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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on Jan 13, 2009 14:08:43 GMT -5
The Butler Did It! Gnolls, gnolls, and more gnolls. On the tradeway, they are a familiar sight, especially near the massive Temple of Bhaal that looms over the road. Ordinarily one or two will be found to harass the unwary traveler, but on this occasion an organized attack from the cliffs above the road began as gnolls with crossbows rained bolts down upon the group gathered below. Even as a swordsman rushed to cut down the gnolls, he stumbled upon an even larger group of the dog-headed beasts wielding halberds. He had fallen for the trap and in short order he was left lying dead upon the road. The gnolls trampled over his body to press their advantage upon the remaining four defenders. Shortly after, the cut down one more and seemed to be on the verge of victory.... "CHARGE!" A yell from behind revealed the presence of a Flaming Fist force coming to the aid of the beleaguered adventurers, and with their assistance the group pushed back their adversaries, killing them or forcing a retreat. The immediate threat disposed of, the Fist and the adventurers had time to see to their own wounds and also the dead. Luck was with them as the patrol happened to have a powerful cleric with them and he exercised his powers to bring life back to the two fallen. ---------- Some time had passed and the group split. A couple went on their way while the others decided to investigate these gnoll attacks further. Seeing how most of the gnolls seemed to come from the keep along the road, they searched about inside the walls for a time. They determined that the best method to prevent any more ambushes would be to seal the gates, which one wizard attempted to do by arcane means. His initial attempt appeared to work... And then the doors blew open and spewed fire, narrowly missing several of the party. Intrigued as to what had happened, the once more ventured inside. Curiosity got the better of one and she rang a gong to see what would happen. One skeleton came rushing out of the keep. She rang it again... and again... and more skeletons came forth. Finally they decided to search inside the keep itself, perhaps to even attempt to cleans the foul place. What they found was not what they had expected. A skeleton is long robes greeted them and informed them that he was the butler. Not humored by their unannounced entrance, he warned them to leave or be destroyed. The sane members of the party obliged and retreated out the door. The other two remained and did not find their way out. Outside the keep, the living members of the group found Aiden McBride who immediately rushed in to retrieve the recently deceased. Helm heard his prayers and the two were brought back to the world of Faerun once more. None of them really knew what was going on inside the keep, except that the name of Baladar was mentioned... * * * PCs InvolvedSpelman Rich Meyer Soveiria Stormblade Karson Maioth Wyle Galdry Dia Gwendalen Sarithol Niavikova Aiden McBride 500/250 XP Two alignment shifts
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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on Jan 15, 2009 2:11:27 GMT -5
Bats! Four people heading into Candlekeep were disturbed by the fluttering of bats overhead. The bats must have been misdirected because they flew right into the group. Several bats died in the "combat". Wondering what could possibly bring out a large amount of bats at night, the group investigated a nearby cave. They searched diligently, but only found an broken wine cask with the contents spilled out, several spiders, and (you guessed it!) a swarm of bats. The group fought its way out of the cave through leathery wings and emerged outside to return their trip to Candlekeep.
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Post by Zealote on Jan 15, 2009 6:28:07 GMT -5
It is a disturbing thought. Bats at night... *looks around for those damn flying rats* Sons of Satan! Die the lot of you!
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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on Jan 17, 2009 20:54:15 GMT -5
Water Under the Bridge There is an overused saying about things going bump in the night. Perhaps that could be applied to this situation, however, the bump was not a bump, but a splash. To clarify, it was a splash in the river that flows underneath the Wyrm's Crossing bridge. Five individuals stood by the riverside having a friendly conversation when they heard the said splash in the night. A brief glance over the usually-peaceful waters revealed nothing so four of them dismissed the noise without further thought. The fifth, however, let his curiosity get the best of him and stepped into the tall grass and underbrush to get nearer the river. He still did not see anything in the river, but he did feel something at his feet. His sudden movement startled a large snake that had been hiding in the weeds. Within a second, the snake had already coiled around the older man and would have squeezed the life from him had his companions not rushed to his rescue. Snakes in the weeds are not uncommon, nor is an occasional splash in the water, but when five over-wary minds put the two together, they began to wonder if something was really out there...perhaps something dangerous to their well-being. *SPLASH* *KERPLUNK!* More miniature geysers flew up from the river as yet something else disturbed the waters. Unsure what to expect, the group stole across the bridge to investigate from the other side when they came across the source: a little child tossing rocks down into the water. *SPLASH* He dropped another one. Relieved, yet annoyed, the five told the boy to stop his actions. He obeyed --- and promptly picked their pockets before running back to the city. The adventure was over, or so it seemed. The snake was dead, the splashes solved, the boy gone. Wrong. Even as they stood at the edge of the bridge, a giant, wet arm shot up from underneath the rippling water and swept one, a small gnome, off the bridge and into the water below. Her screams for help were sooned drowned by the terrific splash that followed her entry into the depths of the river. Her friend, in a moment of instinct to save her dove into the river armor and all. She sank rapidly. The remaining three rushed to the muddy bank only to find themselves facing a giant sea creature. The blows from their weapons sent it retreating back into the water. A few moments later, the two who had sunk beneath the surface were spit out onto dry land. They waited, but the water remained calm after their ordeal. ** * PCs involvedSarithul Niavikova Samir Chloe Dia Gwendalen Yashan Aseph XP Rewards. I forgot. Two alignment shifts. Thanks to Cephas who did half the event. I have to admit we experimented on these hapless individuals. We played the "I do something, then you do something" game. Surprisingly, it worked out well.
