DM williamfredrickson's events

[DEV Jlf2n]

DM williamfredrickson's events.

[DM williamfredrickson]

A Noble Kidnapping

A group of adventurers (Foggy McGee, Enthor, Aiden McBride, Vector Stalwain and Daelthrien Silverleaf) witnessed a pair of mysteriously masked men conversing quietly to themselves near Jorn's farm in the late evening hours. Sensing trouble afoot, the party of adventurers, accompanied by two members of the Flaming Fist and a member of the Weave Masters, decided to investigate...

Sending a scout ahead, the party soon discovered a gathering of suspicious men hiding behind a house near the river's edge. The group was armed to the teeth and lead by a large half-orc who called himself Saldra. They were guarding a young woman in noble dress who was tied up securely with rope...

Upon seeing this, the scout hurried back to the rest of the party and quickly informed them of what he had seen. The party took quick action and lead by the two members of the Flaming Fist they openly approached the mysterious group. While the half-orc attempted to convince the party that they meant no harm, the party's ranger was able to sneak around the back of the building and carry the woman away to safety. However, the half-orc's men soon realized that she was gone, and they attacked the adventurers without warning...

As the dust of battle cleared, the adventures stood victorious... the two Flaming Fist were intrigued by the uniforms of the men they had slain, but didn't elaborate on their discovery to the rest of the party. A second group of masked men, however, were soon spotted sailing down the river in a small boat towards them. The new group, seeing that the adventurers had defeated that allies, ditched their craft and ran into the woods and vanished from sight.

The noble woman identified herself as Lady Doloran, the wife of the wealthy Lord Doloran whom was currently at the Ducal Palace seeking the Dukes' permission to open a trade caravan to Baldur's Gate. The party escorted her to her husband at the palace and received Lord Doloran's greatful thanks and were offered a reward, which most of the party gallantly refused.

(the party return's Lady Doloran to her husband in the grand hall of the Ducal Palace)

[DM williamfredrickson]

An Interrogation

The following day after the events of the kidnapping, the man known as Phantom spotted a masked man wandering the countryside near the Temple of Bhaal. Recognizing the man as wearing the same uniform as the men who had kidnapped Lady Doloran, Phantom began to quietly follow the fellow.

Obviously lost and unfamiliar with the territory, the masked man drifted into the Cloakwood, were he was soon attack by a pack of vicious wyverns. The beasts quickly tore the man apart, but Phantom easily dispatched them.

The creatures defeated, Phantom cunningly used a scroll of resurrection to bring the masked man back to life. Threatening the newly resurrected man with a sharp dagger at his neck, he began to interrogate him...

A few hours later the pair emerged from the forest, the masked man securely tied with rope and a dagger held at his back. But Tymora didn't shine her grace on Phantom, for a raiding party of gnolls had set an ambush and in the chaos the masked man escaped into the hills...

Phantom soon reported what had happened to the Fist, giving them the name of the masked man's employer- "Lord Taro", as well as other information...

[DM williamfredrickson]

A Wizard of Crawlers and Slime

In the cavern near Sshamath where inexperienced adventurers frequently hunt for beetles, a small group (Simayre, Cribitz and Alyssia Solonious) was suddenly set upon by a pack of foul smelling carrion crawlers. They quickly dispatched the disgusting creatures, but their victory was soon interrupted by strange laughter. Before they could really react, a Drow Wizard appeared before them and proceeded to praise the carrion crawlers that had attacked them. The party concluded that the wizard was responsible for the beasts, and demanded that the wizard call them off. Laughing manically, the wizard casted an invisibility spell on himself and vanished… his last words hung in the air he disappeared. “Perhaps I shall see you again…”

The party, on edge over the wizard’s disappearance began to search the cavern for some sign of their foe… sounds of battle were heard not far off, and they rushed through the mushroom forest to witness another adventurer (Qual'aquas) fending off a horde of carrion crawlers. The adventurers combined forces, and soon joined another traveler (Shi'nynda), and beat off their attackers, but once again as soon as they had finished, the strange Drow Wizard appeared again.

This time, the Drow promised that he would show them what nightmares were really made of, and after bantering with the party, proceeded to begin casting. Drawing their weapons, the party was suddenly trapped by magical spider webs as the Drow Wizard vanished again…

Pulling the sticky webs from their bodies, the adventures suddenly heard an disgusting slurping sound heading their way… fighting off panic, the party stood firm as gigantic gelatinous cubes of goo lumbered towards them. Battle ensured, and they party barely managed to survive.

The strange Drow Wizard was certainly toying with them for his own amusement, and the next time that he appeared, the party began to taunt him, goading the wizard to face them in combat himself. Angered, the wizard complied, and began casting once again, calling his minions to aid him. As fighting erupted again, the wizard fell in the chaos, screaming shrilly. Assuming him dead, the party dispatched the rest of the wizard’s minions, fighting skillfully. When the dust settled, there was no sign of the strange wizard…

Looking for clues, they noticed a trail of slime leading into a side tunnel. The wizard had crawled there from the battle, and was in a horribly wounded state… the killing off of the carrion crawlers and the slimes seemed to have weakened him. One member of the party held her blade to the drow’s throat and demanded to know whom the wizard served. Spitting defiance at her, the wizard refused to name his master, and was shortly run through by the sword. His body melted away into slime before the party’s astonished eyes, leaving behind a few magical trinkets.


