Please note that most of these summaries are based on adventures that are available for download on the internet. These summaries may contain spoilers about the content of those adventures.
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Session 53 Ead/Jon |
Stone Dead part one (modified version of D&D adventure) |
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Gitano Mirandola sends word to Brenna's adventurers that Eiryn Torellen wishes to speak with Marcus in person before finalising arrangements to ransom back her belongings and Amaltheia's whispering bow. Lady Brenna directs her adventurers to collect several bottles of spring water from the church at Prusa in the mountains near Navyn, as the holy spring has therapeutic powers and she wishes to make a gift to Duke Henry Rayner of Vestad. Brenna's adventurers travel to Navyn, where they meet two red-haired elves, Eiryn Torellen and Rathlond Lerinal, brother of the slain Surya. Eiryn seems pleased to see Marcus and disappointed that Cinder is trapped somewhere and couldn't be present. She offers Marcus a talking sword, Thalion Monster-Bane, in exchange for the whispering bow. Rathlond makes a show of throwing 20 imperials at Jonyn's feet in exchange for his sister's sword, and refuses to call Jonyn anything other than "Umarth", which Marcus later translates for him as "Ill-Fated One". When the ransoming is complete, Eiryn and Rathlond disappear using magic on a scroll that Eiryn reads out. Brenna's adventurers leave Navyn and travel northwest towards Prusa. As they grow close to Prusa, they meet an increasing number of refugees who have fled the mountain village because people there were growing grey and pallid. When they reach Asine, the village a half day's walk from Prusa, the locals warn them not to continue on, as apparently no-one has come from Prusa in many days and the last refugees claim that people were turning into stone statues as they slept. That night, Jonyn has a prophetic dream in which he takes an axe down from in front of a golden banner decorated with a red cross on a wall, walks down a corridor, down some stairs, and down another corridor to a door with Something Bad behind it. He tells the other adventurers about his prophetic dream before they leave for Prusa. Brenna's adventurers arrive at Prusa late in the morning. The towers that guard the bridge over the ravine before Prusa have four monstrous winged gargoyles on them, which come to life and attack when Brenna's adventurers start crossing the bridge. The gargoyles are armed with swords and small stones, which explode with a burst of force and create an impenetrable dome around the area where they land. However, Brenna's adventurers make quick work of the four gargoyles, and Marcus find Thalion particularly effective against them. Within the village, everything is quiet: the few people who remained have turned to stone, as have the animals. Taliriana breaks the enchantment on the miller's stone body, but unlike past experience with Eadric the miller is dead when he turns back to flesh. Brenna's adventurers bury the miller in the family sarcophagus in the cemetary, where they find that even the long-dead have turned into stone. They go on to the sanatorium, which is guarded by eight more monstrous winged gargoyles perched on the room, and kill all eight gargoyles in a lengthy battle that almost costs Talos his life and does cost Eadric his bow. Summer 1397 AUC |
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Session 54 Ead/Jon |
Stone Dead part two (modified version of D&D adventure) |
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Inside the sanatorium, Jonyn almost immediately finds the axe from his dream, hanging on a wall in front of a gold banner with a red cross. The way ahead clear, Brenna's adventurers follow Jonyn down a corridor, down some stairs, and down another corridor to a door. Behind the door they find natural caverns that contain a large animated stone statue and another monstrous winged gargoyle, which uses magic to make itself invisible and to attack the adventurers. The animated stone statue makes everyone who comes too close begin to turn grey and pallid. However, it is broken into pieces by Jonyn's new axe, and Jonyn also kills the stone slug inside the statue that was apparently the source of its power. The gargoyle is harder to defeat, and uses magic to turn Taliriana into a babbling fool and Adar against Eadric. However, Marcus and Jonyn kill the gargoyle, Eadric is able to calm Adar, and Taliriana recovers her wits quickly enough. The animated statue and gargoyle were guarding a small, immobile statue of a monstrous four-winged creature, and Jonyn shatters that statue into pieces as well. Brenna's adventurers explore the rest of the sanatorium and the church, finding several statues but no-one still living. They return to Asine for the night, and come back the next day so that Jonyn can start burying the statues of the dead in the cemetary. They return to Asine the next night, leaving a live chicken behind to see if it will turn into stone. When they come back the third day, the chicken is still alive, so they remain in Prusa for the next few days until all the statues have been properly buried. Brenna's adventurers collect several bottles of spring water, while Marcus collects a small number of stone rabbits and squirrels from the nearby woods for his garden before they leave. The locals at Asine are initially unconvinced that it's safe to return to Prusa until Marcus and Jonyn persuade them that the curse has been broken and the monsters destroyed. Brenna's adventurers return to Merin, where Marcus is displeased to learn that Mendy Bader has submitted papers to the University Press for publication with similar content to his own papers. He tells the University Press that they are not joint papers about the early spread of the True Faith to Birland, and the University Press rejects Mendy's papers. Summer 1397 AUC |
