Additional new rumours circulating Istivin:
Thieves have broken into the Far West Emporium on two occasions now, but took nothing! Ajaradob seeks adventurers to apprehend the thieves.
A band of knights of the Watch and their steeds were found frozen to death on the road linking the southern border towers by rangers of the March. One of the horses was half eaten by some great carnivore, most likely a white dragon!
Some travelers and homesteaders in the foothills of the Jotuns have been attacked by packs of some kind of strange new monster the size and shape of an ogre, but covered with shaggy white fur and having the scaly head, claws, wings, and frosty breath of a white dragon.
We have the way to meet Ajaradob -- let him hire us!
We (I) met a Knight of the Watch snooping around the Far West Emporium the other night; I wonder if he's among the dead. I personally GUARANTEE it wasn't a dragon.
Come on, man -- don't tell us that right before breakfast!
Blech, I'm not hungry anymore.
We (I) met a Knight of the Watch snooping around the Far West Emporium the other night; I wonder if he's among the dead. I personally GUARANTEE it wasn't a dragon.
Sir Nathan was actually a Knight of the Silver Chalice.
I stated earlier that we should ask one of the two powers to help in reclaiming the keep and fighting the other power then stabbing him in the back so that Sterich is rid of all the evils in town. Of the two if we had to side with one I would prefer to side with the Wizard because he was human once and he may have some sort of reason why he is doing this that is not entirely evil I suggest we request an audience with him to try and work out a deal because if we do not deal with this never ending winter then no crops will be produced and many will die.
I dunno, at least at this point.
That seems like a mouse going up to a person and asking to join forces to exterminate some cats. The person might want to get rid of the feral cats, but sure isn't gonna respect the mouse.
We've gotta get cooler than mice before we go to the Wizard of Witchfire Mountain.
And when we go west, back near Zaoldyeck Keep, we can see if there's any evidence of this "winter." Maybe even see if it could be a result of The Azure Prince trying to create his own personal Frozen Hell here. (We can rule out, I think, a portal to a Circle of Hell cuz he wants to avoid his old Boss.)
I agree we are a little weak compared to the wizard but we are stronger then the girth of his forces and we can deal with The Azure Prince's forces to some extent like when we were at that farm house and I killed the Bone and Beard Devils so even though we are weak right now we will rise our strength as we fight in this war and if I were in the Wizard of Whichfire Mountain's place I would take all the allies I could get plus my keep would be a very good strategic strong point for this war
I agree we are a little weak compared to the wizard but we are stronger then the girth of his forces and we can deal with The Azure Prince's forces to some extent like when we were at that farm house and I killed the Bone and Beard Devils so even though we are weak right now we will rise our strength as we fight in this war and if I were in the Wizard of Whichfire Mountain's place I would take all the allies I could get plus my keep would be a very good strategic strong point for this war
Wise council, Baron Zaoldyeck. Your people will be proud to serve so valiant a lord, one who has delivered them from the Azure Prince with the aid of so powerful an ally! Let us finally meet this Wizard of Witchfire Mountain, and take accurate measure of him ourselves!
And when we go west, back near Zaoldyeck Keep, we can see if there's any evidence of this "winter." Maybe even see if it could be a result of The Azure Prince trying to create his own personal Frozen Hell here. (We can rule out, I think, a portal to a Circle of Hell cuz he wants to avoid his old Boss.)
That reminds me of an old legend concerning the strange glacier in the Jotuns where the Azure Prince is said to dwell. I heard it from one of the elder priests at the House of Radiance during our investigation of the devil cult.
According to the legend, for thousands of years, the frost giants worshipped a primal deity they called Thrym. Thrym was like a frost giant in form, though much larger in stature. Then, a few hundred years ago, a twisted and bestial demon lord known as Kostch'che challenged Thrym for the worship of the frost giants, and in a titanic battle fought in the Jotuns, Kostch'che crushed Thrym's skull with his great maul and became the new god of the Frost Giants.
Thrym's corpse remained where it fell in the mountains, and as his flesh was stripped away by beasts, time, and the elements, his icy heart was exposed within the ribcage. Though Thrym's head had been crushed and he lived no more, yet his cold heart continued to slowly beat, bleeding an eternal river of icy water. Ice began to form over the dead god's bones, and continued to expand until it had formed the glacier. Though the sun's warmth continually melts the ice, the heart of Thrym continually produces more ice. This is the source of the Javan River, or so the legend says.
Some bards and sages have suggested that the heart of Thrym is an artifact capable of bringing about a Fimbulwinter -- an endless winter that spreads throughout the lands until all of Oerth is a frozen wasteland -- if certain ancient rituals are performed.
So, travelling up the Javan River to its source would be the logical way to find this place.
That answers how we can find the Azure Prince.
But I'd still like to talk to Algorthas and run all this by him. If knowledge of this story is available then the Gelugon could know that other people could find out. And have prepared.
*Rolls nat 20 on Knowledge: Planes for a total of 35.
Maybe we can get Odin and Thor to help us destroy Thrym's heart -- or at least let Heimdall know about it.
Meanwhile, we'll have to watch out for Baba Yaga and maybe even her daughter Iggwilv -- the old witch has a thing for Kostchtchie.
Or, we could just Plane Shift to the 23rd Layer of the Abyss, make an appointment to see Kostchtchie and let him know his work in the Jotens isn't done yet. We could even let him know one of those pesky LE Devils -- a Gelugon no less -- is using one of his old stomping grounds as a base.
