Elements and Darkness

Session Two:

The second session went pretty nicely. No PC near-deaths this time, but it wasn't all too challenging combat-wise. Plenty of roleplaying moments which is what I've been aiming for except for the occasions when it is necessary. Default couldn't make it again this time which is unfotunate; his character kind of slipped into the background due to this and will probably not have a chance for a good introduction. Nethus' player also switch to a paladin, Gerdrex, which complicates a bit of story and made the Ka'na encounter less interesting. But the main focus of this game is to have fun so if it makes people happy, that's all that matters. Sorry for cutting it short; I will make a thread in the forums where people may ask the councilmen questions and I will answer them at the end of each day until there is a solution. See you all next time!

If there is information that is different in this post than actually happened or was said by a character it is due to my scattered brain especially with the Ka'na encounter which I had to improv... badly. If I missed any important details, minor but interesting details, or misquote an action or phrase, let me know ASAP and I will correct it ASAP! Enjoy!

Update 01/10/10!

The players have found out who the werewolf is! The thread where they found this out is at this link!

In other news, from Endrick to Maybel, two of the adventurers got to know each other a little better. See their players role-play this encounter in this thread!

I have also updated how much experience the PCs earned at the bottom of this page along with who received what! Stay tuned next week for the continued adventure!

Invasion, elements, and darkness:

As the party left the apprentice's house after delivering his child, a familiar surge of magical energy struck the surroundings. Seemingly out of nowhere, elementals started spawning. The party valiantly fought them as Compten and Gerdrex entered the fray from the other side of the road. Each person was holding their ground while Nethus was having trouble casting his spells. He ran off mid-way through the battle without much notice from the rest of the group.

Naonomi had the most success, shooting arrows deep into the elementals' cores. Xanandethis and Kintel fought valiantly as well. Gerdrex lunged deeply into them with his sword wounding them deeply. Kelch had some success at first until he was picked up by the wind elemental and saved by Gerdrex swiping and the elemental from the ground avoiding Kelch in the process.

After the elementals were defeated, a larger creature spawned. It was a large shadowy creature seemly made of night itself with a core of faded and struggling light. The party fought it while it inverted from light and dark to dark and light until it too fell.

When the fight had ended, everyone noticed that in the place of the elementals were orbs representing the elements from the foe they fell from, as well as a larger one from the one of light and dark from the larger creature. The orbs were colored thusly: Red for fire, blue for water, green for earth, cloudy white for wind, and a chaotic sea of light and dark.

Serra, an elven wizard dressed in a green robe and holding a golden staff, approached them beckoning them to see her master if they wanted answers about this event and particularly of the shades that haunted their past. As the party ventured towards the wizard's tower they reaquanted themselves with one another; particularly Gerdrex, Kintel, and Kelch who had all previously adventured together.

At the top of the tower Sol'sangre awaited them. He appeared dressed in red and black robes and particularly old for a high elf. He told the party that he had been observing each of them individually after the Lime incident and after they had been attacked by the shades. He told the party that the shades headed east after draining them of their powers, possibly leaving evil in their wake. He also said that they could gain great power in the town of Mirra in the mirror of reflection at the shrine in the center of the town.

He told them that not only could they unlock their own potential in the mirror (as rumored by pilgrimages) but they can also attune themselves with an element from the orbs that fell from the elementals they had just battled. The orbs themselves have other uses as well such as imbuing weapons with their power, regenerating magical power, and opening portals into other planes... but at the moment regaining lost power should be the party's number one priority.

When asked about the elemental attacks he informed that party that another powerful wizard was the cause, but Sol'sangre himself cannot detect from where nor who did it.

Sol'sangre had them leave after promising more answers and requesting a vial of blood from each person for his protection. They all willfully gave him the small amount requested and were off. Using his Ildri dagger, Kelch had an odd satisfaction in draining his blood into the vial.

Gerdrex had received an order from his commander at the temple of his deity after the town of Mabel requested help from a werewolf. Since the town of Mabel was on the way to Mirra the party had no trouble agreeing to help.

When the adventurers arrived, they were greeted by angry shouts and yells from a mob centered on a group of 8 people. Xanandethis asked a villager what the current issue was. The villager responded that there had been 2 murders and that at the second murder a councilman's medallion was found. The town councilmen wear these amulets that dispel illusions (like that of a doppelganger) at their meetings, but take them off and put them in a general safe area after the meetings. The villager further informs him that the moon has been full for three days (tonight being the third) and that they want blood from one of the councilmen before the night is out.

(Kelch is in the background pickpocketing and procures a deck of playing cards and a healing potion).

The party immediately crowds into the town's center where the councilmen were debating on how to deal with the crowd and who the possible werewolf could be. The council was made up of Pete the stout human butcher, Mal the human mayor, Fred and Abigale the elderly human Innkeepers, Gregory the burly human weapon smith, Alexander the elven priest of Pelor, Jim the human lumberjack, and James the gnomish alchemist.

The party decided to keep them locked in the prison and guarded by some villagers while they dealt with the werewolf in the cathedral. Upon arriving, they quickly decimated the werewolf. Gerdrex detected that there was still a significant amount of evil still presiding within this normally holy place. The group decided to search the temple, and Kelch found a secret door leading to an underground crypt.

The adventurers journeyed through the stonecrafted dungeon which was trapped to prevent intruders from looting. The party avoided a multitude of traps and made it to a room which held many coffins. Xanandethis lifted one but found nothing but a corpse. There was a fresh, black robed corpse near a large vault at the south end of the room. After Kelch failed to open the vault door, Gerdrex searched the body and found the combination.

The adventurers ventured into a circular room with a golden statue. Kelch grabbed it shutting himself, Gerdrex, and Xanandethis inside with a poison gas. He quickly put it back, which reset the door and stopped the gas. Kintel tried turning the statue towards the eastern closed door and it opened the eastern door while closing the western one.

At the end of the next hallway the group stumbled upon a group of dark robed individuals who appeared to be channeling a powerfully evil spell. The room was filled with dark magic and had a symbol that none of the party recognized in the center. The party destroyed the evil necromancers after Gerdrex was slightly weakened and discovered dark 4 orbs that appeared to be ethereal in nature. Kintel touched one and was stricken with an overwhelming sense of dread until he prayed to his deity, Moradin.

Gerdrex also tried to swing at an orb with his sword, but it went through apparently unharmed. Xanandethis tried to grab at it, but his hand went right through. While his hand was in contact with it he also had the same sense of overwhelming dread Kintel had, but only as long as he had his hand in it. Kelch was nervous so he had his hand on his Ildri blade which was oddly pulsating.

Gerdrex had Compten bless some water to try and extenguish the orbs and it worked. As the orbs dissipated an image of Ka'na appeared where the unholy symbol was. She called to Kelch and berated him for foiling her plans with the werewolves and the perpetual full moon. She also stated that she was disappointed in her agent, Nethus, who seemed to have slipped out of their midst. She warned them to watch their backs if they ever crossed paths again, and her master will not withhold his wrath. She continued telling them that he will take over this plane with the power of dread and her at his side. The image soon faded while she was laughing.

The party went back up to the village (not without stealing the golden idol with a clever rope trick) to finish solving the werewolf mystery...

Post Script:
500 experience points + 250 if you made at least one post in the werewolf thread.
1000 gold to be split amongst each character (so 1000 divided by 6 characters is 166g + 6s + 6c and one 1c left over)

Players, go here to ask the council members questions in order to figure out who the werewolf is. The details will be explained in the thread: Link to the thread