(the party takes a moment to rest after they defeat a wave of carrion crawlers)

[DM williamfredrickson]

A Dragon, A Lich, and A Sword

High atop the Cloud Peak Mountains, a lone adventurer, Markon Ascaron, stumbled across the lair of an ancient White Dragon… the colossal creature seemed more amused than annoyed at having its slumber interrupted, and after casually inquiring towards Markon’s origins, it requested a boon of him…

The dragon, in a rumbling voice that caused miniature avalanches of snow to cascade down the mountain, asked for Markon to retrieve an enchanted sword of frost from a ruined estate deep within the Cloakwood Forest. In awe of the great beast, Markon quickly agreed, and set off at once down the mountain, lest he anger the great creature.

During his travels, he encountered a few adventurers willing to help him in his quest (Galen, Lance Theodopherus, Leonard Casca, Foggy McGee, Elivani Xilo'sciamne), some motivated by glory, others simply wishing to lend a hand.

As the party entered the woods, they noticed immediately that something was amiss. The lizard men of the forest attacked them in large numbers, charging at them savagely and demanding that they leave their land at once… predictably, the party refused… however, they tried to parlay with the lizards, only to have their reasonable request to pass through their territory denied. The lizards regrouped and attacked them furiously again…

As the fighting died down, the party’s ears soon picked up a strange, vibrating humming sound coming deeper from within the woods… following the source of the strange noise, and battling creatures of the forest of every step of the way, they soon found themselves at the foot of the old manor house. A host of spiders and lizards barred their way, strangely working together in unison to turn back the adventurers… some of the group realized that whatever the strange humming noise was that its origin was magical, and it was driving the creatures to attack them…

Defeating their foes, and joining forces with another group of adventurers, (Celestia Willoud and Hendal) the party made their way slowly into the manor house… swirls of dark energy drifted through the air… something, or someone, was definitely waiting for them…

Once inside, the party was shocked to see an undead lich standing before them… the foul figure glowed with dark energy, and in a magically amplified voice it mocked them and their quest. The lich spoke, or rather shouted, to them about an ancient game that it was involved in with the dragon, and it stated confidently that the game was now over. It boldly refused to give the party the sword they sought, stating that, “Auril’s blade will never be returned to the dragon!”

The lich then declared that it tired of the adventurers presence, and ordered its minions, a host of ghostly armored warriors to attack. A chaotic battle ensued, and as the dust settled, the lich vanished as it was defeated… the glowing sword remained on the floor in its place…

Amazed at their victory, the party was even more astounded to witness a glowing portal appear in the center of the room. The magical voice of the white dragon boomed before them, urging them to enter the portal immediately. Complying, the party found themselves atop the Cloud Peak Mountains, at the feet of the towering dragon.

Grinning, and showing teeth the size of swords, the dragon congratulated them on their success, and with a word of magic, summoned the sword of frost to him from Markon’s possession. With a second word of magic, the dragon conjured a large pile of gold for the party to divide amongst themselves… and then, without another word, the great beast sprung into the air, buffeting them with wind and taking flight towards the north…

The astounded party pocketed the gold and began the long journey down the mountain.

///Thanks for bearing with me at the end of the event everyone… I had to rush things because it ran longer than I thought it would and I had to go to work. Sorry things got a bit hectic and fast paced at the end! ;D

Oh, and if I missed anyone for XP and gold, or forgot to add you in the write up, send me a message!

(the party rests and discusses their adventure after watching the white dragon fly off... ) Thanks to osadam (Foggy) for the picture!

[DM williamfredrickson]

A Cloak Stolen, A Noble Slain...

Two men, Kintaro Mar’kova and Cezar, both of shadowy background and both interested in serving the god of thieves, entered the reclusive shrine of the Mask in Baldur’s Gate late one evening…

After having a conversation with the mysterious man called Perch, the two of them left stealthily together for the Palace District, tasked with stealing the enchanted cloak of the recently arrived noble, Lord Doloran of Waterdeep… Perch had told them that they would earn Mask's favor through such an assignment, and both were enthusiastic… especially when Perch told them they could use any tactics necessary.

As night fell, the two quietly reached the district, and proceeded to casually ask the local nobles out on their evening strolls the location of Lord Doloran’s recently purchased estate… Kinatro pretended to be an old friend of Doloran, and luckily the ruse worked… a young noble woman pointed them towards someone that could help…

Kintaro and Cezar then confronted Lady Adora, with Kintaro once again pretending to be an old friend of Doloran… however, the snobbish noble didn’t believe them. Thinking quickly, Cezar managed to convince her that they were servants on Lord Doloran’s staff, and had recently arrived in the city themselves. The state of the two adventurers dress helped convince Lady Adora, and she directed them to the proper street. “If I had servants like you, I don’t know what I’d do!”, she stated wearily and waved them off.

Pleased at their success, the two men went northwards, locating the street that Doloran had his estate on. They were surprised though, to see Lord Doloran himself, with a retinue of bodyguards and Flaming Fist soldiers, waiting outside the estate… The two quickly ducked into an alley and managed to remain unseen.

After carefully listening, they overheard that Doloran was awaiting a friend’s carriage to pick him up, but it had yet to arrive. Thinking quickly, Kintaro devised a plan, explaining it to Cezar in hushed tones. Slinking into the shadows, the two launched an assault on the guards, tossing bottles of exploding fire at them. As chaos ensued, the one of the Fist soldiers panicked, and ran off, while the second desperately tried to avoid the flames. Kintaro lined himself up for a backstab, and unnoticed by the soldier, thrust a blade into his back. Cezar dived at Doloran’s bodyguard, and before the man could shoot him with his bow, he was stabbed fatally by Cezar’s shortswords.