That'll piss him off.
(Of course, even though we wouldn't have to deal with the Azure Prince anymore, we'd instead have to deal with a Demon Lord. So maybe that's a bad idea.)
Hey, when we get Aqualung back I'd like to have him meet with the elder Priest in the House of Radiance that let Trekkert know about this old story -- and use Detect Evil.
Wasn't there something a few weeks back that raised our eyebrows about Myran's church?
I am weary of working for this Wizard of Whichfire he has done much harm to the people of these lands and as it has been stated before he is most likely a lich or some monster similar to it
For the record, I love this Campaign.
Thanks, Ray! I'd have to say it's one of the better games I've ever DMed, and the wierd thing about this campaign is that for so many inter-woven plot-seeds and dovetailing back-stories, it came together in my head in a very short time, as though my subconscious had been brewing it up for a long time and distilling alot of my favorite elements of D&D and Greyhawk lore into it. And of course, the sandbox aspect allows you guys to shape the main story in a way that allows me to watch the story unfold without knowing exactly what happens next until it happens. Alot of fun for me, too!
I have to agree as well this is an AMAZING plot line and I'm loving every minute of it
BUMP!
Ray, shall I update, or would you like to for continuity? I know you are especially bust ATM . . .
BUMP!
Ray, shall I update, or would you like to for continuity? I know you are especially bust ATM . . .
Busy, too!
Having survived the devil cult's ambush, our heroes dispatched their
silver raven with news of the encounter to Captain O'Suggill, and
continued their journey to Istivin's Crossing, arriving a few hours
later. They spoke with Alderman Balthazar, learning that the strange
white dragon-yetis had been reported by travelers fortunate enough to
survive encounters with the monsters, but that none had attacked
Istivin's Crossing yet. Seeing that the village was reasonably
protected, the heroes then set off west and north for the accursed
village of Bova, said to be inhabited by werewolves and vampires.
While marching through the snow on snowshoes crafted by Trekkert, the
heroes encountered a quartet of the white dragon-yetis, and massacred
them after a brief battle in which the monsters displayed icy breath
weapons and the ability to fly on white, leathery wings. Trekkert
severed a claw and head of one of the beasts, tossing them into the
party's bag of holding, intending to bring them as evidence to the
temple of Fharlangn in Istivin. They pressed on for Bova, spending a
few nights camping under whatever shelter Trekkert or Ezra could find.
Reaching Bova after nightfall, the heroes knocked on the door of the
local inn, seeing lights and hearing voices from within. An unfriendly
crone tried to turn them away, but was admonished by a group of patrons
already inside, and the heroes were admitted. After exchanging false
pleasantries, the group of patrons, all vampire spawn or werewolves,
revealed their true natures and attacked. The heroes hacked them apart
in short order, but the howls of wolves from outside signaled the
arrival of reinforcements, and the inn was soon under siege by a mob of
werewolves and vampire spawn! The monsters tried to force their ways
through windows and doors, but finding these well defended by the
heroes, the werewolves began hacking through one of the walls of the
inn, while the vampire spawn scuttled up the walls to the roof, and
began hacking a hole through the thatching and timbers. Once the entire
force of werewolves and vampire spawn had breached the inn, the heroes
began to butcher them wholesale, until only a few were left to scramble
over the blood-slickened corpses of their fallen kin to escape, howling
to signal retreat to whatever villagers still remained in Bova.
Victorious, the heroes spent the night at the inn, setting a vigilant
watch, and then spent the following day looting the village of its
riches.
Having accomplished the tasks set for them by their associated temples
in Istivin, our heroes now turned their attentions west and south,
toward Castle Zaoldyeck. After a brief and mostly uneventful journey,
they arrived at a concealed vantage point from which they could watch
the castle. They found evidence of a recent siege -- so recent, a
charred trebuchet was still smoking. They saw a great many more horses
tied to the columns of the verandas, and a snow-clad stable that had
apparently been added at some point since the heroes' last visit. They
also saw several frozen corpses of bandits twisting at the ends of
ropes on the castle walls and tower.
Ezra, Marvin, and Samhain posed as census clerks working for the March,
using promises of legitimacy and tax exemptions to bluff their way into
the castle. After questioning one of a score-and-a-half warriors
garrisoned inside, they learned that as many again were out hunting,
led by their captain, Zarak the Half-Orc -- Killua's bastard half-orc
half-brother! He and his band of mercenaries, known as the Ruthless
Bastards, had seized the castle after a short siege some three days
previous. The Ruthless Bastards apparently believed Zarak's claim to be
rightful Baron Zaoldyeck. Finally, they learned that the beautiful
red-head they had seen leading the bandits a few weeks ago was the
Ruthless Bastards' prisoner, and that her name was Sparrow. At this
point, Zarak and the others returned from the hunt, and the trio of
spies was able to take stock of him -- a hulking, powerful-looking
half-orc with a greataxe, covered with battle-scars. Taking their
leave, Ezra, Samhain, and Marvin rejoined the others, and a plan was
made to raid the castle when half of its defenders were away hunting.
The following day, waiting until after half of the Ruthless Bastards
rode out to hunt led by Zarak, Trekkert and Marvin magically
transported the rest of the heroes into the cellar where Sparrow was
being held, and after freeing her under the silence of a spell cast on
a copper piece by Trekkert, the heroes dispatched a lone warrior who
descended the stairs to bring the red-head her noon meal. Then, arming
her with the dead warriors arms and armor, the heroes ascended the
stairs and stormed the castle, slaying the Ruthless Bastards still in
the castle to a man. Ten unarmed and unarmored men, loyal to Sparrow
before the castle was wrested from them, were also freed and armed
after promising to join the heroes against the rest of the Bastards if
needed. Killua, true and rightful Baron Zaoldyeck, was again master of
Castle Zaoldyeck.
