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SPOILER ALERT for the Freeport Trilogy

After the final encounter at the end of the Freeport Trilogy ended with a TPK, Freeport being saved the return of the Unspeakable One, the death of the EVIL Milton Drac and the destruction of Milton's Folly, I have restarted my campaign with a new group of characters. This time, we are starting out in the power vacuum that was left in the aftermath of the Milton Drac's death. This time, the campaign journal is being kept of Ember, a cleric of the God of War.

SPOILER ALERT of the Green Ronin adventure module: Crisis in Freeport

Being the memoirs of the cleric Ember during her travels as an initiate of the Bellum Ecclesia

Editors Note: Character backgrounds and summaries
Ember (played by Amy) is a cleric to the God of War and thus no stranger to conflict in many forms. Although the church is officially neutral in its outlook, Ember herself is not which has occasionally led her into trouble since what her conscience dictates does not always match with her superiors’ expectations. She is capable of empathy and compassion, but tends to conceal this behind a habitual reserve. She will seldom venture advice unless asked, but follows orders with quiet efficiency. Ember sees herself primarily as a defender who functions as both warrior and healer at need. She is fiercely loyal to those few she considers friends, but never outwardly demonstrative.
Rudolf Caskbreaker (played by Mark) is a dwarven fighter and barbarian. He has no concept of tact or restraint, instead his approach to any situation is to “run in and smash things”. Rudolf is rarely sober and habitually carries several flasks or skins of intoxicating beverage. He is accompanied by a trained war-dog called simply “dog” and refers to this companion as “the best b*+@$ I’ve known since my third wife”. Rudolf is incredibly tough and tenacious and is not one to back down from a fight or any other challenge.
Celestia Starfall (played by Robin) is a halfling sorcerer who specializes in pyrotechniques. She arrived in Freeport as a traveling entertainer for the recent Swagfest Celebrations, but was forced to part company with her former troupe after her enthusiasm caused their largest tent to burn to ash while patrons fled screaming. Celestia is quite adept at juggling magical energies and very formidable in a fight. She prefers to conjure fire and lightening or something equally flashy and won’t hesitate to demonstrate her skill, especially if she has an audience.
Bergo Ironbelly (played by Chris) is rogue and master chef. He is a native of the City of Freeport, and a member of the Halfling Benevolent Association, although he has been known to refer to the latter as the Half. Ass. on more than one occasion. Bergo sees himself as a jack-of-all-trades, but will admit to a particular skill with locks and traps. He also takes great pride in his culinary skills and will frequently offer a meal as an incentive to nearly anyone. Bergo wears glammored armor and uses thrown weapons.

Day 14, Month of the Swordfish
Strange events in Freeport last night. Many claim to have seen a mysterious sigil in the sky over T’wik. This was followed by an explosion of the upper stories of the just completed Lighthouse commonly known as “Milton’s Folly”. We investigated using various bribes and disguise to reach the island. There we encountered a group from the Temple of Knowledge who claimed to be seeking the Jade Serpent, a statuette that was necessary for the city’s survival. We uncovered this along with several weapons and a battered journal. The serpent was relinquished to its seekers.

15 Swordfish
Announcement today that the council has repealed the Rule of Succession; likely as there exist no further candidates. This was followed by rioting in the streets and rival gangs took advantage of the chaos. The commissioner of the guard was slain.

The Cutthroats, led by Bloody Jack, attacked the Temple of the Sea God. Several acolytes were slain before we arrived and dispatched the malefactors. Mother Lorelee stated that her god would send a storm to cleanse the temple of its defilement. She also expressed concern for a Sister Gwendolyn who was missing. We found her speaking to Thuron at the Temple of Knowledge and escorted her back.

16 Swordfish
The Sea Lord’s Guard are conducting a purge of the city, hunting down the surviving members of the Cutthroats and Buccaneers. First hurricane of the season appears to be brewing.

Sister Gwendolyn, a Cleric of the God of the Sea and a member of the Captain's Council, approached me and asked that we speak to Captain Marcus Roberts regarding the rumored disappearance of Lady Elise Grossette. Roberts stated that he suspected a political rival, Arias Soderheim of abducting the lady. Reconnaissance at her estate led Bergo to discover that she had been removed through her second story window by elven pirates the night before. Further investigation revealed that Captain Sharpe of the ship The Knife had departed in haste. He appeared to be heading to Windward.