The two then turned their attention to Lord Doloran, who was starring at the bodies in shock. Grabbing the man, and holding a blade to his neck, the two then proceeded to successfully intimidate Doloran into surrendering his enchanted cloak. Not quite satisfied, Kintaro then demanded that Doloran give him all the gold he had on them. The two men quickly acquired a small fortune.

Doloran then demanded to be let go, but not wanting any loose ends, Cezar brutally knocked the man out, and Kintaro simply stabbed his blade into the defenseless noble, ending his life.

The two of them then hatched upon a plan to disguise their handiwork… Kintaro pulled out a few arrows from the quiver of Doloran’s bodyguard, and jammed them into Doloran and the fallen Fist soldier’s bodies, will Cezar dragged off the bodyguard’s corpse and hid it. With a few minor adjustment’s from Cezar, Kintaro’s ruse looked very convincing… any investigation would conclude that Doloran was killed by his own bodyguard…

Kintaro and Cezar then quickly left the scene by different paths, quietly making their way pack to Perch. On the way, Kintaro witnessed a noble with a retinue of bodyguard’s heading towards the scene… he managed to overhear the noble complaining to his guards. “That’s the third bloody time the carriage has broken a wheel this month! I do hope Doloran hasn’t been waiting too long…”

The two safely reached the Shrine of Mask without being observed by anyone… Grinning widely, the two handed the enchanted cloak over to Perch. “And how is Lord Doloran?”, he asked them with a sly smile. They told him that he had been taken care of. Permanently.

Perch was quite impressed and offered each of them a small token of appreciation, telling them that Mask was pleased with their devotion… he also said that he would have more tasks for the two of them in the future…


(The two men devise a plan... the guard and soldiers remain unaware...)


/// Alignment shifts for both characters. Both players did some excellent RPing! ;D

///Oh, and I'm going to start adding screenshots to my write ups... (when I remember to take them, of course!) This screen is a little interesting, because in the game in took place in daylight (we RPed that it was night), but I edited it to look like night

[DM williamfredrickson]

Diplomacy

A pair of adventurers travelling down the Trade Way through the countryside south of Baldur’s Gate was suddenly set upon by a pack of wolves. Slaying the animals quickly, the two were both intrigued by the size of the wolves that attacked them, for they were far larger than the wolves that normally stalked the hills and woods nearby. The pair decided to investigate the surrounding area, curious to see if any more large beasts were present. Their ears soon picked up the sounds of howling to the north, and they dashed off towards the woods in that direction.

As their neared the gathering of trees, they witnessed two more adventurers fending off a pack of the large wolves, and together the two groups quickly defeated them. As party stopped to gain their breath, on of the group realized that there was something odd about the wolves, apart from their considerable size. Studying their corpses, he determined that some sort of force was guiding them. It wasn’t magical, but he couldn’t quite tell what…

As the party conversed, they noticed a large wolf quickly dart past them, and sensing something amiss, the party gave chase and followed the creature. It lead them across the road and up a small rise to a place were a solitary shrine was shaded by a tall oak. Loosing sight of the wolf, the party examined the shrine and found it to be dedicated to Silvanus.

Suddenly, the keen ears of one of the group noticed a slight rustling in the leaves of the tree above them, and he shouted out a warning just as man suddenly leaped out of the tree and onto the ground before them. The man was dressed in furs, and wore the head of some sort of animal as a helm… he also carried a nasty looking spear which he held confidently.

The man, whom the party quickly realized was a druid, demanded that they stop attacking his pack, and ordered them away from their lands or he and his pack would kill them. Threats and insults were traded back and forth between the druid and one of the more violently inclined of the party, and things looked like they were heading to a fight until an elf of the group spoke up. Holding his shield confidently, and managing to appear quite intimidating to the druid, the elf proceeded to convince the druid that he did not need to attack them. The elf gave a speech about how Nature and Civilization could live in harmony, and calling upon the lore he had learned about the realms he provided a few examples of druids living in peace with city dwellers… others of the party provided more examples, and along with more wise words from the elf, the druid finally lowered his spear…

The arrival of two more adventurers convinced the druid that he really had no chance of winning a fight, and after more wise words from the elf he calmed himself, and realized that his ways could be in error. The man stated that he would go meditate on what he had been told, and wandered off, looking thoughtful. As he left, the pack of larger wolves trotted quietly after him and they vanished into the trees.

The party started to separate after the druid and wolves left, and more than a few were amazed that they had actually managed a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Words had proved more powerful than swords this day…

/// XP rewards to those involved and great RPing by the players who were there! Sadly, I forgot to write down who was involved in the event, so please feel free to tell me and I’ll add in your character to the write up if you wish

[DM williamfredrickson]

Who Did It?

The streets outside the Blade and Stars was fairly crowded, as the night was still rather young. A figure in black (Kintaro), quietly flirted through the shadows, stalking a hooded man who was gleefully carrying a bag of coins. “What a haul!” the hooded man could be heard saying to himself. “Now, I certainly could use a drink!” The hooded man wandered into the Blade and Stars, followed after a moment by Kintaro.

Kintaro, quickly formed a plan to kill his mark… Perch, the mysterious man whom could be found at the Shrine of Mask had assigned him to take care of the man, and he had sworn not fail in his task. Unbeknownst to him, another man, also dressed in black, silently followed him into the tavern as well.

Inside the tavern, the marked man could be seen sitting at a table, gulping down wine as fast as he could. A woman, Aileen Lonergan, sat alone at another table, seeming to be sleeping. Kintaro headed bodly up to the barkeep, and made an announcement in a voice that everyone in the tavern could hear. He claimed to be a wine merchant, and wished to know if anyone would want to sample his wares. The barkeep said it was alright, and the hooded man, attracted by the promise of free wine, eagerly volunteered. The barkeep chuckled, as he watched. “Ah, Boris, you always jump at something free.”

