Gwydion's page

It's basic, it's a Word doc, and it runs 14 pages total (7 if you print double-sided).

I was preparing some STAP information for my own use and thought I'd share! It's designed to be printed double-sided, so that you have both pages of the same affiliation visible at the same time. Useful for PC handouts and whatnot. If anyone happens to have clip art of the various affiliations, I'd add it in, but I don't have access to a scanner m'self.

Listed Affiliations: Church of the Whirling Fury, Dawn Council, Scarlet Brotherhood, The Seekers, Witchwardens, Zelkarune's Horns, and Emerald Crest.

If you'd like a copy, drop me an email at alex (dot) rushing (at) gmail (dot) com.

...and his name is Epix.

Our party has finally (after much tragedy) resurfaced in Diamond Lake with evidence of not only Smenk's involvement with a land-squatting, bodysnatching necromancer but also his involvement (with a certain Mssr. Dourstone) in catering to an evil cult determined to destroy Diamond Lake. Finally.

We've been on the run for 36 game days, which translates to (IIRC) a year of gameplay. In order to assure that we aren't jailed for (among other things) murder, theft, and arson, we presented the information to Sheriff Cubbin and intimated that it would be quite profitable for him to arrest the two mine managers.

In Diamond Lake, however, that sort of bribery is just unheard of. The Sheriff sent a deputy to have Smenk up his bribe, and ... well ... combat ensued. When the dust cleared, the half-gold dragon dwarf fighter Epix was the new sheriff, the rest of the party were his new deputies, and the other mine managers have sent some of their thugs to make sure the new regime isn't overthrown in the first night.

Now we've got to clean up the bad men in town, find a suitable replacement (most likely *shudder* Demon Boy) and help the Free City garrison clean up this (&@#%$(& Aspect that we think is going to erupt from beneath Dourstone's mines. All that, and investigate more of these darn worms in the swamps.

We aren't playing fantasy anymore; it's feeling more and more like a Noir Western with each game session. :)

Erik, James, thanks for the fun!

The sidebar for the Tapestry of Midnight leaves out the number of shadows the item allows a character to control at any one time. How many does it allow you to control?

I've always loved the Vecna stories and, after re-reading the adventure trilogy (Veca Lives!, Vecna Reborn, and Die, Vecna, Die!) I was thinking about doing a bit more research.

Is there more information about the Serpent out in D&D land?

I know that Vecna and Kas originally came from a time before the Sueloise and Balkunish, in a proto-Flan time period. When would be the best approximation of when the adventures take place in the Greyhawk timeline? Obviously it's before the Greyhawk Wars and after the Second Rising of the Temple of ELemental Evil, but that still covers a lot of ground. :)

I'm skimming Canonfire! and I'm doing some web searches, but any other books with information that helps me out would be greatly appreciated!

I'm not sure if this is your bag, but I know some people looking for a web designer. If interested, let me know!

:facepalm: And of course I misspell the name!

James, you and Richard's adventure is awesome.

My party has just finished clearing out Vraath Keep, and they haven't quite figured out that something big is happening. Their comments are awesome - Why are goblinoids from different tribes are working together? Why are there so many masterwork weapons? Goblins don't worship Tiamat!

*rubs hands evilly*

So far the adventure is everything I was hoping it would be!

Not fair! I can never turn down these sort of things! Argh! :)

Is it really approximately 8" x 5"?

Oh...and look ... it's going on sale right around my birthday...

Seriously.

Were-rats and kenku, oh my!
Sewers and spiders. oh no!
Riddles and traps, fie, I say, fie!
Challenges and champions, so buybuybuy! :)

Seriously, this is an awesome issue. Except for, y'know, the plane-shifting pirate ships of DOOOOOOOM! aren't /in/ this one. You need to work on that. We need those in every issue.

I'm just wondering how many people will attempt to take out Downer now that he's statted out. ;)

Whispers in the night

I find it passing strange that I am returning to Diamond Lake again. The last time I traveled here it was for only two days, and even that was too long a stay for my interests. It is a filthy town, and everyone in it either reeks of mud and grime or they heavily perfume it with cheap booze and sweat.
The Bronzewood Lodge is my goal; the Yew Circle has determined that it is finally time for me to begin my training at one of the druidic circles in the Flaeness. I have not heard many details of the Lodge, but what I have heard indicates that I am in for quite the adventure. Rumor has it that the Lodge enhances their perception by partaking in strange rituals – if there is anything to these rumors, they may be able to help me in my goals.