We decided to seek passage in order to pursue and soon encountered Captain Buster Wallace of the Gallant who agreed to take us to Windward before the storm broke. Upon our approach, we sighted a caravel and were attacked by Sahuagin. A malenti fired a wand at Celestia who replied, quite efficiently, with scorching ray. Rudolf’s dog was slain, and his resulting rage quickly cleared the remaining foes from our decks.
We bypassed the larger ship under cover of the storm and made directly for the shore. Captain Wallace agreed to wait three hours for our return. The beach was littered with bodies, and we discovered some undead, serpent-like people feeding on the remains.

The resort inn had been overrun by elven pirates. These were led by Captain Sharpe, a bald and scared caster called Kyl, and the rogue, Dirty Malone. We eventually overcame them, capturing Sharpe and Malone in the process, and rescued Lady Grossette and five other survivors. Once again, Celestia proved invaluable in the fight while Rudolf more than held his own.
We returned to shore where Celestia signaled Captain Wallace by igniting Sharpe’s caravel with no less than four fireballs. The return crossing was rough but uneventful. We made landfall and I asked that Captain Wallace as well as those from the inn accompany us to Captain Robert’s residence for shelter and to make our report. Two hour

For the second time, I am running the Freeport Trilogy from Green Ronin.
This is an account of the campaign as seen through the witting of Victor Von Vargas, a bard that is obsessed with death.

Here is the cast of characters:

Victor Von Vargas: Human Bard (Played by Chris)
Kerishen Tormalyne: Human Swashbuckler (Played by Amy)
Frek: Hellborn Cleric (Played by Mark)
Verwyn Synt: Elven Wizard (Played by Robin)

From the pages of the personal journal of Victor Von Vargas…

I being a healer with a small amount of bard training, begin this journey with the intent to travel to Freeport to aid with the pains and suffering that must be being accumulating amongst the workers attempting to construct the massive Lighthouse of Drac, a.k.a. “Milton’s Folly”. I hear they are working night and day to complete the project and there are surly no small amount of injuries, petty or otherwise, that shall need tending to. I will be able to live quite comfortably after words, and continue my research on the great mystery of Death.

Day 1: Afternoon –
Arrive in Freeport, leave docks, and fight off press gang. I go down fighting.
The sinister looking Frek, a cleric of some sort, seems to have saved me.
Kerishen, a human woman of some nobility with a quick eye and hand for danger, was nearby during our attempted abduction. A female elven wizard called Verwyn allied herself with us a well. We fought our way free of the thugs. Verwyn lost a dagger to the back of one of the thugs. We received healing, and a job from a cleric named Brother Egil. He needed us to help him find one of his fellow librarians named Lucius.
Lucius left the employ of the Temple of Knowledge for reasons unknown and returned about 10 months ago. He seemed to have changed, but could not remember his travels. Lucius recently tried to retrace his steps and has disappeared. Brother Egil has provided a key to Lucius’s home and some payment, so we agree to investigate.
There are so many notes, papers and books, and so little time. One note points us to a Captain Scarbelly, the very definition of local thug. An Orc captain, with a Orc crew on board a ship called Bloody Vengeance. We took our rest at a fine local inn The Scholar's Quill as I contemplate my own mortality before a fitful sleep takes me.

Day 2: Morning –
We meet at the Temple of Knowledge and are introduced to Milos, a smarmy, arrogant bastard, of a priest. We found out little and he brushed us away and said he would make arrangements for us to see the high priest in two days time.
Back to the docks. Carashin speaks orcish and she takes Frek along for company, as they parley with Scarily. They are safer as I fear another attempt from a press gang. We learn that Lucius traveled with Scarbelly and spoke to him 1 week ago about his forgotten past. The year old dock records are also of little help.
Night –
We are ambushed by a group of Yellow Shield mercenaries. We prevail.
Rittoro, a Yellow Shield, is carrying Lucius’s dagger. He directs us to a man named Enzo.
Enzo relates that a cult known as “The Brotherhood” of which he is a new member, paid to have us removed.
He also tells where to find the cult’s hole in the ground.