Kintaro asked the barkeep if they could go to a quiet room to do the wine testing, and the barkeep, agreeing, pointed them towards the kitchen. “The cook’s gone home for the night. Feel free to use the kitchen.” Nodding his thanks, Kintaro escorted the man to the kitchen. Moving quietly after them, Phantom took up a position near the door, hidden from view, but close enough to both hear and occasionally peer in the kitchen at the two.

Thinking that no one was about, Kintaro pulled out three bottle of wine from a bag, and explained their contents to the hooded man. Urging him to select one, the man grabbed a bottle and eagerly started guzzling it down. Unsheathing a dagger as the man drank, Kintaro suddenly slashed the man’s throat, killing him almost instantly. Catching the body before it fell, Kintaro eased the man down, and without making much noise, proceeded to stuff him in a nearby oven that was roaring with bright flames. Covering up the oven and grinning at a job well done, he started to leave the kitchen.

He didn’t make it far, as Phantom, who had been watching the entire time, suddenly flung out his arm and knocked Kintaro back into the room as he walked out the door. The sudden move knocked Kintaro off his feet. Phantom stood before him, barring his way. The two traded words… and after a few threats, Kintaro suddenly cast a spell of darkness, cloaking the doorway in thick shadows. Before he could react, Kintaro punched Phantom in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. Seizing the opportunity, Kintaro darted out the door.

Awoken by the commotion, Aileen Lonergan suddenly rose from her seat, trying to figure out what was going on. She witnessed Kintaro dash out the door, followed by Phantom, who had his weapons out and ready.

As everyone ran outside, Kintaro moved quickly down the street, towards the harbor, but Phantom managed to spot him rush away… he gave chase immediately.

Somehow, Kintaro managed to get away, ducking into side streets and alleyways, and he soon disappeared.

Phantom, looking for signs of his quarry, saw a patrol of Flaming Fist soldiers marching down the street. He hurried over to them, and reported the murder he had just witnessed, telling the soldiers too search for a man in black. The patrol quickly split up and went searching for the murderer. Phantom moved off in another direction, and soon met up with Aileen Lonergan and her friend, Jared Burns. He proceeded to tell them what had happened.

A few streets away, Kintaro stepped out of the shadows behind one of the Fists of the patrol. He cunningly told the soldier that Phantom was actually the man who committed the murder, and as Tymora, or perhaps Beshaba, the soldier believed him. The Fist quickly ran off to report to his officer.
A short while later, the patrol’s officer found Phantom talking with Aileen and Jared. The officer proceeded to question Phantom about the murder, telling him that a citizen had just claimed Phantom was in fact the killer. Denying this, Phantom pointed out Kintaro, whom was watching from the shadows across the street. Seeing this, the officer shouted for his men to stop Kintaro…

Seeing the soldier head towards him, Kintaro suddenly spoke to a citizen standing nearby him, telling him that he would give him a bag of gold if the man said that he had seen Phantom leave the Blade and Stars alone.. Flabbergasted and nervous of the approaching soldiers, the citizen failed to do as Kintaro bid, and quickly stepped away. As the soldiers neared him, Kintaro peacefully stopped as they ordered.

The patrol officer quickly tried to take control of the situation, trying to discern what had happened and who was lying to him. Phantom and Kintaro told their stories, and both Aileen and the citizen were explained to be witnesses. His anger rising at his inability to solve what had happened, the officer was starting to consider arresting everyone involved. Phantom however, diplomatically suggested that they return to the Flaming Fist Headquarters and sort it out there… he also suggested removing their weapons and binding their hands. The officer saw the wisdom in this and agreed. Curiously, both men peacefully complied. Jared Burns claimed to be Aileen’s attorney, and asked to come along as well, and the officer agreed. The entire group, witnesses, accused, and soldiers alike soon moved off to the Flaming Fist compound.

Under the cover of an invisibility spell, another man, Xeno, followed them quietly as well.

When they reached the compound, the officer presented them before Duke Eltan, whom was present in the main hall of the headquarters…. Eltan quickly imposed a small trial, questioning both the witnesses and the two accused. The discussion lasted for some time, and Eltan quickly realized, as well as most of the others present, that with no real evidence, other than each of the men’s words, neither of them could be certainly guilty or innocent. Halfway through the discussion, Eltan sent the officer to the Blade and Stars to retrieve the murdered man’s body… when he returned, the officer reported that the murdered man was nothing but ash now, after being in the oven for so long… the officer had also brought the barkeep, but the man provided little new evidence.

It was suggested that a cleric be called forth to try and resurrected the murdered man from his remains, and Eltan agreed, make preparations to summon one. In the meantime, Eltan ordered that the two men were to be under surveillance, and neither was allowed to leave the city until his soldiers finished their investigation and a cleric could be found… both Phantom and Kintaro peacefully and respectfully agreed.

Jared proceed to ask Eltan if he could attend the court later when the trial occurred, and the duke wearily agreed… as he dismissed them all, Eltan considered what he had heared, and what he knew about the two accused from the previous interactions he had had with them... he believed he already knew who was innocent, but the law was the law...


(the duke questions the accused and the witnesses)

///Great job everyone! All players really made the event come to life! It was originally just a little mission for Kintaro, but it really grew quickly!

Just so everyone is aware, don't use OOC information from this to provide evidence for the investigation for trial when we have it!