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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on Jan 22, 2009 2:39:19 GMT -5
The Rhythm of Rain . . . Dancing? Only you and you can prevent forest fires. Uh, not quite. But a little halfling named Pipp Gemini can. The story is that some adventurers were startled to see a pine tree go up in flames just off the road. Efforts to stop the blaze with minor spells were useless and it began to spread to first one tree, then yet another, and another. Soon there was a roaring blaze that was about to catch the grass on fire as well. Another halfling rushed to fill a container with water from the pool within the Keep that overlooks the Trade Way. She delayed too long and the one bucket that she carried back did little. Dismayed, the little group watched helplessly, unsure what to do. All of them except one, that is. Pipp began dancing wildly, kicking his short legs up and down in rhythmic movements, calling for rain. And rain it did! More of them began to dance and the rain came down faster and faster. The drenching downpour soon extinguished the fire. All eyes turned in amazement at the little halfling that wielded such power over weather . . . * * * PCs InvolvedPipp Gemini Sheritomo Orestes Morfiduil Python The Imp Jazpyre Silver-Anvil Magus Stormfist Watcher XP reward: 100 One alignment shift
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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on Jan 26, 2009 17:22:52 GMT -5
The Oracle of the Campfire The gathering formed around a fire one adventurer has just built. As the group warmed their hands around the dancing blaze, it began to speak to them. The fire was possessed by a spirit who had the opportunity to inhabit fire once every five hundred years. It was a curse, he explained, put on him by a mad wizard, a mad wizard that did not like his fortune. For that was what the spirit had once done - he told the futures of those who paid him, and thus it was that he angered the wizard. Now, even though trapped in the glowing tongues of flame, he still had the power to foretell the future. One by one, the adventurers gathered round to ask what lay in store for them. Some were happy about the answers, others not. Afterwards, the flame slowly died on it's own, and the Oracle of the Campfire was no more for yet another five hundred years.
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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on Jan 26, 2009 17:40:55 GMT -5
Smuggling on the Coast - Part I Duke Eltan called his available Road Wardens to assign them the task of investigating a shipwreck off the coast near Candlekeep. Reports were that the cargo was that of smugglers and that some unknown group had already recovered much of it before the Fist arrived. Cpt. Feld, Lt. McBride, and Lt. Kulurauk were each sent to lead a patrol to investigate the surrounding area. The Captain set out first, the Kulurauk, followed by McBride. They began the long march southwards. Lt. McBride and his men steadily trodded on the road, somewhat behind the others. They had been unceremoniously delayed at a point causing them to fall behind. Even as they came beyond Wyrm's Crossing, a scout rushed back to them to report that the Captain had already reached his destination and encountered opposing forces. Lt. Kulurauk had already doubled his pace to lend assistance. Hearing the dire need of his commanding officer, Lt. McBride urged his men on in all haste. They arrived near the coastline to hear the sounds of desperate battle. Kulurauk's patrol was pushing back a band of thugs and into a nearby cave and had barely succeeded when the third patrol arrived. Many of the Fist lay wounded, though very few had died. Sadly, the Captain was one of the few. Even as he fought his foes back, a heavily armored man had dealt him a vicious blow to the head with his halberd before vanishing into the dark caverns. Undaunted, half the remaining Fist ventured within to seek out the smugglers and confiscate the illegal goods stored within. The other half circled around behind to a second entrance that had been discovered. They performed a pincer movement. Inside the cave, the soldiers found a large hollow that stored the goods. More ruffians stood by to protect it, but they were quickly routed. Those that survived fled through the caves. All, that is, except one halfling that was collared before he could escape. The Fist tied his arms, then proceeded to give chase. Outside the opposite entrance to the cave, they found Lt. Kulurauk had been good to his word and had blocked the exit the best he could with his small force. Bodies lay scattered at the exit, but the armored man was not among them. He had somehow managed to flee in the confusion. Unable to do anything further, the Fist joined together and returned to report their findings. To be continued. . . * * * PCs involvedAiden McBride Winston White Kerto Brundenberg Kaliel Haldur XP Reward: 1000