I have taken up lodging at the Able Carter Coach & Inn. It seems to be the best that this town has to offer, and they are willing to lodge and feed me for the price of two performances a day. I’ve spent the last two days entertaining the patrons of this quality establishment with a variety of drinking tunes and reels, and they’ve paid me in copper and silver.
All those years of training, and I make coppers a-plenty. Mother would be proud.

~

I have to say, things are looking quite interesting. I hadn’t thought anything important enough to warrant mention in my journal would occur, but apparently there is some sort of political intrigue afoot in this town. I may be able to profit from this quite handsomely – at the very least, the College will be interested in hearing of this. Diamond Lake is important to the Free City’s economy, and any disruption to that bloated city should be valuable.

I encountered several of the locals while performing in the common room. Among them were two particular odd individuals – one was a heavily cloaked figure, massive in build and quite unwilling to let anyone see beneath his hood, while the other was an urbane humanoid with the features of a wolf. I had heard of lupins before, but had never seen one this far from the Gnarley. Most interesting, especially as it turns out that he’s quite the dragonchess player. I imagine he fancies himself quite the gentleman! They were in the company of a young-looking dwarf, an elf robed in the garb of a wizard, and a human woman. The three of them took turns heading upstairs to the rooms, but kept returning to their table every so often. I would later learn them to be Uiyus, Renard, Epix, Thamior, and Schade.

After my performance, I found that my room was directly across the hall from one of their rooms. The constant movement down the hallway kept me awake most of the night, and it was obvious to me that they were guarding something.

It wouldn’t be until the next day that I was introduced to the leader of their little movement. I found that the six of them had formed a resistance cell against one of the mine managers, a man by the name of Balabar Smenk. There had apparently been several cases of bodies vanishing from the local graveyard, and one of the local Jasidian cultists had allied with one of the sheriff’s deputies and attempted to get to the bottom of the mystery.

The deputy – he went by the amusing nickname of ‘X’ – had corralled the rest of the group together, but in their investigations had apparently killed several of Smenk’s men as well as rousted some goblin allies of his as well. The seven of them had burned their safe house and went to ground in an abandoned cairn outside of town in attempt to throw off suspicion, only to find that their hideout was not only not abandoned, but also labored under some sort of curse.

I’m not sure of the details of this cairn, but it sounds interesting. It also sounds incredibly deadly. The cleric of Wee Jas – they said his name was Jann – and an apprentice blacksmith by the name of Revan perished respectively at the hands of a trap and some sort of living water. The rest returned to town and had holed up at the inn to determine what course of action to follow.

During our discussion, the large cloaked figure revealed himself to be some sort of purple-skinned monster, complete with two horns, a white beard, and a tail that had some sort of stinger on it. I have never heard of such a thing, but I cannot wait to find more out about where he and his people came from! The creature’s name is Uiyus, and he revealed that they had one of Smenk’s remaining bullyboys captive. The thug had attacked Uiyus in an alleyway, and after a brief scuffle he had been bound, subdued, and brought to the rest of the resistance cell for questioning.

The prisoner was apparently so eager to get away that he was willing to beat himself unconscious in an attempt to escape. Opportunity! I offered to take the captive – his name was Todrick – off the group’s hands – for a small fee, of course – and “return” him to Smenk. I suggested that while I was helping the thug escape, that one of them could find it within them to place a dagger between his ribs. This would allow me to consult Smenk and not uncover his side of the events, but also determine which side of this battle I wanted to place myself.

The resistance conferred amongst themselves and agreed. I then took Todrick and returned to my room, where I tended his wounds. I believe the group had some sort of secret meeting with some of Smenk’s rivals the next day, but I tried to remain as ignorant as possible, in case Smenk or his necromancer were able to pry into my thoughts.

Todrick regained consciousness the next day, and over the day I managed to glean some information from him: Smenk is a nasty piece of business, that the resistance had been surprisingly effective at removing everyone of Smenk’s minions with the exception of the necromancer, and that if I went to Smenk, I’d probably be beaten merely for the pleasure of it.

I hate it when criminals find it necessary to be so uncivilized.

The day passed without incident, although Uiyus has taken a shining to my performances. He tries to accompany me with his own skill at the violin. I believe that the gods are torturing me with this trial – the creature didn’t even know how to keep his violin tuned! It was a horrible experience, and I only wish I could plug my ears whenever he attempts to “improve” my playing with his own lessons.