Now the heroes prepared a cunning ambush for Zarak and his men. When
they returned from their hunt, while still a few hundred feet from the
castle, Ezra created the illusion of a pit fiend rising from a fiery
pit behind the hunting party, and Grymalkin and Marvin added a volley
of fireballs, incinerating nearly half of the Bastards. The others, led
by Zarak, spurred their horses to the castle at full gallop, right into
the heroes' ambush. While the others made quick work of the remaining
Ruthless Bastards, Killua called out to his half-brother, Zarak, a
challenge of single combat. "Come, then, brother! Let us embrace!"
mocked Zarak. They met in single combat, trading furious blows, Killua
wielding the vicious greatsword "Agony", and Zarak wielding "Balefire",
a greataxe that blazed with green flames. Alas, Zarak's blows proved
deadlier, and Killua was struck down, grievously wounded! Declaring
that the time for chivalry was over when he saw Zarak raise the axe
over the motionless Killua, Trekkert channeled positive energy,
restoring consciousness and the will to fight on in the young baron.
From the ground, he struck Zarak a fatal blow, bringing an end to the
evil half-orc and his Ruthless Bastards.
After healing up and looting bodies, the heroes rounded up the horses
and tied or stabled them at the castle. Sending out the silver raven to
report their victory to Captain O'Suggill, the heroes celebrated with a
feast and spent the night in the castle. The following day, flush with
the hubris of victory, our heroes decided to make an expedition to the
mysterious glacier in the Jotuns where the Azure Prince plotted his
conquests. They spent a day traveling across the snowy hills and frozen
Davish river, the Jotuns looming ever larger ahead of them. After a
night in the wilderness, the heroes began the arduous ascent into the
snow-clad mountains.
On a wide ledge winding along a mountainside, the heroes met a band of
four frost giants, and a battle ensued in which the giants hurled
boulders or tried to butcher Samhain and Killua with giant greataxes,
but were swept off the mountainside, falling to their deaths, by an
avalanche triggered by a fireball cast by Grymalkin. Pressing on, the
heroes reached an alpine meadow, covered with snow, and cracked with
crevasses. There, they were discovered by a band of terrible sentinels
watching the approaches to the Azure Prince's abode -- five bone
devils! These monsters quickly proved too much for the heroes, and
after Trekkert was torn asunder by one of the devils, the heroes
evacuated as best they could, Marvin using his magic to transport
himself, Killua, and Grymalkin to safety, and Samhain and Ezra fleeing
in opposite directions, relentlessly pursued and tormented by the bone
devils, who simply teleported to keep pace. Only by leaping down
natural ice-chutes too narrow for the devils did Ezra and Samhain
escape, sliding down to a lower alpine meadow several hundred feet
below. Now the heroes are separated, and Ezra and Samhain must try to
make their way back to Istivin across an unforgiving winter landscape
to rejoin their friends.
I carved a phallus on the face of an idol to Maglubiyet!
Huzzah!
Reunited back in Istivin, our heroes recovered from their harrowing encounter with the bone devils, paid some local wizards to enhance their weapons, purchased various potions, wands, and scrolls to aid them on their quest, and otherwise resupplied themselves at Krelont Keep. They visited the temple of Fharlangn to bring them the sad news of Trekkert's gruesome death, and offered to pay the rest of their fallen friend's debt to the temple, but the clerics erased his debt, and one of their number, Brother Samuel, joined the heroes in Trekkert's stead, offering to heal them on their adventures as Trekkert had done. The heroes gratefully accepted Brother Samuel into their ranks after determining (via divinations) that he was pure of heart and completely trustworthy.
At last, the heroes had distinguished themselves enough to have audience with the Marchioness, and after informing her of their intended return to the Azure Prince's glacial stronghold, she commanded her court wizard Verbane to teleport the heroes to Zaoldyeck Keep, thus shortening their journey by several days.
Following the Davish up through the snow-clad Jotuns, the heroes came to the alpine meadow where they had been routed by the bone devils a few days earlier. This time, the heroes caught two of the bone devils alone, and before their fellows could come in response to the echoes of battle, the heroes fell upon them and sent them in pieces back to Baator. The remaining three then teleported onto the scene, and were themselves butchered by the vengeful heroes.
Continuing up into the mountains, the heroes discovered the glacier, and espied the front door--a great archway that formed the mouth of a great, leering devil face of sculpted ice. Guarding the entrance was a formidable group of two frost giants, four ice trolls, and four winter wolves. Ezra, using illusion magic to disguise himself as a young fire giant lass, attempted to lure these monstrous guards into an ambush laid by the others, but only the winter wolves gave chase, and these were quickly slain.
When the winter wolves didn't return a half hour later, the giants and trolls came looking for them, and fell into the heroes' trap. Incinerated by fireballs cast by Grymalkin and Marvin, or chopped to pieces by Killua, Samhain, and Ezra, these monsters quickly fell. The heroes then rested a day in the mountains to regain spells.