As to the investigation, I'll be making a IC announcement on the forums about it in the RP section... we will have the conclusion once a time is found out that everyone involved can be on at the same time again ;D

[DM williamfredrickson]

Barbarian Honor

Adventurers who chatted around the campfire near the farmlands of Baldur’s Gate suddenly had their day interrupted by the sounds of braying war horns… a group who wandered towards the woods to investigate witnessed a bloodied and battered man running towards them. He identified himself as a scout of the Weave Masters, and nearly out of breath he proceeded to tell them that a tribe of wild barbarians was heading towards the city, intent of pillaging the farms…

Not wasting any time, the adventurers quickly headed towards the bridge and formed a defensive line. Led by Lance Theodopherus, Berel Green Willow and later Vector Stalwain of the Fist, the adventures prepared for the worst…

In the distance, the terrifying howling of wolves could be heard, and soon, a pack of large wolves erupted from the forest and charged the defensive line. Working together, the defenders managed to defeat several waves of the wolves.. But as they gained victory, the sound of war horns drew even closer, and soon a horde of barbarians rushed out of the woods. The were clothed in Northern attire, and they starred at the farms with greedy eyes.

The adventurers, bolstered by many other travelers, demanded to know who the barbarians were. A large man, dressed in fine chain mail and a wolf cloak, and carrying a might sword stepped forward. He called himself Rothfold of the Tribe of the Wolf, and demanded that the defenders yield to him. The stated that they would take the supplies and food they needed from the farms or they would attack and kill them all.

Not intimidated by the barbarians, the adventurers refused, and readied themselves for battle. However, a few more peace minded individuals sensed that a fight was not needed…

One man proposed that the barbarians simply trade for what they needed, but Rothfold promptly refused. Another of the adventurers mentioned that reinforcements were coming, and several mages as well… this bluff managed to scare some of the barbarians, and the mention of magic users caused others to become nervous.. Thinking quickly, the magicians among the adventurers began to cast a few spells to scare the warriors…

The show of magic worked, and several of the barbarians fled into the woods, leaving only the bravest warriors and shamans standing with Rothfold…

Angered at those of his men that ran, Rothfold challenged the adventurers to single combat, demanding that they face him bravely without magic. One of the defenders, Berel, realized that a battle need not erupt and kill more that day, and he agreed to duel Rothfold… the barbarian chieftain stated that if he lost, his tribe would leave, as honor would dictate. Berel agreed, knowing that if he lost, the defenders would be facing the bravest remaining warriors of the Wolf Tribe.

Rothfold saluted Berel and the two faced off before the two opposing forces… Rothfold fought furiously, stabbing his sword viciously at Berel, but after a few moments of dangerous fighting, Berel managed to land in a killing blow… Rothfold fell to the ground, dropping his sword, mortally stricken.

A shaman of the Wolf Tribe stepped forward, and stated respectfully that the rest of the tribe would leave… he told Berel that as their tribe’s tradition stated that Berel could claim Rothfold’s sword… Berel took the blade, and courteously allowed the remaining tribesmen to retrieve Rothfold’s body so that it could have a proper funeral. Berel saluted the tribes honor, and the barbarians left the area without further bloodshed…

/// Great job everyone! It was a large event, but everyone RPed well!

[DM williamfredrickson]

The Cloakwood Beast - Part I

Three adventurers (Sardo Numpsa, Frey Bessemer, and Olcas Cruthu) hunting in countryside south of the farmlands of Baldur's Gate stumbled upon a strange set of tracks… from what they could tell, the marking were made by a giant serpentine creature, unheard of in the area. Intrigued and curious, they began to follow the tracks southwards…

Suddenly, the three saw a boar running towards them. Thinking that it was going to attack them they readied their weapons, but the boar darted past them, squealing in terror. Wondering what had frightened it, they continued quickly in the direction it had come.

The hilltop ruins loomed before them, and as they neared, an ominous hissing sound was heard. Edging closer, and trying to keep quiet and out of sight, the were amazed and disgusted at the sight before them. A giant snake lay coiled in the center of the ruins, with several large lumps visible along the length of its body… it was digesting something… perhaps wolves, maybe fellow adventurers…

The party tried to quietly creep away, but the giant serpent heard them, and quickly slithered towards them to attack! One of the group tried to climb a tree and get away, but failed, and was bitten savagely by the beast, along with another. Luckily, the wizard of the party managed to avoid the beasts attention….

Perhaps startled by the adventurers cries, the snake soon slithered away, and vanished into the woods…

The party was shocked to be alive, and concluded that such a giant snake must be from a wetter and shadier place then the countryside… most likely the Cloakwood… the three decided that they wouldn’t try to follow the beast, finding that their lives were not worth the risk…

[DM williamfredrickson]

The Cloakwood Beast - Part II

A group of adventurers chatting on the Trade Way about the recent Flaming Fist patrol that vanished in the Cloakwood noticed a pair of farmers walking southward down the road. Both of the farmers carried axes, and nodded in a friendly manner as they passed. Several of the members of the group of chatting adventurers feared that they farmers were going to chop wood from the Cloakwood, and warned them of the recent troubles there.

The younger farmer grew nervous at their words, but the elder one decided that they didn’t know what they were talking about. “We’ve gotten firewood from that forest since me pa’s time, and I ain’t stopping now!”

Muttered about meddlesome adventurers, the farmer trudged onwards alone. The younger farmer, worried about what he had heard, rushed back to the farms to inform the wife of the elder farmer of what had happened. Some of the adventurers, decided to follow the farmer to the Cloakwood. Some were concerned about the man’s safety, others were merely curious….