I don't have my books in front of me, so I can't verify their stats. Is the bloodbloater swarm intended to be fully aquatic - i.e., it only attacks PCs who enter the water - or does it follow them out of the water-filled pit? I want to say that it is fully aquatic, but since it could TPK my party in their current condition, I'm eager to make sure it's run properly.

Thoughts?

Hello all,

I'm hashing out ideas for my FR-SCAP campaign website, and a few people have suggested using a wiki instead of a static site.

I'm a fairly solid HTML coder, but I don't know SQL, which seems to be the primary stumbling block to using a wiki. I like the idea of my players being able to edit content themselves. To be honest, it is also not something that I want to have to spend a lot of money on, since I'm not getting paid for my endeavors. Any advice?

There's nothing more enjoyable than watching the party do things that you just /know/ are going to end badly for themselves...

The party has easily tracked the stolen wands to the Kopru Ruins. When confronted with the pulley system, what do they do? Surely, no one in their right mind would devise a rough zip-system to slide down the rope...right? Anyone with common sense would know how difficult that climb back /up/ would be ... right?

(Stream of consciousness

I know the bugbear just dropped a wall on top of himself. Sure, an alarm just went off when we killed the hillfolk...who cares?

Pit traps! Arrows? Where are these arrows coming from?

This will be easy - it's just a few spiders...what the? It's AS BIG AS A HOUSE! Quick, heal the monk! OMG! Poison! Argh! Our fighter can't carry his armor! *pantpant*

Thank goodness we drove off the spiders. Without Shensen to help, it would have been messy. How do we get back out to heal...?

Monk, balance up that rope! Don't faaaaaaaaaall! *splash* What's that in the water. OMG IT HAS FOUR TAILS WHY ARE WE SO SLOW!!!111!!1!

/end stream-of-consciousness)

*grins* I love my players.

...a visiting company is named "Vectra" and you think it's "Vecna."

...you immediately check to see if the CEO has an eyepatch or prosthetic hand.

...when a client's last name is "Mooradin" and you want to know which editor misspelled the last name.

...when you are working on an AOO and you wonder if filing reports provokes one.

...you keep a list of interesting names of clients to use for future NPCs.

Dungeon #135

Three adventures: 1st-lvl, 10th-lvl, and 20-th lvl.

I can't review Dawn of a New Age because I'm playing the AoW right now. Droolworthy... =)

Funeral Procession, by Mark A. Hart
-Initial response: Neat, a Saltmarsh adventure! I very much like that this adventure is what I like to call a 'loose thread' adventure - it shows the effects that an adventuring party can have in an area, and the PCs have to clean up the mess.
-Followup: Creative use of spells and powers, with a necromancer who doesn't just cackle and cast enervation on the party. There is room for substantial roleplaying during the investigation, with some solid combat to break things up. I like that this adventure (seen from the BBEG's POV) is essentially her attempt to qualify for a PrC. There is an excellent tie-in to earlier adventures and to Tharizdun, and it features my all-time favorite demon prince, Graz'zt.
-Endgame: It scales easily. Very easily. It's easily adaptable - really, you just need a small town (or even a section of a much larger town). For a higher-level party, I would make the crowd in the beginning of the adventure a swarm or two, but that's IMO.
-Takasi Rating: 4. This could take place in an Eberron setting.

Chains of Blackmaw, by Nicolas Logue
-Initial Response: Prison break! Limited resources! OMG! I <3 this adventures!
-Followup: Did I mention I like adventures that make PCs sweat? Roleplaying, roleplaying, roleplaying. Plenty of opportunities for PCs, whether criminal or not. I would love to see how a paladin would try to accept life on the inside. The NPCs are interesting, and I like the wheels-within-wheels aspect of the adventure. What would be a straightforward job is complicated by a prison break worthy of Shawshank.
-Endgame: It scales so easily, it's like butter. There are multiple ways of getting PCs involved, and there are multiple ways of getting PCs out. The art is excellent, and well...what can you say about Nicolas Logue's bio? The random prisoner chart was a bit iffy to me, but it's about the only element I didn't like in the adventure.
-Takasi Rating: 5. This adventure could be an Eberron adventure. Intrigue! Prison break! Beautiful women with knives! (No warforged, though.)

Campaign Workbooks on my next break...

I have to say that linking the Savage Tide to the Vanderboren family is exactly the sort of concept that I love the APs for.