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Session 55 Ead/Jon |
Old Friends, Old Foes |
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Prompted by Marcus, Taliriana searches for Geirrod, the captain of Cinder's Goblin warband. Geirrod tells her that he and his warriors have learned more about Lord Anton's movements. Lord Anton left the Dwarven side of the front about a month earlier, just before a major Goblin offensive that overran the Dwarven lines and papers found in Lord Anton's chambers referred to "the burial mound of Hyspastis", "south of the Sleetmarsh", and "transmogrification". Marcus investigates in the University Library, and establishes that Hyspastis was a famous Emphidian philosopher who lived in what is now Ranimia in the fourth century AUC and died at the end of summer in 397 AUC. His greatest claim to fame is a mechanical model of the Cycle of Arda, which he claimed could speed a soul through the Cycle and to its next life. Theorising that Lord Anton intends to use the Hyspastis' Model to return to life in a young, vibrant body, Marcus teleports Brenna's adventurers (less Talos, who is attending a conclave of druids in his homeland, Vestad) to the Pontifical Library at Selentium, the city closest to the location of Hyspastis' villa that any of them have been to. At Selentium, they learn that the Pontiff of the city has recently died, and the episcopal seat is vacant pending the election of the new Pontiff. Marcus fleshes out his information on Hyspastis using the Pontifical Library. Brenna's adventurers stay in Selentium overnight, buying horses in the morning and riding west towards Ranimia. As they near the location of Hyspastis' villa, they learn that a southern noble is travelling by covered wagon toward the same location, escorted by two dwarves and a centaur. The description of the noble matches Lord Anton. The adventurers catch up on the covered wagon, arriving at the final village on their journey the night of the day the wagon left for the long-abandoned villa in the wooded hills. The next day, Brenna's adventurers walk to the abandoned villa, arriving as the sun approaches noon. They are ambushed by a dwarf and a centaur as they approach the central courtyard, and kill both in battle. In the courtyard is a covered wagon and two nervous horses, which they leave alone. Exploring the villa, they easily find a large open trapdoor in the floor with steps leading down. At the bottom of the steps they are confronted by Ulfgar, no longer wearing the golden circlet, who is guarding the way into a hall of pillars dominated by a large mechanical model at the far end, where Lord Anton is attempting to peform some occult ritual. Ulfgar disavows all knowledge of Brenna's adventurers, claiming instead that his name is Vidar Goldbrow and that they are bandits and killers. The distraction ruins Lord Anton's ritual, and a large winged ape appears, crushing the model. The winged ape attacks Brenna's adventurers, who attack Lord Anton in reply. "Vidar" almost kills Eadric, but decides discretion is the better part of valour and departs while the battle still rages. Brenna's adventurers kill the winged ape, then overwhelm and destroy Lord Anton. Marcus takes Lord Anton's rings and finds Lord Anton's diary in the wagon before they break it up and use it as kindling to burn the bodies of Lord Anton and the winged ape. "Vidar" has already stripped down the dwarf's body for his waraxe, shield and boots before fleeing the villa. Late Summer 1397 AUC |
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Session 56 Ead/Jon |
Living Weapon of Mass Destruction part one |
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Brenna's adventurers follow "Vidar" back to the village, which has been warned by "Vidar" and refuses to let them past the village gate or to return their horses. Marcus is displeased that the villagers believe "Vidar" over the adventurers, and the adventurers camp overnight so they can follow "Vidar" in the morning. However, "Vidar" fled before they arrived the previous evening on horseback, and without horses of their own there is no way to catch up with him on foot. Brenna's adventurers return to Merin, where Taliriana tries without success to find "Vidar" for three days. On the fourth day, "Vidar" is using a protective amulet to hide himself from magical detection. Marcus' reading of Lord Anton's diary establishes that "Vidar" had lost his memory while wandering lost in the mountains of Peronnia, before Lord Anton met him at Alabanda. Brenna's adventurers assume that Ulfgar went to Oblivion and lost his memories, and decide to leave him in peace. Lord Anton's diary also establishes that he could not have been the Black-Robed Man, leaving that person's identity a mystery. As autumn approaches, Lady Mara returns from campaigning in Elmet and Talos returns from the druidic conclave in Vestad. Early in autumn, news comes from Elmet that a Goblin army used an immense four-legged monstrous creature to break down the walls of a castle