As the party of adventurers (Raef Alexander, Kierran Naver, Elivani Xilo’sciamne, Avon Thrasix, Deevie, Macro Van Besta, and Berel Greenwillow) neared the outskirts of the Cloakwood, they suddenly saw the elder farmer running towards them, his face pale with fright. He shouted over his shoulder as he sprinted up the road, “There’s some great slithering beast in their! Tried to attack me!”

As the farmer rushed back home, the party soon entered the woods to investigate. The forest was strangely silent as they searched for the creature the farmer had seen, and a few of the party were nervous… suddenly, they came across a series of strange tracks in the mud near the forest creek… Snake tracks, and a giant one at that!

Following the rough tracks, they party delved deeper into the woods… as they trekked, the elusive creature could be heard hissing all around them… One of the party, Deevie, became frightened of the sounds, but a few words from Berel managed to calm her.
After a few hours of searching, the party entered the central section of the woods… a murky river ran close by, and the tracks seemed to disappear into it. A few of the party realized that the snake must live in or near the water…

As they continued searching, the party managed to spot the snake in the distance, but just as they did so the giant creature slithered into the water. The adventurers quickly tried to decide what to do… a few suggested freezing the river with magic, but without sign of the snake this would be difficult… the party moved carefully closer the river, trying to find the beast…

As they neared the water, the giant beast suddenly surged out of the river, fangs opened wide and moving to attack! A fierce battle erupted, and somehow the group managed to slay the massive primordial beast… Their victory however, was soured, as on of the group, Kierran, had been foully poisoned during the fight from a savage bite from the snake. Luckily, another member of the group had an antidote…

As the party examined the dead snake, the heard odd sounds from across the river. As they watched, they were started to spot a nest of snake eggs, and before their eyes the eggs began to hatch. A swarm of small serpents slithered rapidly away and spread out deep into the woods…

However, The Cloakwood Beast had been defeated, and hopefully it would be some time before its offspring would mature into the same size as their mother… The party decided it would be best to leave the woods for now…


(the party catches sight of the Cloakwood Beast from the top of the waterfall) //Added that odd rock in there to hide my DM avatar

[DM williamfredrickson]

A Rather Hungry Beholder

Citizens ran in terror a few nights ago as a gigantic beholder floated almost lazily about the outskirts of Baldur’s Gate, gobbling up the occasional commoner when it so pleased. Rather large for its size. the creature wasn’t on a rampage, but it seemed intent on studying its surroundings and only seemed to eat a peasant or merchant when it was hungry…

The Flaming Fist were soon on the scene, and sent an entire company of men to slay the beast or force it out of the city. Armored soldiers attacked it with bow and blade, but the beholder merely laughed. Powerful arcane magic protected the creature, and the arrows simply bounced off it, and sword blows didn’t cause more than slight discomfort. Twenty Flaming Fist soldiers soon found themselves in the stomach of the great beast, who, satisfied with his lunch, casually floated out of the city and into the surroundings farmlands.

Captain Cross of the Fist quickly arrived soon after, accompanied by another group of soldiers. Two mages accompanied him as well, and working in unison, the two spell casters managed to create a warding spell, trapping the beholder in a temporary globe of energy. Though trapped for the moment, the beholder was continuously attempted to break out of its arcane prison, and Captain Cross decided that he would need more help to defeat the beholder. The two mages could only keep it contained for so long. A Weave Master Scout was nearby, and the captain requested for him to find Elite Magus Elias Goodmane. The scout quickly rushed off…

As the soldiers guarded the contained beast with growing uneasiness, Elias finally reached the scene, accompanied by Elite Magus Lilly Synder, Dallenthel Wyndsoul, Daelthrien Silverleaf, Pangea, Raef Alexander and later Lore McWebber. Captain Cross wasted no time in telling them about the situation, and quickly turned control of the situation over to Elite Magus Elias. Knowing that the beholder was capable of speech, Elias attempted to parlay with it.

The beholder told the group that it had come to the city under its own will, in order to seek information, and it casually described the several citizens and soldiers it had already eaten. Outraged at the monstrosities it described, the Weave Masters present stated to the beast that they would slay it. The beholder seemed to be disappointed, as if expecting the wizard to ask more of it, but seeing on how he would not listen, the beholder suddenly broke the warding spell with a single word of magic.

Before they could really prepare, the beholder muttered words of arcane power and attacked the soldiers and the adventurers! Magical energy filled the air, and the two mages fell in the chaos, along with several soldiers. Thanks to a lucky shot by Daelthrien with his bow, and the combined magics of Elias and Lilly, the beast fell to the ground… but abruptly, it vanished into thin air! Startled, the adventurers began to peer about, for suddenly a cold laugh erupted from all around them…

Before their horrified eyes, a Fist soldier suddenly clutched at his throat and screamed, falling to the ground dead an instant later. Several more soldiers suddenly collapsed in similar fashion. Most of the party quickly realized that the beholder was not defeated, and was somehow invisible. Relying on their ears, they managed to locate were the creature was. As if realizing that they knew where it was, the beholder suddenly chuckled, and appeared into sight a view yards away.

“Oh, you lot really do want nothing more than to slay me,” it boomed out in a disturbing voice. The beholder leered at them, eyestalks swiveling and grey ooze dripping out of its mouth. The creature raised its voice. “Very well. Children! Come out and play!”