Let's play a game: if you had to choose an NPC/organization/neat event from Shackled City or AoW to whom you would love to see a reference in Savage Tides, drop it here! (Please mark spoilers, since some of us aren't done with some of the other APs)

((SC Spoiler))
-I'm waiting for older brother Todd to show up at the Vanderboren Compound as the leader of the criminal underworld.

-The [i]lens of the blacksun[/] was a throw-away plot point in Test of the Smoking Eye. What if it is a crucial element to Demogorgon's plans? How would the new PCs react to having to search Occipitus post-Adimarchus for the artifact?

I'm tinkering with an idea for an adventure, but it hinges on the use of baleful polymorph. I know polymorph has been the most recent 'fix it, wait, no, it's broken again, let's try /this/' for WotC, so I'm curious as to people's thoughts on whether I should pursue a query hinging on one of the more difficult spells in the PHB.

(Yes, I already know that you shouldn't write an adventure around the assumed use of a spell. The adventure doesn't quite read that way.)

Thoughts?

I just received Dungeon #134. I admit that opening a magazine with the blurb "BEHOLD THE KING IN YELLOW!" made me a little ... hesitant. I'm waiting for something to rise from the lake behind my office building as we speak. =)

I'm considering focusing more detail on Adimarchus' insanity in the middle stages of my SCAP, as I'm worried that my players are going to miss the whole point, which makes Asylum rather anti-climactic.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for easily-insertable adventures to place into the SCAP? I can modify and adapt adventures fairly easily, but my Dungeon collection has quite a few missing numbers in it.

I just wanted to thank Cosmo for his prompt response to my email. I work in Customer Service as well, so I know how rare it is to hear compliments!

Thanks, and keep up the good work!

It looks like GTS wasn't just booze, gambling, and overpriced hotel rooms after all. ;)

Good luck at Origins 2006!

Is anyone going? It's in my backyard, and I'll be running a mind-numbing LARP, but I wouldn't mind sharing a few drinks at the Big Bar with Paizo regulars. =)

Cubicle Culture: Hiring By School Tie Happens All The Time, But Is It A Good Idea?

The Wall Street Journal -- By Jared Sandberg
895 words
01:07 am, 02/28/2006
The Wall Street Journal (Internal Content)

"Louis Conzo played a lot of Dungeons & Dragons in college, not the sort of detail he'd feature on a résumé. But a fellow player recruited him for an engineering job "because of our association in our gaming group," which was kind of like a fraternity, Mr. Conzo says."

The article itself is about fraternities and college alumni hiring graduates into their companies. Obviously, the gaming industry brings a great deal of its talent from gamers themselves. Have you ever hired someone or been hired someone that you knew primarily from gaming?

I've been bitten by a bit of the creative bug, and I have been debating creating a scale model of Cauldron from the SCAP. There are enough alternate views in the maps and the artwork to make it a viable project, but it would obviously have to be a smaller scale than I'm used to working (tactical miniature scale).

I've never done work with smaller scale work - can anyone direct me to any websites that could be useful? I plan on stopping by the local hobby stores to hit up the regulars for pros and cons, but any assistance would be appreciated!

Hello all,

We've been discussing various ways to make SCAP more dynamic on this forum, and I have to say that the input is amazing. Everyone has thrown a lot of good ideas together, and most of it makes a great deal of sense.

Has anyone attempted to use the AGoT d20 (A Game of Thrones) Reputation and Influence rules in SCAP? I've decided to give it a whirl - my players are just now beginning to make a name for themselves, and the Reputation rules from UA don't quite do it for me.

AGoT seems a perfect match - you've got competing interests, a compelling setting that seems to inspire players towards building their own legacies/guilds/businesses/noble houses/sewer projects. I've dropped the reach of the Social Standing levels a bit - the lord mayor is Rank 6, instead of having a king at that level.

Any thoughts on the matter?

My players are I were having a discussion last night about paladin and monk orders in 3.x.

My attitude regarding the various orders are that they all have the same basic package, although certain prestige classes, substitution levels, or feats were available to different groups.

The part in contention is which deities were able to have paladins. My view has been that if the doctrine of the church does not violate the paladin's code, then a paladin order could exist for the church (FR examples would be Sune - a CG good deity with a LG order of paladins). The players are of the opinion that only good deities could possess paladin orders (e.g., Wee Jas could not have an order of paladins).

What's the general consensus? I'm unable to find anything in the books other than the standard paladin code of conduct. I'm tempted to write up a Class Act on it, but I don't know if this has been addressed before now.