Realizing now how much more powerful they had grown since their fateful meeting at the Hale Halberdier, the heroes resolved to approach the stronghold more boldly the next day, and they found another group of frost giants, ice trolls, and winter wolves, in the same numbers as before. The heroes dealt with them in the same manner as their doomed predecessors, and began a systematic exploration of the maze of ice cut from the glacier by slaves of the Azure Prince.
Passing through tunnels and chambers of blue ice, lit by cold blue magical fires in sconces and scaled for giants, the heroes slaughtered den after den of winter wolves, then cleared out scores of goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears garrisoned deeper in the ice maze, taking one captive hobgoblin with hopes of rehabilitating him. Proving himself in battle against his former fellows, this hobgoblin, known as Skorrek, was brought with the heroes back to Castle Zaoldyeck, where he would struggle to fit in with unfriendly human mercenaries already guarding the castle. During this first mission in the glacier, the heroes discovered two levers of ice with crystals inlaid in the ice above them. According to Skorrek, there were four such levers and crystals, and all four must be pulled to light the four crystals and unlock a great door barring passage to a level above, where the Azure Prince held court.
After another rest at the castle, the heroes ventured to the glacier again. This time, no guard was posted, and the frozen corpses of the last guard still lay where they fell, half-buried in snow. Entering again, they ventured deeper into the glacier, encountering ice golems, which withered under Grymalkin's and Marvin's fireballs, exploding with icy shrapnel. They discovered workshops where duergar sculpted bodies of ice to be animated as ice golems by a powerful duergar wizard, whom the heroes first heard of by questioning a duergar they captured. They encountered this wizard, Kalivos, shortly thereafter, and after smashing through a wall of ice golems protecting him, the heroes defeated Kalivos, rendering him unconscious and binding him for questioning.
From both Skorrek the hobgoblin and Kalivos the duergar wizard, the heroes learned of the Azure Prince's most powerful minions--an erinyes, an eight-headed cryohydra kept in an ice arena, a white dragon (sire of the half-dragon yetis), and the five bone devils they had first fled from, then destroyed on their second foray. Having expended a good deal of power in cleansing the ice maze thus far, our heroes again returned to Castle Zaoldyeck to rest.
The following day, the heroes again set out for the glacier. Just after they crossed the frozen surface of the Davish, one of Azure Prince's minions--the adult white dragon Shakkakalash--and four of his abominable offspring--half-dragon yetis--dove from the gray sky and assaulted the heroes! By fire and blade, the heroes prevailed, and the dragon fell along with his spawn. The Azure Prince would never breed such horrors again!
I've learned that there's not that much to talk about when we're in the middle of a dungeon.
Perfect timing that the mind behind my soul is really busy with his own life and can't much maintain the Thread.
But ENOUGH OF THIS!!!
Let's go kill us a !
As our heroes explored deeper into the Ice Fortress of the Azure Prince, they were ambushed by a force of ice trolls, frost giants, and a cryohydra, making quick work of the monsters with force of arms and spells. Proceeding, the heroes encountered and slew more of Skakkakalash's half-dragon yeti offspring, and discovered the nursery, where the half-eaten corpses of female yetis chained to the icy walls attested to their grisly fate. They also found further progress blocked by an immense door of ice, with four crystals of different colors inset in its surface.
Four levers with colored crystals inset in the ice above them had been discovered scattered throughout the maze-like Ice Fortress, but the heroes had decided not to touch them until they had cleared out all monsters. After having killed all of the Azure Prince's monstrous minions on this level, the heroes began their search for an upper level reported to them earlier by their hobgoblin captive. Now was the time to try pulling the levers.
As each lever was pulled, the crystal above it began to glow. After pulling the fourth lever, the heroes hurried to the great ice door, finding it now open, and the four crystals in its face lit like the crystals above the levers. Beyond the door lay a corridor with a side passage that led to another nursery, now containing only half-eaten female yeti corpses and old fragments of half-dragon eggshells.
Continuing down the newly opened corridor, our heroes found what they were seeking--a great spiral stair of ice ascending to the upper level. On reaching the top of the stairs, the heroes were confronted by bearded devil guards, which they dispatched skillfully. Now they would explore the upper level in search of the Azure Prince. They encountered another group of frost giants in one of the larger chambers, and slaughtered them in short order. They also discovered several more levers with crystals above them. As before, they left the levers alone at first.
They found the lair of the Erinyes, guarded by more bearded devils. After a brief battle, the heroes sent all of the devils back to the Nine Hells of Baator, and looted the treasures found in the erinyes' lair.
In another chamber, they found a planetar angel bound with magical chains enchanted to prevent his escape via magic. The heroes freed the angel, and he urged them to remain where they stood until he returned. After a brief wait, the angel returned with magical gifts from Celestia for his brave rescuers. Thanking them again, the angel then departed back to Celestia.
In another chamber, they discovered a shocking sight--the dryad Springblossom lay weeping on the ice before her uprooted oak tree! The Azure Prince had taken her hostage to keep the Wizard of Witchfire Mountain at bay. She lay trembling and pale, but her beautiful face lit up at the sight of the heroes who had returned her magic comb to her. With superhuman strength granted by their magic belts, Killua and Samhain, aided by the others, hauled Springblossoms oak through the two levels of the Ice Fortress, and made a grueling, slow-going trek back to Zaoldyeck Keep, where Killua ordered his men to dig a pit and replant the oak. Springblossom would thereafter dwell under the protection of Baron Zaoldyeck. After a night's rest, our heroes returned to the Ice Fortress.