The air suddenly started to shimmer, and several minor beholder magicked into sight, cruelly attacking the adventurers with strange magic and arcane powers. With Captain Cross fighting alongside them, as well as a Weave Scout and Guardian and a few random adventurers, the party managed to defeat the beholder horde… this time, their battered and bloody corpses lay on the ground… the beasts were defeated for good…

Captain Cross thanked the Weave Masters and the adventurers for their help, and sorrowfully began to gather together his fallen soldiers. Lore McWebber came to his assistance with a rod of resurrection to the captain’s surprise. While they cared for the fallen, Elias and Lilly could be heard trading rough words with Raef Alexander for not listening to all the beholder had to say…

//Thanks to all the players involved, and a big thanks for coming back and continuing the event despite a server reset! Great RPing!


(The Weave Masters, Flaming Fist, and several adventurers confront the magically contained beholder in the farmlands. //Thanks to Broham1 for the screenshot ;D)

[DM williamfredrickson]

The Duelists

Two armored knights, fighting a duel of honor in the countryside south of Baldur’s Gate suddenly were interrupted by a wandering traveler, Mezin Ayloud. Asking if he could watch their duel two observe their combat techniques, the two knights quickly agreed. Swords blazed in the midday sun and steel clashed for several minutes, until finally, one knight fell.

Mezin congratulated the victor, and proceeded to ask him how he felt. Mezin was surprised to learn that the two knights had been dueling on and off for a period of twenty years. When asked about the original cause of the quarrel, the knight abruptly realized that neither him nor his opponent could even remember what sparked the fighting, so many years ago… The knight came to the conclusion that the duels with his foe had been the main focus of his life, and without that challenge now, he had no idea what to do with his life...

Mezin, focusing on the elation that the knight felt while pursuing the duel, and the loss he felt when the challenge was over, managed to convince the knight to seek out of Monks of the Long Death in the far east, as they could possibly provide the wisdom and challenges that the knight so wished for.

The knight thanked Mezin for his wise words , and after speaking a bit more on the philosophy of the duel, the victorious knight finally departed, intending to find a monastery of the Long Death…

//A little event inspired by the Joseph Conrad short story and the Ridley Scott film. Great RP on Mezin's part!

[DM williamfredrickson]

Aid to Candlekeep...

Flaming Fist soldiers go about the city, hanging notices on bulletin boards and doorways. The notices read -


“Citizens of Baldur’s Gate! Let it be known to all that Lord Taro, the esteemed merchant lord most recently of Amn and who now has called our fair city home for several months, is scheduled to appear on trail before a court of law at the Ducal Palace. He is to be brought before the court on charges of murder, attempted murder, extortion, bribery, tax evasion, hiring assassins, and consorting with Drow.

The appointed prosecutor of the trial is Jared Burns, formerly of the Eleventh Hour. The defending attorney has yet to be appointed. Any citizens with information that may help the trial are encouraged to contact the Flaming Fist.

- Captain Cross, Criminal Investigation Branch, Flaming Fist”

Several nobles about the city can be heard gossiping about the accusations, shocked that the noble and respected Lord Taro has been accused of such atrocities. Other citizens can be heard claiming to have known that Lord Taro has been involved in such deeds for many years...

Other rumors float about as well... citizens whisper words that Jared Burns and Markon Ascaron were the ones responsible for brining such accusations to light, and that apparently, the sage Gorion of Candlekeep assisted them himself while the duo gathered evidence...




/// A great event lasting over three days. Great job to all that were involved! Due to the secret nature of the event, I can't really describe more, but all of the players involved did a great job with RP! Players that were involved in this event included Jonas Rokranon, Auriel Elenviel, Mezin Ayloud, Te'alis Avondovail, and Daelthrien Silverleaf as supporting roles, and Jared Burns and Markon Ascaron as the leads ;D

[DM williamfredrickson]

For Love

//Player names withheld as they are part of a secret player guild ;D

Unbeknownst to many of the law-abiding citizens of Baldur’s Gate, several shadowy organizations prowl the city, working towards mysterious goals… Two such individuals, members of a deadly new guild that has recently began work around the Sword Coast, met in secret at one of the local taverns, the Elfsong.

The two, a male and a female, had been assigned a mission by the leader of their guild of their guild to meet with a man by the name of Mearin Bloodworth outside the temple of Helm. Bloodworth had already paid for their services, and the two agents quickly headed to the Palace District to complete their task.

A lone man, dressed in battered armor and cloaked in a simple brown cloak awaited them. The brown cloaked man, greeted them, and proceeded to tell them that a storm was moving in, and pointed to a few darker clouds in the sky above the city. The first agent, the male, guessed that the brown cloaked man was a former sailor. Surprised that he had been able to guess that, the brown cloaked man introduced himself as Mearin Bloodworth, a former sailor, and a former paladin of Helm. The two agents refused to give their own names, preferring to work in secrecy. The male agent got down to business and proceeded to ask what mission the man required of them.

Bloodworth explained that he had been a devout follower of Helm, and a sailor for one of the ships operating out of the Gate, until one day, his wife passed away. Bloodworth told a tale of how he had returned to the city after being at see for several long months, only to find out that his wife had died only days after he had left on his voyage.

“It was while I was away at sea… I did not now until months after it happened. My poor lass… my poor love,” Bloodworth told the first agent, with great grief obvious on his face. The first agent, who had been rather distant until Bloodworth explained his story, had his casual demeanor instantly sober.

“I am sorry,” offered the first agent after hearing the tale.

Bloodworth motioned towards the Temple of Helm. “She was cremated here…”

“I see,” continued the first agent.