I have to admit that I have long since forsworn Greyhawk for Forgotten Realms. I finding that my knowledge of the current state of Greyhawk is sadly lacking - the last time I caught up on the subject was _From the Ashes_.

Are there any good websites out there (I'm thinking along the lines of Candlekeep for FR) that I can browse through to catch up on information?

I swear I've reread the article a half-dozen times since I received it in the mail, but I just don't see a class skill list (or skill points per level) anywhere in it. Nor, for that matter, do I see weapon or armor proficiencies.

The latter I can understand; a master astrologer wouldn't necessarily pick up more combat skills. The missing skill list troubles me.

Am I just not seeing it?

I can't find my copies of the Avatar Trilogy and this minor point has been bothering me for about a month now.

I want to say that Sune took up residence in Arabel, but I just don't think that is correct. Does anyone remember?

((SPOILER))

Hello all,

While reading through my SCAP hardcover, I noticed the interior map art in the back reflects a top-down view of the city post-eruption. Does anyone know where I can find a complete copy of said map?

-Alex

So.

I decided to try something new with my gaming groups. I've started one on the SCAP, while the other have heard really good things about it. (I want to make it a point to let all the people who have worked on the SCAP how much of an impression they've made on my players - I haven't seen this level of excitement over a branded adventure setting since 1st edition.) Instead of running seperate, unrelated games, I've decided to set them up in a concurrent campaign - both parties will be involved in the same storyline, but from different angles.

As one party is morally ambigous and have a strong criminal streak in them and the other are a party of Denieran clergy (and assorted hangers-on) the focuses for them both will be completely different. I think the biggest problem I will have is using 'filler material,' as it is obvious that both parties cannot go on all of the adventures.

I'm quite capable of adapting new material to the campaign, but I was wondering if anyone has had any luck with alternate starts or additional adventures? Any suggestions?

I also noticed how close Drakthar's Way comes to the Malachite Fortress - Jzadirune and the Fortress run about 70' east of Ghelve's Locks, and Darkthar's Way runs on the southeast axis. Has anyone tried linking the Underdark passages from the MF to DW?

There are several classes and prestige classes that allow you bonus damage based on an Ability modifier (CHA for Smite, INT for Precise Strike, etc.) I have never seen any language under any of these bonuses that indicate that you would not get the bonus if you are denied your STR bonus.

The rules-lawyer in me wants to say that all damage modified by Attributes are handled the same way, but it just seems to not fit in my head. Anyone have any thoughts on the subject?

I'm looking at possibly dropping a query to Dungeon involving updating an old module. Does anyone have any idea of the legal issues that would be involved in doing this?

I don't want to go through the motions if it's pointless. There's plenty of other ideas I have that I can send out and fret over. =)

One of my worst habits when running a pregenerated adventure is sitting down and detailing the tactics of a dungeon as a whole, rather than each individual encounter. I find that it tends to help make the combat feel a little more realistic and gives it an ebb-and-flow that your standard, "Open a door, kill the orc" approach.

That being said, here is what I've come up with for the Malachite Fortress. Feel free to critique it, correct it or use it.

The assumption is that Kazmojen has been alerted to the presence of people in Jzadirune. Round 0 is the round in which the PCs enter M3. The purpose of this scenario is to keep the PCs from entering the rest of the Fortress (Kazmojen wants to keep them bottled up) and to not disrupt the business dealings with Pyllrat.

Round 0:
Stone spike attacks.
Combat alerts M4.
Combat alerts M6.

Round 1:
Xukasas opens s.d. (M4)
1 hob in M6 moves M9 and alerts M9.
3 hobs in M6 move s.d. to M3.

Round 2:
Xukasas moves into M3.
1 hob in M6 opens s.d. to M3.
2 hobs in M6 move into M3.
2 hobs in M9 move to M6.
2 hobs in M9 wake up.

Round 3:
1 hob in M6 guards the s.d.
2 hobs in M6 move into M3
2 hobs in M9 arm themselves.
1 hob in M9 moves through M13 towards M20.

Round 4:
2 hobs in M9 move M6 and guard it.
1 hob in M20 moves M13 moves M20 and alerts them.

Round 5:
1 hob in M20 moves M13 towards M9.
1 hob in M20 moves M13 towards M34.
1 hob in M20 alerts M21.

Round 6:
1 hob in M13 moves M6 and guards it.
1 hob in M13 moves M34 and alerts them.
Zarkat and 3 hobs in M21 move M13 towards M9.