After clearing most of the chambers in the upper level and coming to another great door of ice with crystals set in it, our heroes returned to the chambers with levers and pulled them all. Returning quickly to the door, they found it open, and saw within the court of the Azure Prince, a throne room with a raised dais, and an icy river flowing through a trench from the north to the south, where it spilled through a narrow fissure to become the Davish River. Its source was a titanic skeleton lying half buried in ice at the north end of the chamber, and specifically, from a large, ice-blue heart that pumped the icy water out with every reverberating heartbeat--they had found the bones and still-beating heart of the fallen frost giant god Thrym! The source of the Davish, the strange glacier, and the bitter winter that plagued Sterich was indeed the Heart of Thrym, now a potent artifact.
But what drew their immediate attention was sitting on the great throne of ice upon the dais--the Azure Prince, a towering gelugon with azure designs on his white chitinous exoskeleton, clutching a great scepter topped with a glowing blue crystal. The battle to follow might determine the fate of Sterich, and perhaps all of the Flanaess! Will our mighty heroes have the power to defeat their long-sought foe? Only time (and dice rolls) will tell!
The Wiard is dead -- now we just gotta find his Phylactery before 1d10 days ;)
Oooh, me knows -- let's finds the phylactery and just stand by it waiting and whens the Wizard reappears we killin it again. And then wait a few more days and killin it again! And again.
Heehee.
BTW, now tha the Wizard is dead, dibs on Springblossom.
Mayaheine wants me to have her in a threeway.
. . . .
Although the previous narrative fails to mention it, two heroic warriors joined the heroes on their last few forays into the Ice Fortress of the Azure Prince: Alinander Silverelm (grey elf ranger, deadly archer, and henchman of elven lord Fonkin Hoddypeak); and Dernik Stonehammer (waraxe-wielding dwarf fighter, henchman of dwarven lord Redmod Dumple). These two, ever bickering as elves and dwarves are wont to, have proven doughty companions, and have been accepted into the heroes' band.
After the penultimate foray into the Ice Fortress, as the heroes were resting at Zaoldyeck Keep, Alinander and Dernik were instructed via silver raven to reconnoiter Witchfire Mountain, and to confirm or deny reports that the Wizard's army was gathering at the foot of the mountain. Bidding their new companions farewell, the elf and dwarf left to undertake this mission.
The rest of the heroes journeyed once more to the Ice Fortress, as described above. As they were journeying to the Ice Fortress (saving teleports for escape if need be), Alinander and Dernik observed (from a safe distance) that the reports were true--about 1,000 goblinoids (600 goblins, 300 hobgoblins, and 100 bugbears) were camped on the central foothills, near the winding road that led up to the mines and doors of the Wizard's fortress; to the north, werewolves wrestled and paced, bored with waiting on further commands from their liege; and to the south, in the gloom outside of the goblins' and werewolves' campfires, crouched pale-skinned vampire spawn and ghouls, their hunger for blood and flesh growing.
The elf and dwarf hurried back to Zaoldyeck Keep, after reporting via silver raven to their masters. As the keep came into their sight, they noticed an alarming sight near Springblossom's oak--a black coach and a cage on a cart, both yoked to pairs of skeletal horses! A robed man sat in the driver seat of the coach, and a cloaked and armored man was reclining in the cage, while a third cloaked man paced about, hand resting on the hilt of a black greatsword. Dernik waited while Alinander crept closer to spy on these strange folk camped by Springblossom's oak. Getting a closer look at the strangers, Alinander felt sure that they were minions of evil, for the unholy symbol of Vecna hung on a chain around the caged man's neck. Thinking no one had noticed him, he turned to creep away, but was most unsettled when the robed man in the coach driver seat spoke to him, saying, "The goodly Baron Zaoldyeck is not home, elf, if that is who you seek." Giving no reply, Alinander crept back to Dernik and reported. Checking in at the keep, they learned that the three strangers had sought entry, but were turned away by Sparrow (the red-haired former bandit-leader who captained Zaoldyeck Keep in Killua's absence).
Knowing the others had left to return to the Ice Fortress, elf and dwarf mounted fast horses and pushed them to exhaustion, letting them go free at the foot of the mountain pass that led to the Ice Fortress. The other heroes cautiously explored the rest of the fortress and killed off the last of the Azure Prince's minions, as Alinander and Dernik climbed as quickly as their legs and endurance would allow (Alinander occasionally having to carry Dernik piggy-back-style, or toss him over a ravine to take shortcuts), and only a few rounds into the other heroes' climactic battle with the Azure Prince, they caught up and joined the fight.
The Azure Prince, hoping to quickly eliminate spellcasters, drew a hail of blows from the fighters of the group as he tried to teleport to where Grymalkin stood (after the wizard's chain lightning failed to harm the gelugon), spelling his doom. He tried to teleport away, but a shadowy figure that had materialized almost unnoticed (a few sharp-eyed heroes spotted it) prevented it with a dimensional anchor. The devilish form emerged from the shadows--it was a tall, handsome, red-skinned devil with black horns, bat-like wings, and the finest garments--laughed mockingly at the Azure Prince, saying, "Foolish gelugon! Did you really think you could escape from me?" Gasping in uncharacteristic horror, the Azure Prince tried to flee, but was cornered when the newly arrived devil teleported to block his escape. Grymalkin, recognizing the archdevil Mephistopheles himself, stuttered his name fearfully to his companions, and retreated behind Alinander. Alinander finished the Azure Prince with a volley of arrows, and Mephistopheles trapped the gelugon's essence in a soul gem, chuckling with evil pleasure. So ended the evil reign of the Azure Prince.