on the border with Menarland, which they sacked with much loss of life. Brenna's adventurers recognise the creature as a larger version of the monster they left in stasis at Shivnar's keep, and Lady Brenna sends them south to gain reknown by finding and killing the creature. They follow the path of the Goblin army from the Elmet border to Malgwyn, the last free city of Old Duneld, which is now beseiged by a force of several thousand Goblins. Brenna's adventurers confirm with magic that the creature is in the service of a King named Thraim, the same Thraim they defeated near the Dunn village of Maire three and a half years earlier. After talking with the aged bishop of the city and the Ten Generals elected by the popular assembly to lead the defence of the walls, Brenna's adventurers decide to challenge King Thraim, "Overking of Krarth", to honourable combat in the hopes that it will lure the creature out from beneath the ground. The Goblins accept the challenge, asking whether the city's champion wishes to battle Thraim the Greater or Thraim the Lesser, and Brenna's adventurers decide it's best to fight them both to make sure they get the right Thraim. The Thraim they know is Thraim the Lesser, fully a foot and a half shorter than Thraim the Greater, who is almost as tall as Jonyn. Jonyn easily sunders the haft of Thraim the Greater's battleaxe, but uses his magic ring to grow to twice his normal height in doing so, which the Goblin army takes as treachery. Brenna's adventurers retire inside the walls, and settle in to wait for the monster to attack. Talos begins to receive messages sent from the Goblin army via birds, asking him what he wants to leave and warning him that he and his allies should go now. After a few days, Brenna's adventurers decide to try and provoke the Goblin army to action, attacking and sinking one of the ships in the flotilla blocking the port. Their plan is a success, as the monster tunnels into the cathedral and wreaks havoc. Brenna's adventurers return and battle the monster. They are at a disadvantage, as Taliriana cannot approach the cathedral because it is holy ground and they aren't prepared for the monster's size and physical power, but manage to injure it sufficiently that it chooses to tunnel away rather than stay and fight. Talos follows after it in the form of a dire badger. Late Summer to Early Autumn 1397 AUC |
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Session 57 Ead/Jon |
Living Weapon of Mass Destruction part two |
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When the monster and Talos emerge from the ground, they are near the tents of King Thraim the Lesser. Talos flees after a few seconds of battle, barely able to escape from the revitalised creature with his life. At Malgwyn, the rescuers find the broken body of the bishop among the rubble of the partially-demolished cathedral. That night, Talos receives another bird messenger, which asks again what he wants to leave with his friends. To keep morale high, Brenna's adventurers plan to attack another ship in the flotilla. Talos sends a water spirit to sink one ship, and the flotilla pulls back away from the port, but the monster doesn't attack. Talos then attacks the Goblin camp with a spirit of air, which is driven off by Goblin sorcerers, who send an air spirit of their own in retaliation. After driving off the Goblins' air spirit, Talos pounds one of their camps with a flurry of massive hailstones. In response, Goblin sorcerers pound a section of the city wall's parapet with hailstones. Unable to make any magical attack on the Goblin army that cannot be matched by Goblin sorcerers, and seeing the three-score Goblin Kings assembling in council, Brenna's adventurers decide the best course of action remaining to them is for Taliriana to spy on Thraim at the council. Fortunately, the council is still going when she completes the spell, and she links her mind to Marcus' mind so that he can translate the Dakkandi words she hears through her mirror. Spying on the assembly, the adventurers learn that Thraim hasn't received the presents of treasure the other kings promised him he would receive before he would release his monster on the walls of Malgwyn; the other kings now believe Thraim is a coward and/or a trickster, unwilling or unable to risk his monster in battle, and refuse to pay him the promised treasure until he sends his monster against the city a second time; Thraim is publicly shamed by one of the elder Goblin kings, who gives him a gilded dwarf-made waraxe as his share of the treasure promised Thraim and proof of the assembled kings' intention to pay the full sum of treasure promised once Thraim has fulfilled his part in their bargain. Brenna's adventurers agree to Taliriana's suggestion that she send Thraim a dream message asking him what he wants to leave the city. In the early hours of the morning, Talos receives a message in response telling them that Thraim will send his monster to the main gates when the sun is at its peak, and that they can fight it then, "winner takes the city". Brenna's adventurers prepare to battle the creature at the courtyard inside the gates, expecting it to tunnel up out of the ground. Instead, it tears down the gates, leaving the gateway open for the Goblin army to advance through should they lose the battle. Fortunately, Brenna's adventurers are victorious, killing the beast in front of the assembled Goblin army, which retires back to camp afterwards, while they mend the broken gates