Round 7:
1 hob in M34 alerts M22.
1 hob in M34 bars doors between M34 and M22.
1 hob in M22 alerts M26 by calling out the alarm.
Zarkat and 3 hobs move M13.

Round 8:
Zarkat and 3 hobs make it to passageway next to M6.
1 hob in M26 opens the door and moves M22.
1 hob in M26 moves M22 and opens door to M27.
2 hobs move M27.

Round 9:
Zarkat and 3 hobs move into M6 to guard it.
1 hob in M27 open s.d. to M28.
1 hob in M27 moves M28 and opens s.d. to M5.
2 hobs in M22 move M27.

Round 10:
1 hob in M28 moves into M5.
3 hobs from M27 move into M5.

Round 11:
4 hobs in M5 move up to the s.d. into M3.

Round 12:
1 hob in M5 opens the s.d to M3.
3 hobs enter M3 and join the combat.

Hello all.

I'm not new to the online world of RPG, but I've never attempted it with D&D (in any variation.) I've looked over the various major online sites, but I have noticed that there are several veterans on these boards.

Do any of you have advice, tips or tricks for me? I'm trying to convert my current TT game to an online format so that we can continue it - our schedules aren't quite matching up in a satisfactory way.

Which do you prefer? PbEM? Forums? Simultaneously online?

Thanks in advance.

We've all seen it before: a party of 15th level PCs that have only been adventuring for a year or two ICly. What options do you use to slow down the advancement rate to a more reasonable level?

Day One: I made a decision tonight at the beginning of my watch. I’ve been using this journal to document the variety of phenomena, creatures and items I have come across in my journeys across Ansalon. I have had hopes of one day having copies placed in the Library at Palanthas, or for young journeyman mages to whisper about my deeds while practicing their cantrips under the watchful eyes of their tutors.

Instead, I will now chronicle our discoveries and actions in the hope that someone will be able to stop the draconian scourge when we do not emerge from Pax Tharkas alive.

I was recruited by the Legion of Steel to assist in unearthing the ruins of Pax Tharkas and assisting in making it a defensible fortress again. My companions in this are Matthias, a secretive man who was far more capable than he let on, Jane, a gnome whose penchant for creating devices that work is only exceeded by her bloodthirsty tendencies, and Merrick, a human scout who has a decided dislike for authority.

The four of us were trapped in a side tunnel – my intial thoughts were that it was a vent for the dwarven forges that are rumored to have existed in the lower levels – when the draconians struck. Scores of the reptiles descended on the Legion, aided by what appeared to be stunted black dragons. The wyrms could not have been very old, as the largest was no bigger than a horse. I did not witness the sight myself, as Jane had moved ahead of the group to keep the route back to the surface clear of the goblins we had encountered.

After a brief conference, the four of us returned into the depths of Pax Tharkas, hoping to find an alternate route to the surface. In the course of day, we had slain a young black dragon and defeated a score of goblins and hobgoblins. Understandably alarmed by the presence of the dragon – and severely wounded by it – we had ascended to the camp to alert the Legion of its presence when the disaster befell the ragtag band of Legionnaires.

We stockpiled what provisions we could from the goblins’ stores and cached them in the dragon’s lair. With Jane in the front, we went farther into the ruins. A pair of hobgoblins – a larger, more aggressive breed than their cousins – guarded a thick wooden door. The damage from the historic destruction of Pax Tharkas was not so great here, and we were able to defeat the sentries with little trouble.

In this antechamber was a pair of pits that opened to a vast cavern, the limits of which we could only determine by the small fires that dotted the floor. I fear that there is a large community of creatures lurking in the ruins – I had been led to believe by all of my research that it had been abandoned when the dragon that had laired here was defeated.

The double doors opened into a room dominated by a trio of long, wooden tables. Obviously a kitchen and meal-room of some sort, everything was of dwarven-make although the years (and users) had taken their respective toll on the area.

A side note on the occupants: why does it seem that every ruin in Krynn is filled near to bursting with gully dwarves? It seems to me that there is a communication network that runs through this breed, alerting their families and clans of new territory that has been abandoned. They disgust me with their filthy habits and their tendency to destroy the value of any area they inhabit – untold years of research have been obliterated within a fortnight of these creatures staking a claim to a locale.