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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on Feb 9, 2009 20:31:17 GMT -5
Slavers in the City Bright sunshine greeted three adventurers as they stood near the famous Wyrm's Crossing that leads to Baldur's Gate. Crisp, cool air, a slight breeze, and a perfectly clear sky -- it just seemed like a day in which nothing could go wrong. A couple of Flaming Fist soldiers stood at the entrance to the bridge looking bored and evidently hoping to be relieved soon. As the day wore on, much traffic passed on between them as they stood watch. They ignored the three who were looking out over the bridge watching some laughing children row a boat westwards. Drudgery all day, but better than being on the road. The boat passed under the bridge and faded off into the distance. The three adventurers, lacking anything better to do (like standing guard) crossed to the opposite rail and viewed the peaceful scene. One of them noticed a little glint far off on the northern bank. Excusing himself from the others quickly, he rushed across the bridge and ran along the bank searching for what he though might be gold. His search for treasure was in vain, but now that he had run some distance from the bridge, he could once again barely make out the rowboat that had passed beneath awhile before. That in itself was not so startling, but the children being dragged onto shore and further west was. The man hurried back to his companions to tell of the situation and they, plus an orc who had joined them, agreed to investigate. None of them thought to mention it to the Flaming Fist who stood nearby. They came to the conclusion that heading west along the north bank of the river would only lead to the city, so they set off to the gates. Nothing turned up along the east docks and one of them gave up [had to log], but the rest made the trek around the bay to the west side. It was early evening now and there was hardly a soul along the wharf except for one man standing beside a large, yet dilapidated, old ship. He was getting ready to board by the time they had walked up to him. Questioning him led nowhere other than the ship was ready to set sail for Calimshan. The sailor offered them passage if they wanted. Two of the three remaining accepted the offer, assuming they could find out more aboard ship. The third refused and left the area [logged out]. A short while later the two companions watched over the deck railing as Baldur's Gate began to fade away in the distance. The voyage, however, was far from pleasant and the two soon found that they had been duped into paying to become slaves sold in Calimshan. They were beaten and tossed into the hold of the ship until their fate should arrive. The two awoke later on in pitch blackness, but through some ingenuity and mostly brute strength, managed to free themselves from their prison. They fashioned two crude rafts from materials they had gathered, slipped off the ship, and made for shore. * * * PCs involvedAzraagh Escondido Muerto Bethania (owed 500 XP) Eliath [last name forgotten] 1750 XP for the two who made it through to the end. Smaller rewards for the other two.
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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on Feb 25, 2009 12:47:30 GMT -5
The Biggest Illusion About mid afternoon a man in bright green clothes walked into the caravan circle, introducing himself as Mister Masterful, an illusionist of sorts. He spent a good amount of time performing various tricks to please the audience, including making the illusion of a frost giant. As many performers do, he picked an unwilling member of the crowd to play tricks upon, turning a dwarf into a pig and other sorts of creatures, making his armor yellow, and tossing rings around the horns of his helmet. His performance came to a climax when he drew forth an immense white dragon on the onlookers. The crowd was awed and he prepared to take his leave when along came a member of the Flaming Fist [ a PC ] to chide him about scaring travelers. Seeing a grand opportunity, he used his extraordinary magics to turn the Fist into a boar, then disappeared in a puff of black smoke, much to the amusement of the onlookers. After several minutes, the Fist member turned back to normal. Mister Masterful intends to have performances in the various inns in the future, but he may have to make a hurried exit if the Flaming Fist come around. * * * Small XP rewards for those who took part. I had intended to do more, but two server resets and the fact I needed to leave soon made me hurry. I'll do something more in depth next time.
