script, amulet of undetectable alignment, and a staff of withering.

Went to Palace to speak with Prince. After a frosty welcome, persuaded to gain audience with the King.

King looking pallid in bed, two vials dripping into him, one blood, one clear liquid like holy water.

Investigated around the king, worked out that the holy water might be tainted. Tested it and found it to be acidic instead,

Asked guard to fetch holy water for us to try and revive the king.

2016/10/05

- Entered through the skull doorway into the main temple. Saw rows and rows of pews with dead bodies in, and a ritual being performed at an altar behind another anti-life barrier. - We were spotted by a tall pale figure and another person who came in, praying at an altar. Lil J managed to lip read. They didn't seem to be attacking us. - One of them dropped something into a brazier, a huge fire came out. They added all the ingredients and sacrificed Alistair and tried to sacrifice the girl as well. - Managed to save the girl but Alistair or a being possessing Alistair fighting us, Margaret closed and gave him a good smite (several times over!) and everyone started dog piling him, Quest managed to reach the girl and cast Darkness to hide her. - Alistair started trying to absorb bodies to heal himself after a prolonged battle but Lil J peppered him with scorching rays over and over while Jon and Margaret pressed their assault. - Alistair's body burned to cinder, a smirk on his face. - Lil J noticed a blue ember rising from Alistair. Managed to grab it. It was some sort of scroll with arcane runes on it. Pocketed it! We couldn't discern what it was. - Looted lots of magical items from him! - Investigated the temple, Jon found a hidden room with a sculpture with eyes in it that showed a particular room somewhere. Was large with vaulted ceilings and a big gilded large door. Didn't know where it was. - Jon used speaking with dead to get some info from an initiate, found out that there are many places to worship Vecna potentially. And also that there is a phylactery for the Lich, a backup plan, and that it is "written". - Quest tried unsuccessfully to argue that we need to destroy that strange scroll that Lil J found earlier in case it's a phylactery! - Started burning the place, found some gold under a trap door! Destroyed the altar and summoning area. Kept the girl close and planned to make our escape, burning as we go!

A zip of character sheets can be found here

2016/09/28

Gudrun carried an unconscious Quest and Jon to the Dragon’s Nest tavern to rest and recover.
Felt terrible the following morning, still feeling rough from the previous night.
Hired some horses from stable, Gudrun says that she will most likely be heading back to the red plume.
Tracked to where a skirmish seems to have happened and camped in cavern overnight, found tracks of what could be the other half of the party.
Continued tracking North East to foot of the mountains, saw party in distance making their way up the mountain.
Katar, Lil’J, and Margaret came onto plateau near top of the mountain, sheer drop to side of it. Large boulder with a skull carved into it, hole in eye, ears, nostrils, and large one for mouth.
Genghis smelled food, trying to get to nest above boulder.
Lil’J put seeing stone into eye socket and seemed to activate some kind of mechanism.
Heard screeching coming up from below, attacked by harpy!
Quest and Jon sprinted up the mountain in order to try and catch up.
Harpy charmed Margaret and Lil’J with its song, felt compelled to walk towards it – towards edge of cliff!
Katar sunk some shots into it, before tying Margaret up with rope to stop her from falling.
Lil’J regained his senses and unleashed a scorching ray. Katar placed an arrow in a crevice to try and sustain the weight of the rope and Margaret. Marget walked off and was dangling 400ft looking down the cliff face!
The Harpy picked up Lil’J before being covered in acid by him, only just keeping his footing on the edge before the Harpy careered down the cliff, dead.
Margaret hoisted back up by Jon and Katar as the others arrived.
Puzzled over boulder before remembering the letter – ‘..remember to enter is threefold. Of voice, of stone, and of blood…’
Whispered in the ear, ‘let us in’, when asked who goes there, replied ‘no one’. Another mechanism turned!
Took turns trying to offer blood to the mouth, inside was a spike protruding up. Lil’J ended up impaling his hand on it, opening the final mechanism. Left with stigmata on palm. Boulder rolled aside!
Continued down a narrow passageway. Strange shimmering purple ‘anti-life’ barrier blocked our ability to advance. Flames in braziers burning, with openings behind. Jon and Lil’J reached behind it to activate the lever burning their arms but bringing down the barrier.
Pool of liquid in front, Katar dived into it, led to another door the other side. Rest of the party followed.
Opened the door. Inside, saw rows upon rows of pews with bodies lying slumped on them. A purple barrier was halfway along the large hallway in front. Beyond it, a pool, similar to those seen in other temples with a blackened liquid in it. At the far end, an altar. Is this the temple of the harpy?

2016/09/21

Camped for evening huddling around fire for warmth.

Heard sound of wolves in distance, jiggalump scouted out and found a pack of ~8 but with two larger than rest apparently fighting to establish dominance.

Pack went south and the split into two smaller groups, one approached.

Margaret woke group up to prepare to fight them off. Katar attempted to reason with them but wasn't backing down.

4 wolves attacked, alpha targeted.

Well timed divine smite from Margaret, sharpshooter shot from Katar, and a final scorching ray from Lil'J finished it off.

Killed off alpha and the final two backed away.

Climbed a nearby tree to gain height advantage and avoid any further encounters after having to calm Genghis first.

Looked through seeing stone and saw Gudrun, Jon, and Quest asleep in makeshift bunk beds, seem fine.

Tracked northwards, found area near obsidian mine where some skirmish seems to have happened. Found a nearby cave with butchered horse, rags, and bloodied white cloak. Continued further north coming across jagged mountains. Made camp in shallow cavern for evening.

Lil'J had further nightmare.

Woke feeling strangely warm, comforted and happy. Remembered childhood memories and positive thoughts from our lives.

Lost the trail in rain, jiggalump found horse tied to tree but something seemed to latch onto jiggalumps back and destroy it.

Found the horse and set it loose.

lil'J conjured a rabbit who found further trail leading up mountainside. Seems well trodden with paths leading both up and down.

Margaret spotted something circling around and landing over the crest of one of the peaks.

Followed the path up. In distance, saw two creatures come together, one plummet down, the other land, and soon after, the second one descend vertically down as well.

Continued up the mountainside, nearly cresting the peak...