using magic. Thraim's warband leaves immediately, and a number of other warbands also depart. Reassured that the Goblin army doesn't seem to think they can capture the city, Brenna's adventurers return to Merin with the magically-reduced head of the monster as a gift for Lady Brenna, who mounts it on a wall in her museum. Unfortunately, Brenna's adventurers don't get as much credit as they hoped, because rumours spread quickly through the Royal Court that they were responsible for the creature living long enough to join the Goblin army in the first place. The rumours are attributed to Marcus' housekeeper, but Yara fervently denies that she's talked to anyone about her time as Shivnar's servant, or the creature that Shivnar created. Despite the rumours, there is still interest at the Court in Marcus' tales of archaeology and adventure: a travelling prince from the Kattar kingdom of Mien, in the far north of the peninsula of Minj, is fascinated by what he has been told about their discoveries and adventures. Early Autumn 1397 AUC |
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Session 58 Jon/Mar |
Bad Moon Waning (modified version of D&D adventure) |
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Brenna's adventurers meet Prince Rahgozar of Mien, who is very pleased to hear Marcus recount their more exciting adventures. Marcus and Prince Rahgozar meet frequently during autumn, and Lady Brenna arranges for her adventurers to return north with the Prince when he leaves for his homeland at the start of winter. Late in autumn, while Eadric is absent, Lady Brenna lends her adventurers to the Prince to act as his servants in collecting some of the delicately carved wooden chests produced by the Elves of Sperrin. The Prince also wishes to obtain a painting from Esther Vidad, a famous court painter who has retired to the village of Deepwood, in the forest nea the border with Sperrin. Brenna's adventurers travel to the border of Sperrin and commission wooden chests for the Prince, then travel on to the village of Deepwood. They find a rotting corpse hanging from a tree on the outskirts of the village. On entering the village, they are met by the mayor, tanner Edvard Kititch, who explains that the corpse is Trammil Nimman, a local hunter who was hanged after killing the village priest. Trammil was a werewolf, though the villagers didn't know that until they caught him with the priest's corpse in the chapel, and the villagers are worried there are other werewolves among them. The only clue they have is a book they found in Trammil's shack that's written in some secret code, which the villagers are guarding in the chapel. Brenna's adventurers agree to investigate, and Edvard takes them to the chapel, where the book is being guarded by his wife Lilly, and a second villager, Simone Harth. Brenna's adventurers become suspicious of Lilly, as he thinks she may be a werewolf. Brenna's adventurers go on to visit Esther Vidad at her house, and arrange to take away a painting of Elves dancing by moonlight for the Prince. They then visit the two-story manor house and call on Armon Bistle, another wealthy retiree who has moved from Merin to Deepwood, albeit much younger than Esther Vidad. Brenna's adventurers are also suspicious of Armon and his butler, Darby, as they arrived in the village only a few months before the troubles began. Brenna's adventurers proceed to the house of two trappers, Egna Leone and Avon Vestille, and become suspicious of Avon. Having established to their own satisfaction that there appear to be several werewolves living in Deepwood, Brenna's adventurers decide it's time to decode Trammil's book. Returning to the chapel, Marcus swiftly breaks the code, learning that: Trammil had been the pack leader; a new werewolf had arrived and taken his place as pack leader a few months ago; none of the werewolves could work out who the new werewolf was by scent; the new pack leader made the pack dig out a seam of gold in a nearby cave; the pack were hiding the excavated gold in the Vale of the Silvery Moon. Both Lilly and Simone know where the Vale is, as it is a nearby forest clearing where the wolves gather on the nights of the full moon. Brenna's adventurers leave Deepwood and hurry to the Vale, trying to arrive before nightfall. When they arrive in the late afternoon, there are several wolves skirting the edge of the Vale. The wolves gather together when Brenna's adventurers entering the Vale, and a large wolf-man follow the adventurers into the Vale. The wolf-man commands the other wolves in the language of wolves to attack the adventurers, but Talos persuades them that the adventurers are only there to find the murderer, and the wolves don't attack. Brenna's adventurers quickly overpower the wolf-man, who turns into smoke with the final strike. The smoke is caught by a sudden breeze and flies back towards Deepwood, faster than Brenna's adventurers can follow. When they arrive, Brenna's adventurers aren't surprised to learn that the smoke flew down the chimney of the manor house. They break into the manor house, where Armon and Darby appear to have gathered their valuables and fled, presumably using magic. Brenna's adventurers tell mayor Edvard that the werewolf problem has been solved, and don't reveal that there are other werewolves living in Deepwood or that there is a cache of gold in the Vale of the Silvery Moon. They leave Deepwood the next day with the original Esther Vidad painting. Early to Late Autumn 1397 AUC |