Day 3: Morning –
We send for Brother Egil, who provides some healing. We inform him of the developments, and he joins us as backup as we go to the abandoned stone building housing the cult.
We buy some weapons. Kerishen generously throws money at everything. I knew she was some form of nobility, but what noble allows their daughter to learn to fight with such a crude weapon as a chain? I will look into her past later.
After entering the basement, we find that the Priest Frek, has the ability to disintegrate multiple foes with a mere word, at least undead foes.
We also encounter Serpent Folk, a race of snake people thought long lost to history. They are guarding the Brotherhood’s temple. An interesting development that needs proper research, perhaps they found a way to cheat death?
We enter the brotherhood’s yellow temple and find Milos presiding over an obviously evil alter. After we kill him and his giggling minions, Milos reverts to his true serpent form, leaving us to wonder how many and who of Freeport’s people are actually serpents in disguise. Lucius is also found as is a letter conveying that N’Tal is coming to Freeport and to make sure all is ready, signed “The Brotherhood.”
We Take our finding to the high priest of knowledge and retire. I should speak with Frek about his abilities and views on Death.

Did anyone else catch the D&D reference on 30 Rock last night? Tina Fey's character Liz was commenting on how she hadn't stayed up until 4:30 am since she was in college. Then there is a flashback to her college dorm room, Liz crouching over graph paper and muttering "And behind this door, FIVE MORE ORCS! Take that Samir!"

I know they will likely bring him back but I couldn't help but get depressed upon reading this.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/books/03/07/captain.america/index.html

Here is the original cast of characters:

Warpig: CN Half-orc barbarian. Works as hired muscle for Luzane Parrin. He begins the campaign on the run for “settling” a long held feud between himself and a half-elf rogue. Played by Bob
D'Rak: LE human monk recently thrown out of the Twilight Monastery for excessive brutality and for dealing drugs. Played by Chris
Gaer: N Halfling spell thief (class from The Complete Adventurer). Associate of D’Rak and Warpig. Played by Grant
Duncan Fife: LG human male Cleric of St. Cuthbert based out of the temple of St. Cuthbert. Played by Rianna
Fenaril Ilisande Diol Fife: LG human female rogue. Aspiring paladin and married to Duncan. Also a follower of St. Cuthbert. Played by Amy
Windra: N elf female sorcerer. Associate of the wizard Allustan. Played by Brandi.

The roots of our story begin behind the Feral Dog bar in the grimy mining town of Diamond Lake. Night had fallen and Duncan, a cleric of St. Cuthbert and his wife Fenaril discovered the unconscious and dying form of Warpig, a local tough and enforcer working for one of Diamond Lake’s mine managers. Warpig had obviously been in a fight as there was some blood on his great axe. However, what was most telling was the crossbow bolt that was sticking out of his back. Fenaril was quick to notice that Warpig had been dragged here, obviously to die in the mud.

Duncan and Fenaril knew Warpig by reputation: He was strong, tough and at times, selfish and brutal but despite that, he rarely acted out of malice. In other words, he wasn’t evil. For that reason, Duncan evoked the power of St. Cuthbert and healed him and thus, saved his life.

Warpig was enraged upon coming to but he was in no shape to pursue vengeance. Nor would he tell Duncan and Fenaril who was responsible for his wounds although they both had a very good idea as to who was responsible: Kullen.

Kullen was the vicious albino half-orc enforcer that worked for Balabar Smenk; the most powerful and utterly corrupt of Diamond Lake’s mine managers. Warpig and Kullen were the two biggest dogs on the block and it was only matter of time before one of them would be dead on the streets of Diamond Lake. Although Kullen was not known to use a crossbow, he had friends that did. Namely the half-elf Crow, a vicious thug that was a known thief, backstabber and another of Balabar’s assorted enforcers.

Without witnesses, Duncan and Fenaril realized that there would be no point contacting the authorities to investigate the case, (the authorities being in Balabar Smenk’s pocket anyway), they escorted Warpig back to Luzane Parrin’s mine and went about their business....