The foolhardy Samhain, seeing an archdevil at the end of the hall leading into the throneroom, charged to strike at Mephistopheles, but Dernik tackled him, preventing his suicidal assault. Thanking the mortals for helping him apprehend the Azure Prince, Mephistopheles tossed a crimson bag of holding (type I) containing ten diamonds worth 10,000 gp each--the 100,000 gp bounty placed on the Azure Prince by the archdevil--at the heroes and departed in a black cloud stinking of brimstone.
After the shock of meeting an archdevil wore off, the heroes turned their attentions to the still-beating Heart of Thrym, source of the strange glacier, the Davish River, and the unnatural winter that was slowly spreading across Sterich. The heroes knew from previous consultations with Algorthas the Seer that there were two ways to destroy the Heart of Thrym--cast it into an active volcano (which would cause an eruption), or impale it with a magical flaming weapon. On hearing Ezra remind the heroes of this, Samhain channeled the fires of Pelor into his greatsword, which began to glow red-hot and burst into flames. Before anyone could stop him or get to a safe distance, Samhain plunged his flaming sword into the heart, destroying it, but also causing an explosion of icy shards and bloodfreezing winds that lacerated and frosted the heroes. Fortunately, all were hardy enough (or evasive enough) to survive the blast.
Within the ribcage of Thrym, where the Heart once rested, lay an ice-glazed steel chest and several sacks. After scraping away the ice, the heroes opened the chest and found a fortune in magical tomes and manuals that increased either a physical or mental ability in the reader, one of each of six known types! Also within the chest were a magical headband that increased the wearer's wisdom and charisma, and a belt that increased strength and constitution. The sacks contained thousands of gold, silver, and copper coins. After judiciously dividing this fortune in treasure, the heroes departed the Ice Fortress and returned to Zaoldyeck Keep.
Warned by Alinander and Dernik, the heroes expected to find the three mysterious strangers camped by Springblossom's oak. Instead, they saw a gleaming iron golem standing still beside the tree! As they approached cautiously, Springblossom emerged from her oak and waved them closer. She explained that the iron golem was a gift from the Wizard of Witchfire Mountain to Baron Zaoldyeck, and that its last order from the Wizard was to protect Springblossom until the baron returned, and to thereafter obey the baron's every command. She told them that the Wizard had visited with her briefly, waiting until the golem arrived at the keep (it moved slower than the skeleton-horse-drawn coach and cage), and then bidding her farewell for what she instinctively knew would be the last time.
Sending out their silver raven to inform Captain O'Suggill of the Azure Prince's fall and the Wizard's gathering army, our heroes then spent six days at the keep, reading the magical tomes and otherwise increasing their power. Meanwhile, having received their messages, Captain O'Suggill marshalled the Sterish army, Fonkin Hoddypeak marshalled the elves of Oytwood, and Redmod Dumple marshalled the dwarves of the Jotens, and all began marching to rendezvous at Witchfire Mountain and crush the Wizard's evil army. It would be nearly a week of marching for the three armies, so the heroes ventured to Witchfire Mountain a few hours ahead of the armies.
Using illusion magic, Alinander and Ezra disguised themselves as drow and approached first the goblinoids (who seemed not to know why the Wizard had called them to the foot of the mountain), and then the werewolves. Ezra recognized Garm the Hunter among them, and Alinander recognized Garm as the pacing man with the black greatsword who had been camped near the oak. Using guile and claiming to be messengers announcing the aid of Lolth in the Wizard's cause, the two were able to learn from Garm that the Wizard had sequestered himself in the uppermost level of his mountain fortress. As they returned to where the others were waiting, Garm transformed into a wolf and raced up the winding path to report the "drow" messengers and relay their vow of aid.
Noting a great valve at the top of the winding mountainside road, which was within the dancing blue "witchfire" wreathing the mountain peak, the heroes first tried to teleport to the valve. On arriving at the top of the road before the valve, they were wracked with lightning! Quickly retreating down the road and out of the deadly electricity field that gave the mountain its name, the heroes entered a lower level of the fortress via an open passageway.
At the end of the passageway stood a pair of glyph-warded bronze doors, behind which the sound of unison chanting could be heard. Ezra and Alinander opened the doors, expecting blast glyphs they could nimbly evade, narrowly avoiding being blinded by the glyphs of blinding! Beyond was a temple of Vecna, in which a high priest (the Vecnite from the cage!) and high priestess led four lesser priests in chanting the mysteries of Vecna. The mighty heroes made quick work of these evil men and women, and took captive the high priestess, whom they forced to guide them up through the fortress' maze-like passageways to the Wizard's sanctum.
The high priestess led them up a series of inclining corridors and stairways until they came to a chamber filled with pillars. The high priestess told the heroes that the Wizard had forbidden anyone except himself and his chief lieutenants to go any further. The chamber of pillars was in fact a series of deadly traps--guillotines, crushing blocks, spears, and even magical effects awaited the hapless victim who passed between the wrong pair of pillars in each row. Tossing coins proved not to trigger the traps, and as the cautious Ezra, Grymalkin, and other more cerebral adventurers puzzled over how to bypass the traps, Dernik grew impatient and charged through, narrowly avoiding most of the traps, and being only scathed by a spring-loaded blade before arriving on the far side to chide the cowardice of the others. Finally, Grymalkin used a few scrolls of dimension door he'd purchased the last time they were in Istivin to transport the rest of the heroes safely past the deadly chamber of pillars.