“We were deeply in love… I would have done anything for her.. I still would.” Bloodworth stared hard at the first agent, struggling for words. Eventually, he told the agent what he required of them. Since his wife’s death, he had tried everything to bring her back to life. When his own God, Helm, would do nothing to help, he betrayed his face, and turned towards the dark arts. After months of study, he had acquired several reagents needed for a spell to bring her back to the Plane of the Living, via necromancy. Bloodworth however, required one more ingredient for his spell to work: either a vial of blood, or a vial of tears of a widowed woman.

The agents agreed to the task, and set off to find what was needed. The two agents decided that instead of questioning every citizen in the city about the whereabouts of a widow, they would simply go to one that they already knew… the peasant woman Melissa, whom they had met during a previous mission for their guild… ironically, the first agent himself had been the hired assassin that had killed Melissa’s husband…

The two agents made their way to the farmlands, and after inquiring to Jorn about the widow Melissa’s whereabouts, they eventually located her. She was sitting alone with her cat near a patch of flowers near her home, and she barely looked up as the two agents approached her. They proceeded to question her about her husband’s death, and the first agent was surprised to find out that her husband had been a kind and loving soul, unlike that of which he had been lead to believe by the man who had hired him to hill the husband a few weeks ago. Hiding his surprise, he offered the widow a handkerchief to dry her tears, for speaking of her husband’s murder had disturbed her greatly.

Quickly ending the interview after the handkerchief had been thoroughly wetted, the two agents soon left, and headed back to the Temple of Helm. The first agent wrung out the handkerchief, and managed to drain the tears into a small glass vial. With their prize in hand, they returned to Bloodworth.

The former paladin was greatly pleased, and asked for one more piece of assistance from the agents. He claimed to need their aid in performing the ritual to bring his wife back to life. The agents agreed, and entered the empty temple.

Bloodworth led them into a back chamber, where his wife had been cremated. A small marble slab in the floor commemorated her death. Bloodworth then began to arrange several spell ingredients about the tomb, and bade the first agent to stand near a candle he had set up. The former paladin explained that while he chanted the arcane words of the spell, the agent would pour the vial of tears onto the candle, extinguishing it. The first agent agreed, while the second agent stood by and watched, almost lazily.

Before their eyes, Bloodworth began casting his spell… dark magical energy floated through the air as he chanted in an unknown language. Suddenly he ordered the agent to pour the tears on the flame. He did so, and suddenly a blinding flash filled the chamber… Once they all regained their vision, a ghostly spirit floated before them… it was the image of a young woman… but her face had been horridly rotted and decayed by time… Two glowing red eyes stared at them all…
“Flora? M-my love?” ventured Bloodworth, shocked at the sight of his decayed wife before him.

“Yes… Mearin. You have returned me partly to this world… My soul has returned. But I have no physical form. No body.”

The spirit of Bloodworth’s wife continued to tell them of how she had made a bargain with a dark goddess before she died… the two agents hand’s slowly began to move towards their weapons.

The spirit fixed it’s eyes on the second agent, the female. “However, you have broughten me a body. Slay these fools with me, Mearin, and my soul can take over the female’s body!”

Bloodworth turned towards the two assassins, a sorrowful look on his face. “I am sorry… but I love her so much…”

Without any more warning, the fallen paladin and the spirit suddenly attacked the two agents. Dark magic screamed through the air, and Bloodworth dived at them with a drawn blade. The spirit screamed a horrible wailing death cry, and suddenly, the world went dark around the two, now lifeless agents…

When they suddenly found that they could open their eyes again, the two agents were stunned to see a red bearded man holding a mace standing over them. He was dressed in shining platemail, in a calming voice told them to take it easy.

“Slowly now, slowly! It’s not everyday that one returns from the Realm of the Dead!”

Regaining their wits, the two agents managed to calm themselves as the man, who identified himself as a cleric of Helm, proceeded to tell them what had happened.

The cleric had just returned to the temple, when he heard the sounds of combat coming from the back chamber. Rushing to investigate, he witnessed a horrible sight: a decaying spirit hovering above the body of a young woman, and in the corner of the room, an armored man in a brown cloak pulling his sword out of the body of a young man. Not hesitating, the cleric had called upon the power of Helm, and with a divine incantation, he banished the spirit back to the Realm of the Dead, and then moved to attack the brown cloaked man. The cleric explained how he had disarmed Bloodworth, who then quickly gave up and told him the entire story.

“After that, I called upon the power of Helm to bring you to back to life… you are lucky I decided to return to the Temple! But then again, perhaps the Watching God was looking out for you…” The cleric smiled at the two, and then told them that the fate of Bloodworth was up to them. “He is no longer in the service of Helm… and it is my god’s wish that you decide his fate. Judge him how you will, I will await you in the main hall…”

The cleric then headed out of the room, leaving the two agents to decide Bloodworth’s fate…

A few minutes later, the two agents returned to the main hall, alone. “You’ll have a mess to clean up”, stated the second agent.

The cleric nodded. “I understand you decision. Helm is pleased by your judgment. As honor and justice have been served, allow me to present to you Bloodworth’s sword. I took it from him when I disarmed him. You may have it if you wish.” The cleric presented the blade to the second agent, whom took it from him. After a few more words, the pair left the temple, leaving the cleric and his priests to clean up the mess…

Though the cleric did not know what passed inside the chamber when he left the two agents alone with the fallen paladin, he knew that his god, Helm, the every vigilant and ever watchful had. Helm would judge them… when the time came…


(the two agents are rescued by a cleric of Helm)

//Great RPing on the part of the two players involved! Special thanks to Inomed for coming up with the event idea! ;D