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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on Mar 2, 2009 16:15:20 GMT -5
The Mysterious Amanita Muscaria "Ach! My food, it is ruined! Basil knows who has done this!" So shouted the excitable little hin cook of the Burning Wizard. Four adventurers had just exited the inn and stood outside the door when they heard the agitated cook yell out. More out of curiosity than concern, they rushed back in to ascertain what had caused the cook to become upset. They hurried between the tables, chairs, and disturbed customers to the warm kitchen in the back to find the hin shouting and waving around a butcher's cleaver. Though it was a difficult task, the four managed to calm the hin enough to get the story from him. The famous cook that uses mushrooms was convinced that his rival at Feldepost's inn had tainted his famous mushrooms and demanded that the four find out how. As he gave them directions, he scraped the leftovers of his beloved culinary creation into a metal bin. Thought not satisfied with resorting to detective work, the four, encouraged with the thought of a free meal Basil had offered, set about their task. They imagined it would be simple to extract the truth from the opposing chef. This was hardly the case. A series of misleading clues, foiled plans, and improper deduction led the four after a woman named Amanita Muscaria -- who later turned out to be a type of mushroom -- , a hunt for Kara-Turan, a red herring at Candlekeep, a visit to the the Temple of Lathander, and a complete waste of time. After they had exhausted all possibilities, they asked the aid of one of the guards at the Temple of the Morning Lord, who agreed. Upon questioning Basil once again, he was able to obtain the source of the tainted food and then took over the investigation. The four unhappy adventurers forgot about the free meal they had been promised. * * * PCs involved: Seth Salroic Rair Jarias Thadrin Kokoru Natayu (The Kara-Turan!) Mirielle (Annoying Paladin -- at least to the original group ) Neraquis ______ (Owed 1500 XP) 1750 Base XP was the reward, with those who did not finish (or start) the quest receiving less. Rair got a tad of bonus XP for realizing that Amanita Muscaria was a mushroom and not a person.
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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on Mar 20, 2009 13:41:03 GMT -5
The Nature of Drow A strange quest began for three drow as they were returning to Sshamath from the black caverns of the Underdark. Blocking their path stood a single grumpy duergar wielding a hammer. Curious as to what his business was, they began to question him which he did clearly did not like. Insults spread and soon the angered drow attacked their short enemy from behind in surprise. They, however, were the ones who received the surprise as he swiftly knocked two of them unconscious and then walked away when he saw the third retreat. Disgraced, humiliated, and seething with anger, the trio returned to Sshamath. The only thing they had learned before the fight was that the duergar was some sort of hired fighter looking for an orc. He referred to his employer as a drow by the name of Sil who resided in the School of Mages. Armed with some meager information and a deep gnome they had picked up on the way back, they set out to find more about this duergar and his mission. Sil'Massar was none to pleased to have heard his mercenary had been attacked -- something revealed by a slip of the tongue -- and made it clear that he wasn't interested in three drow meddling in his affairs. Still, snoops can be made use of and Sil decided that he could use the services of these three. He challenged them to beat the duergar to his prey and retrieve a ring from the orc said to be roaming not too far from Sshamath. Hurriedly they retraced their steps back out to Varalla's Passage and began to track the movements of this duergar mercenary. They had a late start, so they needed to hurry. I different dark dwarf joined them on their quest outside the city, and later, another drow. After some time of searching for evidence of the whereabouts of either a duergar or an orc, the party found itself in a large cavern known to be inhabited by goblins. They were also greeted by the sounds of battle up ahead. In a few moments, the same duergar came passed them carrying a large sack full of goblin heads and a bloodied hammer. Though they all wanted to, none of them dared to engage this dwarf in another battle after what he had done the first time, so they let him pass on. Instead they chose to investigate the battle scene. There they found many slain goblins and a very large one that must have been the orc. Upon his hand was a shiny golden ring which Sil'Massar had mentioned to them. It was apparent to them that the ring had a magical aura about it, though none could determine exactly what its nature was. Unable to do anything further, they returned it to Sil'Massar. To their disgust, they found that he had used both them and the duergar as tools for his own ends. . . Such is the nature of drow. * * * PCs involvedThere were six, and I can't remember names. 2000 XP base reward, less for those who were not in for the duration. Gold rewards to four of the PCs.
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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on Apr 13, 2009 12:34:14 GMT -5
Victim of the Elements Three who walked the Lion' Way were met upon the road by a strange, raggedly-dressed woman who spoke in bits and pieces. It was clear that she must not have been all there as she made comments about the dangers or rain and that water killed. She warned the three to stay away from her. Unwilling to let the woman stay alone when she may be in grave peril, the three insisted on staying put to solve the matter at hand. Soon, they were attacked by water elementals as they stood near the coast line. They soon realized that elementals followed this strange person and various types would appear as depending upon where they were. Fire elementals arose from the blazing fire and earth came up from the roadway to assail them. The trio was unable to garner much information from the woman, so they determined to bring her to Candlekeep to further investigate. There the monks offered to care for her and see what was the cause of the strange phenomena. [Possibly to be continued] * * * Kaliel Haldur, Selah "last name", and Ramu Sinistrad received XP rewards for their involvement. One alignment shift.