Between Jane’s diplomacy and a few minor cantrips of my own, the dwarves were convinced that we were no match for them. I locked them in their makeshift kitchen while Jane and Merrick searched the nearby rooms – a tactic that allowed us to discover a squad of hobgoblins nearby before they were alerted to our presence.

A fearsome battle ensued, with the goblinoids dueling over possession of a doorway with Jane, Merrick and Matthias. I must say at this point that, while Merrick does not often impress me with his discipline or intelligence, his ability to kill is quite awe-inspiring. Two hobgoblins were dispatched quickly, but the remaining pair utilized oil and torches in keeping the group from rushing them. I was able to enter through a side door that Jane had unlocked and quietly approach the pair, and my telekinetic cantrip ably dropped the strange magical stone that we found in the dragon’s lair between the two hobgoblins.

I must research this stone’s dweomer at a later date; it is oddly cool to the touch, but when placed upon a firm surface, it explodes into an enormous bonfire. The amount of control required to manipulate the pyretic element in such a way must be astounding!

I do not know if it is a matter of their diet or some internal fluid that goblinoids possess, but I must say that burnt hobgoblin has the most disgusting smell.

Acting on information gleaned from our newfound gully dwarf allies, we were able to slay several more of the hobgoblins whilst they slept in their barracks. A large hole in the floor of one of the rooms elicited nervous concern, with both Jane and Merrick convinced that a larger dragon must live at the bottom of it. We found stairs leading upwards, but they were blocked by rubble and ruined stonework.

After clearing the barracks of hobgoblins, we found one room remaining to be explored. Merrick, Matthias and Jane posited that the leader of the hobgoblin band – the “bigger boss” hinted at by the gully dwarves – must reside within. They prepared for combat while I maneuvered to another room, where I believed a door to lead into the same room. No tactician I, nonetheless I felt that a two-front engagement would be most beneficial. As I had exhausted all but a few minor cantrips and my last attack spell, I thought it best to assist in any way possible.

From the other room, I heard a roar of anger that was decidedly reptilian in nature. I began fumbling at the door but found to my horror that it was barred from the other side. Jane appeared and began working on the door, attempting to lift the latch with one of her innumerable daggers. The sound of combat grew louder, and Merrick’s warning cry indicated that Matthias had fallen to the foul creature’s sword.

The draconian rushed past Merrick and, from the open door we could tell that it was making its way to the hole that we had left unexplored. Desperate, I called upon the last of my arcane energies and hurled a bolt of pure energy into the creature. As with the rest of its vile race, it hardened into a granite-like statue before crumbling to dust.

I ran to Matthias’ body and poured one of the precious vials of healing that the Legionnaires had provided us down his throat. While he began regaining consciousness, Jane and Merrick ‘took issue’ with the draconian’s effects, rifling the room and cracking open a stout wooden chest. As we collected the arms and equipment from the fallen goblinoids, I called upon my ability to perceive magical effects. Quite a few of the items were ensorcelled, and I must say that much of Matthias’ gear was similarly enchanted.

We divided up the equipment, the most exciting of which was a mummified hand that held some small power within it. I translated a document we found in the chest that indicated that Thak – the draconian had been named, at the very least – was to guard this area with the hobgoblins, lest the Legion discover the presence of the forces beneath them.

The four of us were united in our determination to find an alternate route out of the ruins as well as find why these creatures had attacked our employer. Matthias and I secured rope that Jane found to one of the doors near the hole, and Merrick slowly descended into the pit.

Some two-hundred feet below, he reached bottom. It was a small storage room, filled with what Jane would later discover to be beakers of an organic acid. Merrick quickly began to secure the rope, only to be surprised by another draconian entering the room. He fought the vicious creature, defeating it easily, although I am sure that Jane (who was at the time descending the rope) would have preferred if he had finished tying off the rope before engaging the creature in combat.

As an aside, I must say that Jane is very much an oddity. By gnomish standards, she is laconic; by humans, she is a quiet one. All other gnomes I have met have names that stretch into infinity; Jane merely goes by a human name. She is deadly with her daggers and her logic far surpasses that of any other gnome I have ever met. She keeps muttering something about being a “scary gnome,” but Merrick trusts her. I don’t know that I would want her angry with me, as I have gathered from our conversations that both she and Merrick were employed by the Legion on a non-voluntary basis in an attempt to atone for some crime that they committed.

While exploring this lower level, we discovered numerous pens that look to have held the dragons that Jane witnessed in the assault upon the Steel Legion. We also found a pit where two older black dragons were imprisoned, their wings removed at the joint and their acid sacs surgically removed. They were a pitiful remnant of what would be a fearsome creature in the wild. They were resigned to their lives as breeding stock and wished only for death.