After wandering (the high priestess truly could guide them no further) and ignoring disturbing dungeon sounds from behind several doors along the way, the heroes discovered a laboratory where the wondrous properties of Witchfire Mountain had been studied by the Wizard--raw meats, goblin corpses, rounds of cheese, loafs of bread, and jugs of milk, all as fresh as the day they were produced, were labeled with dates going as far back as nearly 50 years! Apparently, nothing decayed within the peak of the mountain. Was this the secret of the Wizard's longevity? Or was it something more sinister, as the heroes feared?
Passing through the laboratory, they came at last to a great audience chamber, overlooked by a balcony at the far end, to which a pair of stairs ascended, where a pair of doors stood open. On the balcony stood the Wizard and his chief lieutenant, Garm the Hunter. Below the balcony, within a binding protective circle, stood a terrible demon--a glabrezu bound by the Wizard, who encouraged the heroes to kill the "miserable Wizard". What followed was a conflicting effort by the heroes--Garm descended the stairs, transforming to hybrid wolf-man to answer Samhain's challenge of a duel to the death. Killua moved to the stairs (giving the demon wide berth), hoping to negotiate a peaceful surrender from the Wizard. Alinander, torn between two favored enemies (undead--for he felt certain the Wizard was a lich--and evil outsiders), decided to dispatch the demon first, and riddled it with arrows. Narwhal caught the demon in a blade barrier, and the battle was fully on! Seeing his friends attack the demon, Samhain abandoned his duel with Garm to attack the demon. Seeing their intent, the Wizard quickly dispatched half of the party while they were busy with Garm and the demon--he stunned Samhain with a powerword stun, killed Narwhal with a finger of death, and dominated Killua, ordering him to subdue his friends. Unable to resist, Killua began to make his way to Samhain to grapple him. The demon fell under Alinander's continued assault. After killing Garm, Dernik raced to the balcony to confront the Wizard, but the Wizard trapped him in a forcecage. Now, only Grymalkin, Ezra, Alinander, and Marvin could freely act, and it seemed that the Wizard would triumph!
Seeing his opportunity to be the hero, Grymalkin cast a disintegrate at the forcecage, freeing Dernik, who then carved the Wizard to pieces as Alinander riddled him with arrows. The Wizard fell under their assault, and the heroes stood victorious! Marvin was able to raise Narwhal with one of the cleric's own scrolls (making a lucky Use Magic Device check), and Narwhal restored his lost power with his scrolls of greater restoration. Now, they must locate the Wizard's phylactery before he returns to wreak further havoc!
Grymalkin's journal:
At long last, with some assistance from my brave ruffian companions, I have defeated both the Azure Prince AND the Wizard of Witchfire Mountain! Not only this, but I looked with defiance into the face of Mephistopheles himself! In fact, the archdevil even rewarded us for killing the gelugon for him! The treasures, the lore, and Witchfire Mt. are MINE! I have graciously shared the plunder with my ruffian companions, and no doubt, the Marchioness and other lords and ladies of Sterich will heap further rewards on us for saving their March!
Now, I am the new Wizard of Witchfire Mountain! I shall unlock its secrets, plunder its riches, and be young and beautiful forever! I already have plans for converting the upper levels (where nothing decays and no creature ages!) into luxurious apartments, which I will lease to the super-wealthy! Perhaps I will call these residences "Mountain of Youth Villas", and market them to aging rulers and nobility.
The previous Wizard's academy will be preserved as is, but Grymalkin the Great shall be the new master! (Of course, all of the old Wizard's evil apprentices will no doubt be put to the sword by overzealous ruffians or soldiers, so I shall have to attract new disciples.)
The lower levels are rumored to be rich mines, from which the old Wizard's slaves and goblin hordes mined precious metals and gems! I do hope they haven't been depleted. With these three ventures simultaneously enriching me, I should be a billionaire before my first gray hair! Oh, wait--I'll never get my first gray hair! (I am now laughing hysterically.)
But I am perhaps getting a bit in front of myself--we must still find and destroy the old Wizard's phylactery, before he can reform himself. The search might prove deadly, as I fear we shall yet encounter more horrors in the chambers of Witchfire Mt., but I feel certain that we have overcome the worst this place has to offer.
(Via silver raven to the Marchioness):
My Lady, Baron Zaoldyeck and his allies have slain the Azure Prince and the Wizard of Witchfire Mountain. Our army, with dwarves from Jotens and elves from Oytwood, have scattered the Wizard's remaining forces. We are now searching Witchfire Mt. for stragglers and prisoners. O'Suggill.
Captain O'Suggil,
We have accomplished the first step in defeating the Wizard of Witchfire Mountain, destroying the lich's physical remains. The second step, destroying its phylactery, faces us. A Commune spell has informed us that it is nearby, small and unguarded.
This shouldn't take long.
Captain O'Suggil,
We have accomplished the first step in defeating the Wizard of Witchfire Mountain, destroying the lich's physical remains. The second step, destroying its phylactery, faces us. A Commune spell has informed us that it is nearby, small and unguarded.
This shouldn't take long.