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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on Apr 16, 2009 2:22:29 GMT -5
Death is the Only Option Adventures usually are the type to be fairly immune to shock. They have seen many creatures, braved many perils, survived dozens of scrapes and come back to talk about it all. However, even the most seasoned of these can be taken aback at times. A few days ago, alongside river Chionthar, but a fair distance from the bridge, two such adventurers were astounded when a man in golden armor made a strange request of them. He wished for them to kill him. His story was that his son had been captured by a planeshifter and that he was the one wanted, with death being the only option of saving his son. Though sympathetic to his plight, the two were to abhorred by his idea to comply and instead suggested many other methods - all of which he refused. Several more passers-by noticed the group and walked over to see what was happening. Their reactions were mixed from those that wanted to fulfill the man's quest to one who desired to take the man's place. An hour's worth of bargaining, pleading, and dealing could not sway the stranger's mind, and so one of the adventurers, an the man through and they all watched him crumple to the ground dead. They wondered what would happen, or if they should bury his body. While they still pondered the situation, a portal opened nearby and a younger man fell through. He identified himself as the son of the older man, but that was all he would speak for he was in a daze. At this moment, one of the group realized that if he could now raise the father quickly they could succeed in saving both of the family. He instantly cast a spell upon the corpse and waited for life to return. The man slowly began to breathe, and then was helped to his feet. Sir Raemon Kelter, for that was his name, could not remember what had happened below, but upon seeing his son safe, thanked the group and gave them several valuable gems in payment for their service. With that gesture, he and his son took their leave. * * * PCs Involved: Valerius Asmodea Kier Justin Goodman Lhilia Deveraux Kemi Nil'Kemorya And Others. . . 1000 XP for those who stayed the whole time.
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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on Apr 25, 2009 18:53:09 GMT -5
Troglodyte Trash Dealers Sil'Massar relaxed in the Sshamath School of Mages waiting on his next batch of lackeys to finish the job he sent them on. While he waited, they were already on their way. . . Several Llolthians and a duergar set out into the Underdark tunnels with the quest to find an amulet that Sil'Massar wanted. According to him, it looked like a very plain thing with nothing special about it. though they felt there was definitely more to what he said than he was admitting, the pay he had offered was good, so they embarked on their mission without further question. Their destination were the caves the Troglodytes inhabited. A relatively short and uneventful journey brought the five to the place quickly enough and there they found what they had been searching for. Several troglodytes, who proclaimed themselves traders, stood guard over the pile of crates that the drow wanted. Diplomacy was out of the question and soon a battle erupted in which the drow mercilessly slaughtered their opponents. They found two things. One was the amulet they searched for, the other was that whoever was supplying the Trogs with their goods was aware of the party's presence. The way back saw several more Troglodytes attempt to ambush the party, as well as several well-placed traps. They could hear a faint sound of footfalls retreating from the area shortly before on of them succumbed to a deadly snare. A short while later, they stood in front of Sil'Massar and returned the amulet to him. He reluctantly gave them the reward he had promised. PCs InvolvedGrebegk Blockaxe Yixotar Zyllixia (and two others)
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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on Apr 30, 2009 17:42:57 GMT -5
Tracking a Criminal A detachment of Flaming Fist were sent to the southern borders to aid in capturing a wanted criminal who had been held in Candlekeep. Scouts aided the group in tracking, but they were unable to apprehend the criminal by themselves without a larger force. They did, however, harry his flight to the south towards Amn. Arriving at Beregost, a scout informed them that the man was very near the border and had several allies working for him to aid his escape. The Fist had to hurry to catch up to him. Along the way, they were set upon by several bandits who had set traps for them, thus considerably detaining their progress. They finally arrived at the border, but were too late to catch their quarry. Undeterred, the leading officer ordered the men to proceed cautiously into Amn, and perhaps gain permission to hunt the north border area along with the Amnish guards. As fortune would have it, they did come upon a patrol of Amnish soldiers who reluctantly agreed to let them continue their hunt north of the mountains. The Amnish patrol then disappeared back up the mountain pass. Given five days to find this criminal, they Fist began to scour the area when two mages teleported right before their very eyes. They, too, hunted this magic-wielding outlaw as they revealed themselves to be Cowled Wizards. With their aid, the Fist located their target and defeated him in battle. * * * PCs InvolvedLan Al'Thor Borton Amber Anima Justin Crownsilver Aiden McBride Valaria Kaliel Haldur Bozz Chillfang
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