While Merrick parlayed with the dragons – a task I would have preferred to take on, as I am more knowledgeable in such things than he – I returned to the storage room and discovered our “allies” clambering down the rope to follow us. I secured the rope to one of the cabinets, thinking to prevent them from damaging it in such a way as to prevent our returning to the level above – a decision that would have tragic consequences.

As we were dealing with the dragons, the gully dwarves continued to descend. From the screams of pain, we can only infer that their weight pulled the cabinet away from the wall, toppling its contents all over the dwarves. Regrettably, several perished and all but one was severely injured in the accident. Matthias came to my rescue as I tried to assist the remaining dwarves, and he induced them to remain behind us while we dealt with the dragons.

The dragons informed us of a secured passage on their level that the draconians used to harvest their eggs. We began searching for the passageway leading to their lair, when Merrick found a trio of defenders that revealed even more of this dark plan.

I heard from the other room the sound of chanting, and I recognized a spell designed to charm the target into friendship with the caster. As I dashed into the room, I saw Merrick firing arrow after arrow at a grey-robed figure that he claimed to be a Knight of Neraka. Jane was battling with a large, chain-clad human in the corner and Matthias was standing on a long table, simultaneously distracting another draconian while striking at the knight.

I have heard tales of these Knights of Neraka, and I believe that they have an order of sorcerors among them. Could this be one of them?

I hurled my spear at the sorcerer and the two groups mingled in bloody combat. The spellcaster was the first to fall, and the draconian and the human hastily retreated through one of the doors, which they summarily barred. We arrayed ourselves around the door and waited for the two to emerge. I took a position atop a crate of wheat, while Jane strung her tiny bow and Matthias prepared to hurl daggers from atop the table. Merrick shattered one of the vials of acid and backed away, his own bow ready to fire.

The acid slowly began to eat away at the door, helped by a few sharp raps by my spear. When the door finally gave way, chaos ensued. Arrows and daggers filled the air as we slew the fighter, but not before he let fly a vial of gnomish fire that engulfed the table on which Matthias was standing. Matthias fell to the table, his clothes scorched and skin burning as the draconian followed with a vial of a strange alchemical concoction that sucked the heat from the flames and ended Matthias’ life.

The draconian then stepped through the wreckage of the door and sliced my stomach upon with a mighty axe. I can only recount the remainder of the combat from what Merrick and Jane have told me: the draconian moved past Jane, hitting her so hard that she nearly fell to the ground as he moved to confront Merrick. The two of warriors exchanged blows, the draconian’s greataxe carving through Merrick’s leather cuirass while Merrick defiantly parried and backed away. Finally, Merrick’s falchion found the reptile’s flesh and the creature petrified.
I regained consciousness as I felt one of the Legion’s healing cordials course through my body. The three of us gathered up the remains of Matthias and placed him in a side room – none of us knew his religon, and none of us were in any shape to perform any kind of ceremony. He apportioned his gear, as well as what we gleaned from the trio that had finally brought one of our group down. Healing vials were found on the sorcerer and were promptly passed around. We gathered the rest of their belongings and began making camp in the room that the warrior and the draconian had barricaded, which we discovered was an armory of sorts.

The gully dwarves reappeared at this time, and we set them the task of guarding the room in which the combat had taken place. Jane and Merrick moved the wreckage of the room to block the two unexplored exits to the main room. We agreed to rest for the evening and take stock, and it was agreed that my divinatory spells would assist in identifying any magic amongst the gear as well as allow the group to take on any foes that we encountered in the next day.

While rummaging through the wreckage, I came across a hidden compartment in the ruins of the table. Inside I found a wand and several pieces of parchment. One sheet in particular, indicated that the dragons used in the attack numbered almost a full score, and that an enormous amount of steel and weapons had been salvaged from the attack. Clearly, this was something more than a handful of savages – they were breeding docile dragons, they had planned a coordinated attack on a military encampment and they were working with these Knights of Neraka.

This is why I am keeping this journal. Someone has to warn the surrounding peoples that a war is brewing.

Hello,

I'm an experienced (22 years) gamer/DM and I'm looking to expand my current circle of gamers. If anyone is interested in week-night gaming for FR, SCAP or 3.5 in general, I can be reached at celemvanor (at) yahoo.com.

-Alex R.