D'Rak is a former monk from the Twilight Monastery that had settled into life as hired muscle working for Luzane Parrin where he became acquitted, even friends with both Warpig and Gear. One of the reasons that he chose to remain near the monastery despite his less than gentle departure from the Twilight Monastery was due to the fact that he and one of his brother monks still at the monastery (Vannyn) were running a lucrative business dealing Kalamanthis, a hallucinogenic drug tightly controlled by the monks. He still maintains regular meetings with Vannyn to keep the business going under the nose of the very monks that threw him out.

As D’Rak made his way to one of his usual meeting spots where he and Vannyn conducted business, he was met with a shocking discovery: Vannyn’s head on pole. At the point, D’Rak knew that he was a dead man walking. Hoping to find some help from his fellow enforcers, D’Rak quick ran back to Diamond Lake….

As D’Rak was making his gruesome discovery, Warpig, days after he was ambushed and now fully healed, entered the Feral Dog looking for Kullen. Kullen wasn’t there, nor were most of his goons. However, Crow was. Not thinking that Warpig would engage in violence in the open, Crow smiled and made a wiseass comment and asked Warpig how is back was. That was it! Warpig charged fully intent on cleaving Crow in two. Crow was too quick as Warpig’s axe smashed into the table Crow had just recently been sitting at. The blow left Warpig over-extended and un-balanced which allowed Crow more than ample time to draw his rapier and slice Warpig across his back. Crow cackled with delight as Warpig bellowed in pain. Crow’s delight was short lived as Warpig’s next blow smashed into Crow’s chest, crushing his sternum and destroying his heart.

Gear, Warpig’s level headed companion had followed Warpig into the Feral Dog hoping that it would not have come to this but there to watch Warpig’s back if it did. He arrived just as Warpig reached into Crow’s chest cavity, ripped out his heart and ate it to the disgust of the Feral Dog’s patrons.

“Oh no. Not again” was Gear’s comment as he ushered Warpig out of the Feral Dog and into vacant lot behind the bar.. Warpig was dragging Crow’s now heartless corpse along with him, leaving a trail of blood. Knowing what was to come; Gear groaned as Warpig removed Crow’s head and stuck it in a box, completing a victory ceremony that Gear had witnessed too many times before. (Warpig does this ceremony because the spirits of his tribe demand it. Rarely does he enjoy it. With Crow, he enjoyed it.)

By chance (and by convenience to getting the party together on the part of the DM), D’Rak arrived on the scene, exhausted from his retreat from the woods. Gear quickly impressed upon D’Rak that it would be in their best interest to make a hasty retreat from town for the time being due to Warpig’s recent actions. D’Rak, for reasons of his own, quickly agreed. The place that they decided to hide out was the long picked over Whispering Cairn...

The night before the events at the Feral Dog, Jierian Wierus, high priest of the Church of St. Cuthbert, had a dream. In this dream, he saw that he must send two of his followers, Duncan and Fenaril, to the Whispering Cairn. There they would find a mighty artifact which would lead them to a great destiny. Despite Duncan and Fenaril’s skepticism, (they are new arrivals to Diamond Lake and they have their doubts to Jierian’s sanity), they agreed. Having heard of the many cairns dotting the nearby Cairn Hills and the records of lost civilizations often found there, they decided to consult Allustan, Diamond Lake’s resident wizard, before exploring the Whispering Cairn.

Upon arriving at the Allustan’s residence, Duncan and Fenaril found that he was out of town for the time being. However, Allustan’s associate (lover, apprentice or both, no one in town is really sure) offered to lend her support in their exploration.

And thus, all parties concerned arrived at the Whispering Cairn and the adventure path begins….

To be continued.

I just have a DR question: Does DR apply to extra damage from items that poccess should qualities such as vicious and holy or does DR include only direct physical damage from the weapon?

Any advice would be greatly appricated.

Has anyone else read Jim Butcher's the Dresden Files? The adventures of a modern day wizard in Chicago. I must admit that I read the first in the series (Storefront) and I was hooked immediately.

These days, I would have to say my favorite writer of sword and sorcery books is David Gemmell. His is a mix of David Eddings and Robert E. Howard. I read his first novel "Legend" about six years ago and I have been hooked ever since.