Well done, Ezra of Pelor! When you and your allies have destroyed the Wizard's phylactery, return to Istivin, where the Marchioness will thank you personally. She has decreed a new seven-day festival, to be celebrated at this time each year to honor the heroes who bravely fought and sacrificed life and limb to save Sterich from overwhelming enemies. The finest sculptors among the dwarves of the Jotuns will ask you to model for sketches to be used in crafting statues that will stand in Qualtaine Square as a reminder of your heroism, and I am told that the elven bard Rilathandir Spellsong is already writing an epic ballad based on your adventures. Further, the clergy of Pelor at the House of Radiance have declared any resurrection debts owed by you or your allies paid in full. The folk of Sterich will not soon forget the deeds you have performed on our behalf.
DM's note: At the completion of the WoWM campaign, our heroes have gone from 1st level to 12th level, taking almost a year of real-world time, and somewhere around 15 sessions of about 6 hrs each.
Not yet ready to retire, most of our heroes will continue their adventures in a Return to the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, which will be chronicled in the campaign journal of the same name!
Dudes! That was gnarly! The lich-dude was a total douche-bag and hosed me with his grotty finger of death spell, but you guys were my bros and brought me back, yo! You dudes rock!
So, like, about this douche-bag's phylactery . . . . I just communed with Fharlanghn after partaking in some of this halfling herb, and check out this fortune-cookie jive, yo: "The phylactery lies even above the gods!"
I was, like, "whoaahhhh, dude!" I think it refers to the triangle-room where the Douche-bag of Douche-fire Mountain's three god statues are all hanging out . . . . Ya know?
Er, wait a minutes there, mate -- I didn'a know you talked likes 'hat; we wouldn'a brought ye back if you talken like that.
Um, we raised Trekkert, not the guy that talks like a valley girl.
Our heroes sealed the fate of Malkyron, the Wizard of Witchfire Mountain, bringing his tragic tale to an end at last. Narwhal having deduced the location of the Wizard's phylactery after contemplating the results of a few commune spells--hidden in a secret compartment above the peak of the Wizard's personal sanctuary--Grymalkin and Alinanader ascended via fly spell and slippers of spider climbing, respectively, and Grymalkin disintegrated the peak, revealing the phylactery, which Alinander snatched and tossed down to Samhain Aqualung Tull, who promptly stomped and head-butted it to smithereens. So ended the Wizard of Witchfire Mountain.
Returning to Castle Zaoldyeck, the heroes celebrated with a great feast, attended by Sparrow, the guards, Springblossom, and nearly all of the baron's subjects, and recuperated from their adventures.
Later, having returned to Istivin at the Marchioness' request, the heroes were hailed as such and awarded great honors. Baron Zaoldyeck was retitled Count Zaoldyeck, and his barony was doubled in size, becoming the County of Zaoldyeck, when the Marchioness granted him the adjoining lands of an heirless baron who died during the retaking of Sterich; this added land was renamed the Barony of Ezra, and granted by Count Zaoldyeck to his adventuring companion, Ezra of Pelor, hereafter Baron Ezra.
Statues representing the heroes would soon stand in the hall of heroes in Krelont Keep, alongside likenesses of such worthies as Frush O'Suggill, Fonkin Hoddypeak, Redmod Dumple, and Beek Gwenders of Croodle! Likewise, statues of our heroes would soon stand ever vigilant in Qualtaine Square, to remind the people of Istivin of their brave deeds.
Grymalkin declared himself the new Wizard of Witchfire Mountain, and hired heralds to announce his offer to rent luxury apartments wherein one would never age; he eagerly anticipates the "glorious mountains of treasure" to be heaped upon him by aging royalty and nobility.
As for Alinander and Dernik, their masters lauded their brave service in making Sterich a much safer (and more boring) realm. Knowing the thirst for adventure that burns in their young squires' hearts, Lords Hoddypeak and Dumple lost no time in sending them again to fight the forces of evil, this time in the Yatil Mountains, where it is whispered that Iggwilv has returned to retake her former kingdom!
Word of Iggwilv's return and the horrors plaguing the lands adjacent to the Yatils reached our heroes in Istivin in the form of a letter forwarded to them from a young but powerful wizard and sage named Varysia McCandles, heralding her imminent arrival in Istivin to request their aid in combating the dire evils threatening the Flanaess from the north. Though Count Zaoldyeck, Baron Ezra, and the new Wizard of Witchfire Mountain had obligations and ventures that bound them to Sterich, Narwhal was ever ready to wander as befits a true cleric of Fharlanghn, and Marvin the Mighty felt compelled to use his potent witchcraft to oppose the black witchcraft of Iggwilv. Hearing that Alinander and Dernik would venture north with this wizard Varysia, Narwhal and Marvin declared their intention to join them and aid in their fight to free the lands around the Yatils from the curse of Iggwilv!
At a feast in Istivin celebrating the heroes' victory over the Azure Prince and the Wizard of Witchfire Mountain, the heroes met Varysia McCandles, who invited them to join her in an expedition to the Yatils to strike against Iggwilv and her witch cult. At the same feast, two other seasoned adventurers also offered their assistance in the venture--one a disciplined and deadly young monk named Serpico, who had taken vows of silence, and fasting, and communicated with the heroes by writing notes; the other a powerful, boisterous young cleric of Kord, Skoarn Vardriksson, who had adventured across the Flanaess from the frigid land of the Snow Barbarians. These two, seemingly complete opposites, had both come to Sterich to lend their aid against the Azure Prince, Wizard of Witchfire Mountain, and other enemies, only to find the victory had already been won by our heroes; therefore, they would join these worthy adventurers in their quest to break Iggwilv's hold over the lands around the Yatils! (See Return to the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth on these boards.)