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written by Fiznarthian Ooglenook (played David Pettit)
Featured image from https://holiviantales.wordpress.com/

Chapter 1

Game day 1/12/2019

I went back to the temple and met Slogarth, an acolyte.  He is still learning his cantrips. He told me that Master Foswith had left and taken all the able bodied fighters to Berlstrum because it is under siege from the worst of the worst, Tarken raiders.

“Listen slogarth on those cantrips just concentrate, bear down and push them out.” Hehe, hope he doesn’t have an accident, if you know what I mean.

Cleaned up in my room and put stuff away from my recent trip.

I headed down to the library to  check in and see if I can get some information on this map I acquired on my trip.

I ran into Penster (human) and Olmaree (halfling) there talking about a ruined city. Sounds kind of like Amara, so I ask them. They take me to see an old man that has traveled to the temple with a weird story.

Gorshank’s Tale

The old man (Gorshank) was out hunting and came across a band of thugs with a hostage.  They turned out to be Tarken raiders.  He followed them hoping to get a chance to rescue the hostage and be a hero.  The leader of the raiders was Kednar a dwarf and he overheard that the troops were complaining about missing the Berlstom siege and something about … Aheneus family tree.  Securing access for the Orcus, the Demon Prince of the Undead, a passageway between the material plane and the Abyssal plane.  The next day he followed them to a cliffside town that has long been in ruins.  The leader, Kednar, chanted something before entering the ruins. The old man kept seeing things out of the corner of his eye, but never anything solid. They went through the ruins and down a path in the cliff to a sandy cove.  Parting a curtain of vines revealed a cave entrance, which they entered posting 2 guards.  The old man watched from the cliff above and waited, but fell asleep only to wake surrounded by three transparent beings that seemed to be trying to communicate.  In waking he made enough noise for the guards to hear, so he ran. The transparent beings followed touching him off and on as he went.

When his story was done I asked the old man his age.  He said he was 22, but he looks 90.

Talking it over Penster, Olmaree, and I – we think my map of the ruins of Amara might be the ruins he saw.  Also the captive below the ruins seems to be the key to the whole Orcus plan.  The cave below the cliffs is the Dungeon of the Mad Molvei.  Legend says that a sacrifice of three from a specific dragon family line will make a bridge between the material plan and the abyssal one.  There will be lots of traps, so I’ll need someone sneaky.  I’m going to need some muscle too. We have decided that someone, me, needs to stop this. I’m to go to the Guild of Keepers of Balance and see if I can round up some help, while Penster and Olmaree see if they can pinpoint where the ruins are.  They have given me 100GP to hire some help.

Hiring Some Muscle

So I head over to the Guild of Keepers of Balance and talk with a Tiefling named Dohlean.  Fortunately, they have (according to her) just hired on two of the best dungeon crawling experts available.  Tholin a half-elf rogue and Kromnak Mor a tall dwarf barbarian, and imagine my good fortune to be able to hire them both for 50GP each 25% back on returning them live.  See gave me a receipt.

Upon returning to the temple I give them the receipt and find they have located the ruins.  I am outfitted with:

• 6 small bottles of healing red glimmering potion 2d4+2 each
  • 3 each to Tholin and Kromnak Mor
• 2 cloudy green water breathing potions
• 1 yellow with black spiral haste potion (1min)
• Circlet of Protection (p270 Spell of Protection) works 3 times/day renews at dawn. Lasts 10min
  • I gave to Tholin
• 3 Amulets (for use with hostages) Proof against detection (hide from divination magic) requires attunement
  • One to each of us… for now
• Boots of Striding and Leaping – Jump 3 times normal distance requires attunement
  • Me, Fizzle
• Flame Tongue sword (long) speak the command word “flame,flame”  and it flames bright 40ft and dim 40ft until the words are spoken, it’s dropped or it is sheathed
  • I gave to Kromnak Mor
• Chime of Opening (5 uses) hollow 1ft long tube.  Point 120ft at obj – strike – and obj opens (if it can be opened)
  • I gave to Tholin

We must travel from M’ka through Ol’shire to Amara (north easterly) see map

I try to barrow horses from the temple but unfortunately they can’t spare any.

So on meeting up with Tholin and  Kromnak Mor and distributing some of the magic items I was given (see above) we head off on foot for Ol’shire.  It will take about three days and we hope to “acquire” some hoses and pony’s there.  Along the way on the first afternoon we exchange some history about ourselves and I relate the old man’s story and tell them of our quest.

First Night Camping

Our first night we camp by a stream in the trees about 50 yards off the road.  Kromnak Mor catches a rabbit and I catch a fish, but Tholin has no luck trying to shoot a fish with an arrow so I share mine with him.  As we go to sleep around the fire Kromnak Mor keeps the first watch.  He keeps saying “Flame,flame” and making his sword turn-on and off.  It’s a little distracting. He can’t seem to get my name right either, keeps calling me sniffles and such. I worry he may be a little “simple” in the head.

Tholin takes the next watch and we are attacked by 6 spiders, smallish, which thanks to his alertness he sees coming.  Great fighters that we are we quickly dispatch, and in Kromnak Mor case squish with a vengeance, them.  We do take some damage and then its my watch.  Whereupon we are attacked by 3 giant rat creatures, which we likewise dispatch.

As we are all wounded. I use a couple healing spells on my companions and I drink a healing potion provided by Kromnak Mor.